When Inside Out 2 was announced, I was less than enthusiastic because, like many, I consider the first movie (Inside Out, 2015) one of the best films Pixar ever made. Also, unlike some other films, this one didn’t never feel like there was much for expansion, as the first movie did everything it wanted to do without setting up any potential sequel. Yeah, they make the puberty joke towards the end that came back at the beginning of this film, but other than that, the idea of a sequel felt more unnecessary than with other films in the recent past. And let me remind you, we live in an era where quite a few movies are sequels, prequels or remakes. Anyway, I was curious, and the film was getting positive reviews, so I had to check it out for myself and honestly… Not bad.
The one thing this sequel did well was utilising the fact it was a sequel, so we jump straight into the story. We get one quick scene of re-introducing all the emotions (just in case you have not seen the original film and felt like going to see the sequel, I guess?), but besides that, the movie starts almost immediately with Riley starting puberty. Well… the puberty buzzer goes off, and they “bin” it. Does that mean Riley’s emotions delayed her puberty? Because that would be wild. Moving on, Inside Out 2 takes place two years after the original when our protagonist hits puberty and is introduced to new emotions – anxiety, ennui, envy and embarrassment. The new emotions quickly overtake her, banishing the old group to the side and taking over Riley’s life whilst she is getting used to the idea that her two best friends will attend a different high school than her.
I thought the movie displayed, yet again, each emotion brilliantly. I can imagine this film helping many younger people to describe what they feel much better, especially anxiety. I also appreciated how much this movie spent on the sense of self-worth and how, at that age, that gets directly tied to a different sense – of belonging to a group. Feeling the pressure to like the things the new group likes, because if you don’t, the chances are, they might not like you as much… I thought this was where Inside Out 2 shined the best in all the Riley scenes and how relatable they portrayed everything she was going through.
My only problem was with the “emotions’ journey”. Not only does it mirror the first movie (the “sensible” emotions get banished and need to find their way back to the control room), but the journey that our old emotions end up on feels a bit off. Because every time they stumbled upon a problem, it almost magically gets solved on its own. In the first movie, Joy had to think on her feet and figure out the way out of problems. In this movie, there were some moments where literal magic helps them out, and that felt “a bit” cheap.
Also, the overall point is the same as in the original movie. It’s been a minute since I watched the first Inside Out, but I am pretty sure the main message is sadness isn’t always bad; it just can’t control your life. And the same point was made here, with anxiety, respectively, with the “planning” part. It’s fine to plan, but if you do it to the point of driving yourself crazy, that’s not helpful. And it was in that way my worries came through and how, ultimately, this world isn’t as large as one might think. Because the “ultimate” message will always stay the same, all human emotions can be helpful if the person lives an examined life. Sure, we follow a teenager who doesn’t understand anything (as everybody their age), so it makes more sense, but from the viewer’s perspective, if you watch these back to back, I imagine it can get repetitive.
Another thing – where the original had a big emotional scene that almost got me (yes, I am talking about Bing Bong), this sequel didn’t have anything like this. They try, don’t get me wrong, and all the scenes hit just right, but there wasn’t one that would stand out as much or hit me a bit more.
I will have to rewatch it at some point to sort my thoughts on Inside Out 2. I might even rewatch the original movie first to see whether I am viewing the first movie through a “nostalgic lens” (that was a great scene with nostalgia, btw), but for now, despite all the tiny issues I had with this movie, I actually had more fun than I anticipated. Pixar didn’t miss with this movie as it’s a beautifully animated, relatable story about a young girl on the brink of puberty. Sure, the “road map” might be familiar, but given the sensible runtime, great voice cast (the clear standout is Maya Hawke, given how much runtime her Anxiety gets) and the fact that I had a good time, I enjoyed it.
Overall, Inside Out 2 is better than I expected, although it doesn’t reach the peak of the original movie, which isn’t a fair criticism, given the original is just on another level. Nevertheless, if you are looking for something familiar, fun and easy to watch, this movie is that and more. And if you have a teenager living with you, this movie might equip them to talk to you about what they are going through a bit better, and that’s never a bad thing.
That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!
Until next time,
Luke
