Review: "Inside Out 2"

Film Review - Inside Out 2

This image released by Disney/Pixar shows, from left, Sadness, voiced by Phyllis Smith, Joy, voiced by Amy Poehler, Disgust, voiced by Liza Lapira, Fear, voiced by Tony Hale and Anger, voiced by Lewis Black, in a scene from "Inside Out 2." (Disney/Pixar via AP)

Rebecca's Take

In 2015, “Inside Out” cemented itself as one of Pixar’s best films. Featuring the hallmarks of Pixar’s dazzling animation and emotional depth, the Academy Award winner for best animated feature explored the colorful emotions swirling inside a young girl’s head. The coming-of-age cartoon captured the Joy and Sadness — also the names of its two main characters — of growing up. The beloved masterpiece resonated with all ages.

Nine years later, the long-awaited “Inside Out 2” aims to recreate the magic of the original. As its protagonist enters her teenage years, the delightful film has plenty to work with as new emotions take center stage. Though it doesn’t reach the emotional heights of its predecessor, “Inside Out 2” crafts a smart, heartwarming and vibrant sequel that appeals to both kids and adults.

Set two years after the first film, “Inside Out 2” catches up with Riley (voiced by Kensington Tallman) as she turns 13. When puberty sets in, the teenager is thrown for a loop when she attends a three-day hockey camp. Ahead of entering high school, Riley is torn between spending time with her best friends and making new ones.

Eager to guide Riley are her resident emotions Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Liza Lapira, taking over from Mindy Kaling) and Fear (Tony Hale, replacing Bill Hader). However, some new emotions move into Riley’s headspace. Anxiety (Maya Hawke) wants to protect Riley by anticipating her fears for her. Joining Anxiety are Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser).

As the new emotions wage war with her old ones, a vulnerable Riley is caught in the middle, putting her sense of self at stake.

“Inside Out 2” tackles the next logical step in Riley’s development: the onset of adolescence. This is a smart move as the kids who watched “Inside Out” when it came out are now likely teens themselves, growing up with Riley. The insightful screenplay by Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein, based on a story by director Kelsey Mann, is straightforward for kids while acknowledging real-life dilemmas that young adults and older viewers know firsthand.

Tallman excels at conveying Riley’s doubts, fears and insecurities. The teen has specific character traits, like her favorite band and talent for hockey, while still being relatable. When Riley dismisses the band in order to fit in, the audience understands why — we’ve all felt that pressure to conform. There’s one scene where Riley recounts her various qualities, good and bad — something I did in my car on the way to the movie. Riley is still learning about herself; for many of us, that’s a lifelong journey. The film presents an important message about self-acceptance that applies to moviegoers of any age.

The bulk of the film is spent on the emotions dueling for control of Riley’s mind. Poehler lights up the screen once again as the ever-optimistic Joy, with her soothing voice and positive outlook. But even Joy has some lessons to learn as her leadership is thwarted by Anxiety. This is Hawke’s show as Anxiety takes over. The 25-year-old impresses as she holds her own against the veteran cast. With her big eyes and wild orange hair, Anxiety’s actions put her at odds with the pixie-like Joy. However, the emotion’s reasoning makes sense. Hawke and Poehler share a palpable push-pull that adds tension throughout the film. For that reason, “Inside Out 2” can be anxiety-inducing to sit through. But the film shows the valid concerns that accompany anxiety can be managed.

The new emotions make fun additions. Exarchopoulos cracked me up as Ennui, who sits around looking bored and playing with her cellphone. Pulling up his hoodie over his face, Hauser is adorable as Embarrassment. Curiously, the film underuses Edebiri. The Emmy Award winner plays second fiddle to Anxiety and doesn’t have much to do. Among the returning characters, the soft-spoken Smith wins over hearts as Sadness, though she has a lesser role here. As Anger, Lewis gets some of the film’s funniest lines.

The sequel upholds Pixar’s high level of animation, bursting with a bright palette of colors. “Inside Out 2” explores the recesses of Riley’s mind. There’s the “sar-casm,” a humorous bit that shows the teen’s newfound character trait. There’s also the back of Riley’s mind, which holds glowing balls of memories she’d like to forget.

The film also features not one, but three kinds of animation. In addition to the computer-generated style, the film showcases traditional animation in the form of two hilarious new characters, Bloofy (Ron Funches) and his trusty sidekick Pouchy (James Austin Johnson). There’s also a video game character, Lance Slashblade (Yong Yea), a fun new addition whose graphics look remarkable despite his unremarkable abilities.

Despite its emphasis on feelings, “Inside Out 2” doesn’t plumb the emotional depths of the first film. Remember Bing Bong? The tragic character’s plotline in the original broke me. While I cried during the first film, I didn’t cry during the sequel. Two profound moments came close, though. One heartbreaking scene involves Joy coming to a sad realization about adulthood. The other sees Anxiety lose control and Riley have a panic attack. The breathtaking, whirlwind sequence demonstrates perfectly what it feels like to be in the grips of anxiety. “Inside Out 2” needed more raw emotion like this in a story about emotions.

With its eye-popping animation, insightful themes and fantastic voice cast, “Inside Out 2” nears the brilliance of the original. Pixar’s latest captures the doubts and dilemmas that accompany adolescence, some of which continue into adulthood. The relatable cartoon offers worthwhile lessons for children and adults.

The marvelous sequel just needed a little more of what the film is about — emotion — to put it on par with its masterful predecessor.

4 out of 5 stars

Film Review - Inside Out 2

This image released by Disney/Pixar shows Joy, voiced by Amy Poehler, left, and Anxiety, voiced by Maya Hawke, in a scene from "Inside Out 2." (Disney/Pixar via AP)

Joe's Take

In 2015, Pixar needed a hit. The prestigious animation studio was in a slump with 2011’s “Cars 2,” 2012’s “Brave” and 2013’s “Monsters University. “Inside Out” had all the hype, as it was deemed a return to form for the studio. The film lived up to expectations, establishing itself as one of the best Pixar films of all time. The studio found itself in a similar situation the past few years. Pixar last earned best animated feature for 2020’s “Soul.” Since then, it came out with 2021’s “Luca,” 2022’s “Turning Red” and “Lightyear” and 2023’s “Elemental,” all a step down from its high standards. Once again, Pixar delivered with “Inside Out 2.”

The sequel brings back the stellar voice actors from the original, including Amy Poehler (Joy), Lewis Black (Anger) and Phyllis Smith (Sadness), and replaces Mindy Kaling with Liza Lapira (Disgust) and Bill Hader with Tony Hale (Fear). It also tacks on more great emotions, including Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adele Exarchopoulos) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser).

The character design and animation were phenomenal in the first film and carry over to the sequel. From Anxiety’s orange color, big eyes and scattered hair to Embarrassment’s pink color, big nose and hoodie that he pulls the strings of to hide his face, the designs are on point. The designs are just as good as the casting, as Hawke steals the show. She’s excellent with the speed and inflection of the dialogue, as you could imagine would be quick and higher pitched for a person portraying the emotion Anxiety. Her rapid dialogue flows seamlessly throughout the film. The nonchalant Exarchopoulos brought plenty of laughs as Ennui, as the character spent the film lying on a couch with a smartphone. The film also boasts more vibrant colors, making it beautiful to look at.

However, the film didn’t just bring new characters, it strengthened the old ones. The overly positive Poehler as Joy has her own struggles, when she’s challenged by Anxiety and comes into question as a leader. It really hits when she lets her guard down. Black also impresses as Anger, showing a softer side. Riley (Kensington Tallman) also matures as a character, with an excellent Tallman up to the task of adding more emotions to her repertoire. The animation of Riley is also masterful, as it shows her emotions through her expressions and body language. I truly connected with what Riley went through in this movie.

It also puts together some hilarious sequences with side characters Pouchy (James Austin Johnson), Lance Slashblade (Yong Yea) and Bloofy (Ron Funchess), the funniest content of the film.

With the humor also comes the emotional sequences. As with the first film, “Inside Out 2” knows how to tug at the heartstrings of the adults in the theater while still serving beautifully as a kids movie. As she experiences new emotions, Riley must learn how to control them the best she can, while the emotions have to learn that they need to take a step back from Riley, instead of running her life. It’s a beautiful back and forth that’ll make you shed a tear, but also feel warm inside.

“Inside Out” proved a return to form for Pixar. Nine years later, the studio did it again with another great story, phenomenal voice acting and beautiful animation. “Inside Out 2” engages audiences of all ages. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll feel like a kid again. Pixar is back.

4.5 out of 5 stars