#REVIEW: “INSIDE OUT 2”
Review by Amanda Gilmore for Mr. Will Wong
Pixar’s Inside Out 2 is the most fun we’ve had with anxiety.
This enchanting Sequel to the beloved original, once again follows Riley (Kensington Tallman) and the emotions in her head. Now in her teens, Riley is adjusting to moving from Minnesota to San Francisco and the changes keep coming. When she attends a three-day hockey skills summer camp with her two best friends, Grace (Grace Lu) and Bree (Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green) she learns the two will be attending a different high school from her. Then she has the added pressure to join her high school hockey team. These life changes lead to new emotions moving into her mind.
These new emotions are Anxiety (a pitch-perfect Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), and Ennui (a scene-stealing Adèle Exarchopoulos). These new emotions have taken control of Riley and have kicked our familiar friends Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (an outstanding Phyllis Smith), Fear (Tony Hale), Anger (Lewis Black), and Disgust (Liza Lapira) to the back of her mind searching for Riley’s sense of self.
This Sequel follows a similar storyline as the original for the core emotions. Joy once again is tasked with accepting a new emotion that counters her own. Yet, Anxiety proves to be an overwhelming beast that’s unable to be contained unlike Sadness was the first time around. Screenwriters Meg LeFauve, Dave Holstein, and Kelsey Mann (who also Directs) have created a Film that clearly explains the complexity of what anxiety feels like within. It must’ve been a near impossible feat but they managed to achieve it. For those who’ve ever felt isolated and unable to explain what anxiety feels like, Inside Out 2 will be an emotional journey — particularly once we reach the climax.
No matter how focused this Sequel is on anxiety, it gives space for all those other emotions to get their time in the spotlight. We even get to see some of them grow. Joy experiences sadness. Anger shows a side of calm. It’s showing the growth of these ‘emotional’ characters that’s just as important as watching Riley develop anxiety and learn to manage it. Although it’s true that anxiety is a consuming emotion for many, it can also be useful. We do get a glimpse of its usefulness here, but it does feel that more time could have been spent.
In true Pixar form, Inside Out 2 delivers all the feels while allowing audiences to cackle and grin from ear to ear. No matter what age you are, you can relate to Riley’s journey. You were either there at some point, are there now, or know someone who’s experienced something similar. It’s the ability to relate to this honest story that allows the laughter to burst through. After all, we all have these emotions within us.
Walt Disney Studios Canada release INSIDE OUT 2 on Friday, June 14, 2024.