Inside Out 2 is the follow-up to the 2015 original. The sequel follows Riley, as she navigates life as a teenager and tries to find balance with the new emotions that come with it. Can this second film tug on the audience’s emotional heartstrings like the first?
First and foremost, the vibrant animation of Inside Out 2 is eye-catching from start to finish. The colorful designs take the audience into a whimsical look at the inner thought process of emotions deciding how to handle adolescence and adulthood, as we even get to peak inside the mind of Riley’s parents. This adds layers of humor to the landscape of memories that Pixar displays in a universe that is fun to imagine your own set of emotions working in your mind.
Along the way, the new emotions introduced are Anxiety, Embarrassment, Envy, and Ennui. When they enter Riley’s mind, their conflicting choices of how to handle puberty get stressful to watch. The layer of chaos is fun at first but gets out of control which could be reminiscent of some people’s teenage years. I will warn that it can be triggering if you are dealing with anxiety and/or depression because the director and characters hit the nail on the head with how quickly things can get out of control without the right support.
This leads to an imbalance as the first part of the movie is fun and quirky like the original, then gets unbalanced as the emotions experience an imbalance of power that is uncomfortably out of control. In the end, Inside Out 2 is a realistic execution of emotions but feels less impactful than its predecessor.
The mix of the new and previous characters doesn’t quite find its groove and falls short plot-wise against the beautifully crafted animation. Unfortunately, the dazzling visuals are not enough to capture the heartstring pull of the original and will likely trigger your own emotions.
INSIDE OUT 2 is in Theaters June 14th, 2024.
Rating: 3 out of 5
Billy Joynt (Editor) - Billy has seen many movies over the years. He enjoys comedies and anything action, including the summer blockbuster movies. You can follow Billy on Twitter here.Click Here to check out Billy's Articles.