Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Inside Out 2’

Written by Zeke Perez Jr.

Anxiety (Voice Maya Hawke), Disgust (voice of Liza Lapira), Sadness (voice of Phyllis Smith), Joy (voice of Amy Poehler), Anger (voice of Lewis Black) and Fear (voice of Tony Hale) in Kelsey Mann’s INSIDE OUT 2. (Photo Courtesy of Disney/Pixar. © 2024 All Rights Reserved.)

​If I’ve learned one lesson multiple times, it’s to not bet against the capabilities of a Pixar sequel. No matter how much time has elapsed or what questions about the new film’s direction may arise, the sequels always seem to deliver. Almost a decade after the original, Disney and Pixar return with Inside Out 2, this time examining an additional group of emotions emerging inside Riley/s mind. It captures all the charm of the original, continuing the world-building with a new emotional journey. 
 
When the concept for this sequel dropped, questions emerged about how it might incorporate new emotions into the mix, especially since the first movie had done such a great job of explaining the role of Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust, and how each of those work together to color memories as more complex emotions. With that foundation, many wondered if there would be a need for new emotions, or at least how any new emotions could be added into the already established formula. Fortunately, the introduction of the team of new characters is seamless (and their arrival scene is among the funniest). The debut of the new emotions plays off of the character growth of the core group of emotions quite well. Just after the original five had learned to work with each other in navigating their place in Riley’s world, they’re pushed by four new outsiders around what they believe is best for Riley. On top of that, Joy is sill holding onto some semblance of control, seeking to send the more negative memories to the back of Riley’s mind to repress them from her sense of self.
 
The tone of the original continues very intact, with great humor to personify the workings of the inner mind (like a literal stream serving as the stream of consciousness or the sar-chasm leading to a mocking tone as the gang tries to communicate with other characters). However, the time between the two installations led to some changes for the franchise, too. Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling were notably recast. While you certainly notice their absences as much as you might expect, their replacements - Tony Hale and Liza Lapira - fill their shoes. Helping to cover those gaps are newcomers Maya Hawke (Anxiety) and Ayo Edebiri (Envy), who do a stellar job. Both truly show their range as voice actresses, bringing two of Riley’s most crucial new emotions to life. Anxiety in particular is the driver of the film for the new team. Envy and the two other new emotions - Embarrassment and Ennui - are a little less fleshed out, but still provide solid supporting moments. 

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Riley (voice of Kensington Tallman) in Kelsey Mann’s INSIDE OUT 2. (Photo Courtesy of Disney/Pixar. © 2024 All Rights Reserved.)

Inside Out 2 mirrors the original’s impact, while pushing into fresh territory. Where the first focused on how the core emotions reacted to a variety of external factors (like a big move to an unfamiliar city and a lack of friends in a new school), the sequel is more internal. It examines how Riley feels about herself, about who she is at her core, how she fits into the world around her, and how she combats the ups and downs of those new feelings that come with puberty. She wants to join the cool girls she idolizes at hockey camp, but that comes at the expense of her childhood friends, so she navigates the awkwardness of managing relationships and trying to fit in. Both sets of emotions attempt to sway her in either direction by attempting to control her core beliefs with the memories and characteristics they feel are most important. 
 
In the Bing Bong tear-jerker moment of this movie, we get a really honest and meaningful resolution to Riley’s journey to understand her sense of self. For a stretch of the movie, Riley's inner-self repeats either the line “I'm a good person” in her more joyful moments, or ‘I'm not good enough” during her struggles. Rather than a surface-level ending where she only acknowledges the good, it culminates in a more layered understanding of who we are as humans: a series of lines play, starting with both “I'm a good person” and “I'm not good enough”, but continuing with a refrain of other reflections, both positive and negative, like “I'm a good friend”, “I'm selfish”, and “I need help sometimes”. Additionally, the film thoughtfully portrays a panic attack, illustrating how intense the experience feels and shedding light on the impact of anxiety on an individual’s mental health. 
 
The film’s score does its part to tug on the viewer's heartstrings, too. The delicate and emotional notes that paced the first film return and the main Inside Out theme melody is reprised in big moments. One of the emotional climaxes leans heavily on the score: while Riley reconnects with her love of hockey, the ice-skating song from the original (“Free Skating” by Michael Giacchino) is revisited beautifully by Andrea Datzman in “Glide and Joy”. The soundtrack also keeps the action going with some upbeat, rock-heavy tracks to back the hockey scenes. 

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​As always, Pixar shows its prowess in the physical design of its characters and the visuals of its created worlds. All of the characters and backgrounds look stunning, with so much detail put into each. The hair, texture, and colors of the emotions really pop, especially on the big screen. Like its predecessor, this one also sprinkles in some creative alternative animation styles as a change of pace. We see Bloofy and Pouchy, a dog and a fanny pack from a children's show that Riley used to love, inserted in a fun 2D style. Lance Slashblade, a video game character that Riley had a crush on, appears in a blocky design straight out of a console. And we pay a visit to Riley’s imagination, with characters storyboarding ideas that transform from a pencil sketch to the traditional Pixar style. Each of these provide a fun visual contrast throughout.
 
This movie might also be the jolt that theaters needed this summer, emerging as one of the first true summer blockbusters of 2024. As Fall Guy, Furiosa, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes brought in lower than expected numbers and prompted some to worry about the future of movie-going, Inside Out 2 scored the biggest box office debut of the year and secured the second-biggest opening weekend for an animated movie of all-time (behind Incredibles 2). 
 
Inside Out was a perfect movie, and the follow-up rivals it in a lot of ways, maybe even jockeying to be my favorite of the two. Like many of the other Pixar sequels - and in particular Toy Story 3 - this one does an exceptional job of growing with the audience, continuing to be relatable to the adults and teens who grew up with the first movie, while still delivering important messages to a new generation. It presents an honest look at mental health, examines our perception of our self-worth, and shows that it’s okay to feel all of our emotions through all of our good and bad days. It truly captures the Pixar magic with a quality story for the next wave of viewers - and for our inner children. 

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