It’s been nearly a decade since the first Inside Out movie came out. That movie really stood out with its unique depiction of the emotional landscape of the human mind. It’s extra fun for me to see a character from Minnesota, just like the movie’s co-director, Pete Docter, who’s now Pixar’s chief creative officer. Kelsey Mann takes over directing duties, and he also gets story credit. I love that Pixar’s storyboard artists get to ‘graduate’ to directing, just like Docter did when he started out with the studio.

Set a year after the first movie, Inside Out 2 follows Riley Andersen (voiced by Kensington Tallman) who’s now 13. Picking up the thread from the original, the movie explores the highs and lows of growing up, as Riley navigates the challenges of moving from middle school to high school, facing the ups and downs of adolescence. Hockey is a big part of Riley’s life, and it’s the focal point of the plot as Riley is invited to a weekend hockey camp at a local high school with the Fog Horns team.

We’ve all been through puberty, and there are so many changes at that point in our lives that can get overwhelming. It’s fun to see how that’s manifested in Riley’s internal universe. Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust have formed Riley’s sense of self, made up of all the memories and feelings accumulated over the years. Her internal dynamic is thrown into chaos when new emotions—anxiety, Anxiety, Envy, Ennui (French for boredom), and Embarrassment, turn up. It’s funny to see the clash between the old and new emotions as they all vie to control Riley’s mind.

As soon as she gets to Bay Area High School, Riley meets Valentina “Val” Ortiz (Lilimar), Fog Horns captain and leader of the cool crowd. We’ve all had that desire to fit in with the new group at school, work, or even socially. Anxiety goes into overdrive as it ensures that Riley isn’t alone in high school after she learns that her two besties will be attending a different school. Anxiety goes so far as to push aside all the familiar emotions we meet in the original movie, so Joy and her team end up getting locked up in a vault of forgotten memories.

The script by Meg LeFauve, who co-wrote the first movie, and Dave Holstein is poignant and witty in manifesting Riley’s internal feelings in an inventive way. The deliberately literal interpretation of our mind is amusing, i.e., the stream of consciousness is an actual narrow river the emotions can float on, brainstorm is a thunderstorm of ideas that spews light bulbs instead of hail, and my favorite of all, Mount Crushmore made up of Riley’s boy crushes. There’s a hilarious bit involving Lance Slashblade (Yong Yea), an old-school video game character that proves useful in getting Joy + team out of the vault.

The voice cast is wonderful, which is what one expects from Pixar. Amy Poehler (Joy), Phyllis Smith (Sadness), and Lewis Black (Anger) reprise their roles, but Tony Hale replaced Bill Hader as Fear, while Liza Lapira replaced Mindy Kaling as Disgust. Joy is still the boss of the old gang, while Anxiety (Maya Hawke) is the most dominant of the new group, and of course, those two have very different um, ideas of what’s good for Riley.

As Poehler does with Joy, Hawke truly brings the frazzled and jittery Anxiety to life here. Nice to see Ayo Edebiri do her first voice work as Envy, and I love Paul Walter Hauser as Embarrassment and Adèle Exarchopoulos as Ennui. I wouldn’t mind seeing more scenes of Embarrassment and Sadness form a sweet connection that melts my heart. Making Ennui French is extra amusing, as everything sounds cooler wiz a French accent. Even June Squibb makes a VO cameo as Nostalgia, which surely becomes more prominent in future Inside Out movies as Riley grows older.

“I guess that’s what happens when you grow up, you feel less joy.”  This quote hits me hard, as there’s such kernel truth to it. Joy encourages Anxiety to let go of control when it’s giving her panic attacks. By the same token, Joy learns that not every bad memory harms Riley, as our pain and struggles build character. What I appreciate most is how the filmmakers pay attention to teenagers’ ‘growing pains’, as Riley now wears braces and has a pimple on her chin. As someone who has worn braces for 2.5 years at Riley’s age, those details resonate well with me. 

This sequel follows the same trajectory as the original, and the puberty element adds an edge without being cynical. While it doesn’t quite surpass the wildly imaginative original the way Toy Story 2 did, it’s still an outstanding successor. That is no small feat considering how high the bar was set. The visuals are even more vibrant, especially the scenes with the old emotions trying to find their way back to Headquarters. Andrea Datzman‘s lively and whimsical score perfectly complements the dynamic action.

Watching Inside Out 2 was a whirlwind of emotions for me. The movie skillfully captured the ups and downs of growing up, evoking feelings of sadness, trepidation, and delight that mirrored Riley’s journey. Growing up can be a pain, but it’s not an entirely joyless experience. This sequel proves that Pixar still hasn’t lost its touch. It’s the perfect family entertainment; the vibrant colors and gorgeous animation will dazzle kids, while adults, teenagers, and their parents will find the characters’ inner thoughts and tumult relatable. 

Have you seen INSIDE OUT 2? Let me know what you think!

///