Inside Out 2 Review: Smart, Funny, Emotional Journey

If you know a teenager, were a teenager, or have dealt with a teenager at any point in your life, INSIDE OUT 2 will hit all your emotional “big red buttons.” From story to characters to animation, the film perfectly captures that scary road to adulthood in a way only Pixar can – through anthropomorphic emotions. When INSIDE OUT 2 ended, I immediately wanted to watch it again, not only for the emotional roller-coaster, but also the smart comedy. That’s the highest praise I can give a film. Watch our YouTube review here or scroll down if you prefer reading.

INSIDE OUT (2015) left room to grow when it concluded with the arrival of a new, expanded console in Riley’s mind, sporting a giant red button marked “puberty.” Joy observes, “after all, Riley’s 12 now. What could happen?” The purpose of  INSIDE OUT 2 is to answer that question.

This new movie begins a year later, with Riley (Kensington Tallman, replacing Kaitlyn Dias) thrust into teenagehood when the Puberty alarm goes off. Riley’s emotions—Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale, replacing Bill Hader), and Disgust (Liza Lapira, replacing Mindy Kaling)—must contend with some new emotions as Riley attends hockey camp with her 2 best friends. 

But at camp, Riley is faced with the struggle of every teen: impressing the cool kids or being yourself. New emotions emerge to confuse the situation: Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), and Anxiety (Maya Hawke), the orange frazzled-haired new leader of the pack. Anxiety starts taking an unhealthy control of Riley’s mind. Under her chaotic care, Riley starts to lose her sense of self when she chooses to impress the gaggle of intimidatingly cool high school girls. 

Humor runs throughout every scene, especially if your memories of puberty are fresh. After the puberty alarm goes off, each emotion tries pushing a button on the new console in turn. When Joy pushes it, Riley gets over-excited. When Sadness pushes it, Riley immediately starts to cry. The emotions are flummoxed – why is this new console so sensitive?? Meanwhile the audience is laughing, remembering our own emotional fluctuations as a teen. In another scene, Riley’s core emotions are traveling through her mindscape when the ground begins to shake and tear – opening a “Sar-chasm” as Riley is sarcastic for the first time. In Riley’s mind, Joy, Sadness, and Anger try to yell across the chasm for help, but it echoes back their pleas as sarcastic jibes. 

Perhaps the most hilarious moment is when the core emotions meet Bloofy (Ron Funches) and Pouchy (James Austin Johnson), 2-D characters inspired by Blue’s Clues and Dora’s Backpack, respectively. These preschool characters take the place of Bing Bong from INSIDE OUT, and help out the core emotions on their journey to restore Riley’s sense of self. Our theater must have been full of Blue’s Clues and Dora the Explorer fans, because the comedic timing of both characters perfectly captured those preschool programs. Our audience broke out in spontaneous applause and laughter.

Storywise, INSIDE OUT 2 hits every emotional beat. Three days of Riley’s life results in a huge journey for her emotions, culminating appropriately in a climactic “Anxiety Attack.” This film comes at a time when mental health and mental health struggles are a hot topic in society, so the climax is hugely appropriate.

Beyond story and humor, Pixar’s strength lies in animation. The animators have captured an awkward teenage face perfectly, adding a small blemish and braces. The emotions displayed over Riley’s face are absolutely astounding, and the final shot of the film took my breath away. When you watch the film, watch the edges of each emotion. Joy, Sadness, and friends don’t have fully defined edges – they are made of tiny “bubbles”. Since emotions are not tangible objects, the animation reflects this.

As my friends and I were discussing the film, one comment hit home; “as we get older, it seems harder to find joy – we have to actively look for it.” This very thought is addressed towards the end of the film, and  I was left with joyful tears. Isn’t that what INSIDE OUT taught us to begin with? Emotions are complex, and each moment of our lives can contain more than one.  

With this film, Pixar has returned! INSIDE OUT 2, rated PG with a running time of 96 minutes, releases in US theaters on June 14, 2024. Have you seen the film and do you agree with our review? Let us know @skywalkingpod.