Inside Out 2 Movie Review: Amy Poehler's Animated Sequel is an Utterly 'Joy'ful Journey Through Teen Angst and Emotional Evolution (LatestLY Exclusive)

Inside Out 2 Movie Review: There are films that you love and then worry about when sequels are announced, as the conclusion of the first film was so perfectly closed out. Most of the time, your fears turn out to be true when the sequels prove inferior and thereby ruin the good endings. However, there are rare occasions when the sequel is fantastic, no damage is done, and you shed a tear just for the miracle that happened. This was my experience with Inside Out 2, a charming and delightful film that finds unexpected ways to leave you sentimental. Inside Out 2 Trailer Shows Envy, Boredom and Embarrassment Joining Teenage Riley's Emotional Crew (Watch Video).

Inside Out may not be my favourite Pixar movie—that honour is tied between Toy Story 3 and Coco - but it had won me over with its smart setting, utterly relatable plot, and touching, emotional moments (Ah, Bing Bong, we miss you!), with its premise about the pains of growing up, controlled by a bunch of emotions in a workplace setting. If the first film was about adolescence, the sequel delves into teenage troubles, puberty, and the invasion of new emotions that will persist throughout life.

Riley (Kensington Tallman, replacing Kaitlyn Dias from the first film) is now a teenager, groomed by her five core emotions—Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale, replacing Bill Hader), and Disgust (Liza Lapira, replacing Mindy Kaling)—to be an amiable, confident girl with two best friends. Joy continues to be the boss, controlling which memories influence Riley to be a 'good girl.'

Watch the Trailer of Inside Out 2:

Riley and her friends are selected for a hockey camp at a high school Riley plans to attend. However, on the eve of their camp trip, the emotions discover that 'puberty' setting has been included in their work arena. Adding to their confusion, changes have been made to their control room, amplifying each feeling. What's more, new emotions have arrived in the form of Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser).

Joy finds herself losing control over her dear project as Anxiety immediately takes the reins over how Riley should behave. The teenage girl tries to fit in with the new cool girls at hockey camp while feeling betrayed by her friends joining other schools. As Joy tries to stop Anxiety from changing Riley, she and her original team are 'bottled up' and banished from the control room to another part of the brain, and they must desperately find their way back before Riley is changed forever.

Inside Out 2 Movie Review - Sequel That Gets Teen Angst Right

Going into this movie, I was curious about how the Inside Out sequel would bring something new to a setting that had been so firmly and innovatively established in the first film. It seems I had forgotten what I went through a couple of decades ago, realising the potent possibilities that the rebellious teen years bring out—regardless of gender. The makers of Inside Out 2 did not overlook this, finding plenty of creative ways to translate the fiery emotions of that age into their already established world of a cerebral factory setting. They also included a few relatable chuckles in the process. I couldn't stop myself laughing when Anger complained about journalistic integrity after reading some 'gossip' Riley had been indulging in. The 'sar-chasm' scene was also another delightful sequence.

What I loved about Inside Out 2 was how it established the teen years as the phase we develop a sense of self, shaped by the beliefs formed from memories. Making this the driving factor of the plot was a genius idea. There have been films like Mean Girls that deal with teens trying to find their place among peers, making and breaking relationships. However, getting the 'inside' view of the feelings—both open and suppressed (and even repressed)—that operate during that phase will surely be relatable to both teen audiences and older generations. As for the kids, they will always have Bloofy and Pouchy.

Inside Out 2 Movie Review - Predictable Still Enjoyable

The basic plot thread, however, remains somewhat the same. Joy still drives her team, even if she includes everyone's contributions, including Sadness, and then finds herself utterly challenged when someone interferes with her pattern. She eventually realises that she cannot keep everything under control and has to work with everyone in tandem. Yes, this makes Inside Out 2 a predictable film, but it is so thoroughly entertaining that I didn't mind the familiar structure.

Despite having numerous emotions to tackle, including the new ones, Inside Out 2 does a good job of giving them distinct characters with room to stand out. Among the new emotions, Maya Hawke's Anxiety has a major role. She may be seen as the antagonist, but she is also a victim, a product of seeking a sense of purpose. Against Joy's stubbornness, I could even relate to Anxiety, even though I knew her approach wasn't the best for Riley. Although mostly consisting of snarky and lazy quips, Ennui also earns laughs every time she speaks. Elemental Movie Review: Fire and Water Do Mix Well in Pixar’s Fairly Conventional but Visually Dazzling Romantic Adventure.

Inside Out 2 Movie Review - Familiar Returns And Getting 'Real' Emotional

Inside Out 2 also revisits familiar settings, like returning to Imagination Land, though things have changed a bit (though not gone R-rated, as hormones have not entirely taken over Riley yet). Some of the visual gags (brainstorm!) are quite funny, and the original emotion gang even gets to switch personalities for a bit, such as Joy becoming angry and frustrated, while Anger becomes a pacifist. The voice cast is excellent, and I barely noticed the absence of Hader and Kaling, as Hale and Lapira nailed their characters well. The animation was superb as always.

By the time the film reached its crescendo, I was a little worried that Inside Out 2 might not hit the same emotional highs as the first film. I was partly right. Inside Out 2 didn't have a heartbreaking scene (sorry again, Bing Bong, RIP!) or that strong familial connection like the climax of Inside Out. Yet, I still found myself emotionally overwhelmed because the climax convincingly portrayed the lowest of emotional pitfalls of a human mind (the panic attack scene was disturbingly resonant), then gleamed light through it. It shows that you don't need to kill anyone to create a great emotional scene; even a cinematic representation of a ray of hope vanquishing the darkness is enough to set off the tear ducts.

Inside Out 2 Movie Review - Final Thoughts

Pixar scores again as Inside Out 2 successfully expands on the original's innovative premise, delivering a funny, heartfelt and entertaining exploration of the tumultuous teenage years - gender no bar in relating to it. The film's clever portrayal of new emotions, coupled with its engaging storyline and exceptional voice cast, ensures that Inside Out 2 stands as a worthy sequel to be enjoyed by kids, teens and adults. Can't wait to see how grand old lady Nostalgia joins the gang in Inside Out 3, hopefully.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 14, 2024 09:21 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).