Disney Bounces Back with “Inside Out 2”

The last few years were not so great for Disney and Pixar films, with animated bombs such as “Wish,” “Lightyear,” and “Strange World.” Their 2023 film, “Elemental,” only being a sleeper hit.

In addition, the “Haunted Mansion” remake, the latest Indiana Jones installment, “Dial of Destiny,” and the latest MCU film, “The Marvels,” also bombed. So it’s very reassuring that they have managed to produce a big hit once again with “Inside Out 2.”

There was a time when the only Pixar film I could say I liked the sequels more than the first was “Toy Story”–until “Inside Out 2.” “Inside Out” was practically made for a sequel as the ending hints at the possibility of one.

This sequel indeed exceeded expectations, even after I read great reviews before seeing it. “Inside Out 2” proves no matter how tight a jam this company seems to be in it can always somehow bounce back.

The film focuses on Riley who is now entering high school. She is invited with her best friends, Bree and Grace, to spend a weekend at an ice hockey camp where she hopes to qualify for the school’s team. Enter 4 new emotions, Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment, and Ennui (boredom).

Anxiety and the other emotions end up repressing the original 5 and sending them into a memory vault. Anxiety takes control of Riley’s mind, contemplating every possible worst-case scenario as she stresses over Riley making the team and making new friends with Bree and Grace.

All sorts of crazy shenanigans happen from here, and there is a big plot twist that would be a spoiler to reveal when Riley sneaks into the coach’s office.

The film is relatable to teens and young adults as these are very real struggles for them, and this is one of the main reasons I liked the film. There is also a “brainstorm” scene which is really cool and intense. It’s literally a tornado inside her head that the 5 emotions manage to narrowly escape to make it back to headquarters.

There wasn’t a scene like this in the first film, and I think it’s great how they were able to get an action-packed sequence like this in what is supposed to be just a slice-of-life story where such sequences typically aren’t needed or out of place.

Bloofy and Pouchy, preschool show characters from Riley’s childhood, also help them escape from the memory vault, and they are hand-drawn. It’s a really cool effect seeing hand-drawn characters interacting with CGI characters, which has never been done in a Pixar film before.

We also get a brief but funny scene with Nostalgia, who is repressed due to arriving too early and is told Riley has yet to experience 2 graduations and a best friend’s wedding before she kicks in, a very funny line.

Anxiety is easily my favorite new character. She is very funny in how excessive she is. I like how she has good intentions even if they aren’t in Riley’s best interest, as well as her design being similar to a Muppet character.

The original characters, of course, are also as great as ever. Lance Slashblade, a video game character in Riley’s mind, is really funny, too.

Overall, “Inside Out 2” is wonderful. It has great emotion, great characters, humorous moments, and a relatable story to this stage of life. I even read online once that a good portion of the audience were childless women. Disney/Pixar fans will definitely not want to miss this one.