INSIDE OUT 2 -- A Solid Follow-up

Review by Adam Donato

Things with Disney are not at an all-time high at the moment. In the last five years for Pixar, all their films have been commercial failures, critically middling, or dumped on Disney+. Soul won Best Animated Feature, making it the eleventh time Pixar has taken home the award. One of those times was Inside Out, which was released almost exactly nine years ago. Since then, Pixar has done three sequels, which are by far the most successful films at the box office. So, who could blame them for going back to the well for something they know will have mass appeal? Inside Out 2 marks Pixar’s tenth sequel/prequel/spinoff, and most of them have been viewed as disappointments aside from the Toy Story trilogy. Can this sequel buck the trend, justify its existence, and live up to the first installment? 

The biggest compliment one could give the Inside Out movies is to say a way they’re better than the Toy Story movies. Andy works as a character because he’s such a blank slate audience insert. Riley is a much more fleshed-out character, and the goings on in her life are directly tied to the adventures of the gang of fantasy characters. She’s relatable enough to garner mass appeal but distinct enough in her specific interests from similar characters. Maybe that’s what helps the case for an Inside Out sequel. The concept of the franchise is obnoxiously universal. Who doesn’t have emotions? It would be nice to round out this character’s journey with a third film about her experience in high school, like a family-friendly version of Big Mouth. ​

The new emotions do make revisiting this world worthwhile. In fact, Anxiety is one of the more fleshed-out antagonists in recent Pixar memory. She’s a formidable threat who believes she’s doing what’s best for Riley. The whole new gang’s personality is fun, yet doubtful to become a household name that is quoted like Anger is. Ennui has nothing to do, which is on brand because her character seems to want nothing to do with what’s happening. Ayo Edebiri is one of the most exciting young talents in Hollywood and does a good job making Envy stand out. New voice actors for characters like Fear and Disgust, while under unfortunate circumstances, give solid performances that don’t feel like a significant step down from the original. 

The concept for the film has a lot of potential avenues to explore but stays very focused. The majority of the film takes place within a weekend and at one location. The film has very positive messages and is accessible to all ages. It doesn’t pack as big of a punch as the original film, but that may just be due to original bias. This isn’t our first time experiencing this world with these characters. There’s nothing offensive with the direction of the characters or any major missed opportunities with the story. One sequel pitfall Pixar seems to have learned from is avoiding repeating an arc for a character. Joy may not be great at sharing control of the console, but she has definitely retained the lesson that all emotions have their own value and purpose. 

Inside Out 2 will probably garner a nomination for Best Animated Feature, but it would be the worst film to win the award in over a decade. It will probably be one of the more successful films at the box office this year as the film can be enjoyed by anyone. The characters provide many laughs, and Riley’s struggles are compelling. Most Pixar sequels wish they were this good. ​

Inside Out 2 hits theaters on June 14.

Rating: 4/5