Inside Out 2
Inside Out 2 is playing in theaters at the time of writing. Rated PG. Common Sense says 6+.
Riley enters her teen years, and some new emotions are coming along for the ride. They’ll all need to learn to work together if Riley is to make it through high school, and beyond.
STORY: A-
It’s very similar to the first film, which is not a bad thing.
It’s so similar to the original that at first, that the film drags a bit. But by the time we get to the magnificent final scenes, you’ll be thrilled with all of it.
THE SCOOP: Check out Inside Out 2’s IMDb page, here.
PEOPLE: B
Maya Hawke is superb.
Anxiety (in real life) is a tricky emotion. We need it to survive, but too much of it can make life difficult, to say the least. Hawke’s voice performance captures the full range of this sticky emotion.
CAST PARTY: Check out the voices behind all of the emotions, here. ( 1 min.)
FILM NERD STUFF: A
Riley’s brain feels more real than the real thing.
Riley’s brain is full of fun, neon colors and clever wordplay (things like stream of consciousness, rumor mills, etc.). But even though it seems like a basic explanation, I can fully recognize my own brain’s inner workings in all of it.
BEHIND THE SCENES: Check out Variety’s talk with cinematographers Adam Habib & Jonathan Pytko as they break down a major scene from the film (SPOILERS), here. (8 mins)
ELECTIVE CLASS (The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly): A
We can only be ourselves if we are our entire selves.
What the original film did for sadness, this film does for all tangly, jangly emotions of teenagehood. Not every emotion is fun, but they’re all necessary.
FINAL COMMENTS:
Pixar needs a win with this one, and by and large, they get it. The brilliant imaginings of a young brain don’t impress quite as much this time around. But the single tear shed at the control board will move you just as much, if not moreso, than Joy and Sadness’ hug did in the last film.
This film is a great time and so much more. It provides a vocabulary and a visual map kids can use to navigate their teenage years and beyond.