Film Review: Inside Out 2

While watching Inside Out 2, it was difficult to not think about a recent Bloomberg article that discussed the state of things at Pixar Animation Studios and the future of the company and their prospects at large, focusing on sequels and IP, and less on personal, autobiographical stories, which is a laughably ridiculous notion coming from Pixar of all places, but made the more insidious when they pointed at the financial failures of Soul, Luca, and Turning Red as the reason for this shift, even though they all came out during the pandemic. It’s just a lot to take in, but it’s a worthwhile article, even if it’s a very depressing read.

And sadly, Inside Out 2 doesn’t quell any concerns I had for the studio moving forward. It’s not a bad film by any stretch, in fact I did have good time watching the film. However, the ingenuity and emotion that I found so impactful and moving in the first film was not present here. It’s a case where the limitations of the central metaphor are being stretched to its absolute limits, and I’m starting to see the seams. It might be too harsh to say the first one was a fluke, but I think Pete Docter was able to capture something special that director Kelsey Mann and her co-writers Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein struggle to pull off a second time.

The plot this time around sees the return of Riley (Kensington Tallman), now 13, and the embodiments of emotions in her head – Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale), and Disgust (Liza Lapira). They are in a groove in helping Riley navigate her teenage years, but one day, some additional emotions find their way to the control room – Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser). The two groups conflict in how to help Riley as she heads to a hockey camp with her friends, and the new crew ends up taking over, leaving our original crew stuck far from control center and in search for Riley’s “sense of self,” a literal object that was tossed away as the new crew creates a whole new Riley.

Like I said, the film isn’t bad. In a vacuum, it’s a fairly well structured film, even if it does indulge in a lot of the usual Pixar tropes, it’s funny, features likable characters, and touches on a lot of compelling ideas about growing up and dealing with new emotions. The problem is…we’ve already seen this movie. It’s the first movie again. Granted, the plot is different, but in terms of the overall journey, and the arc that Joy goes through is basically the same as the first one. It’s another story about how Joy has to come to terms with sharing control, and working with other emotions. Anxiety does offer a more antagonistic presence, but it’s all building towards a conclusion we’ve seen already.

The animation is still incredible, the visuals are still breathtaking, the music by Andrea Datzman is a solid follow-up on Michael Giacchino’s work from the first film, the voice cast delivers strong work. Even newcomers Hawke and Edebiri manage to create a strong impression despite being a part of a huge ensemble. Pretty much everything else about the film is nice and a mark of a really enjoyable experience. And I think for the most part, audiences will welcome this film because it continues that likability, and the relatability to Riley’s struggles and frustrations as a young teen.

I think most people will come out of Inside Out 2 having had a pleasant enough experience, and I say that because even I came out of it having a pleasant enough experience. But I know this doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and that there is a broader context that showcases some less obvious reasons as to how the film can fall short. The original Inside Out is top tier Pixar for me, and I was someone who has been fairly onboard with not only a sequel to the film, but also the idea of returning with more stories that explore different stages of Riley’s life through the lens of these emotions in her head. However, in this sequel, I think I may have seen the limitations of this conceit. How truthful can a film like this to the teenage experience if it still has to fit into this family friendly mold? And even some of the metaphors seemed like they were being as stretched as far as they would go. So, yeah, I think this was a bit of a disappointment, which is sad because I was rooting for this. I just hope that this doesn’t become a sign for things to come over at Pixar moving forward.

Inside Out 2 is now out in theaters.