Pixar’s latest is a return to form, but is Inside Out 2 better than the original?
Pixar has been in a slump following a bleak slate of output, spanning from the start of the pandemic to just last year. Elemental performed poorly at the box office but managed to leg into profitability, Lightyear was a failure swept under the rug, and several films didn’t get the theatrical treatment at all.
Inside Out 2 has a lot riding on it. Pixar executives believe the film would set a standard for what we, as audience members, should expect from the studio. So if the film doesn’t deliver, it would indisputably be a bad omen for the company. Nevertheless, I am pleased to report that Pixar need not to worry anymore, because this movie did indeed deliver.
As a moderate fan of the first instalment, I never really understood the comparisons to some of Pixar’s all-time greats (Toy Story, WALL-E, Ratatouille).I only ever found Inside Out to be simplistically executed, even with it’s unique story. This sequel, in my opinion, is already a lot more enjoyable, serving a clearer story and travelling to a variety of new locations within its imaginative world.
The film follows Riley, now in her teenage years and just entering puberty, as she goes to a hockey camp the summer before she starts high school. Her emotions, charming as ever, return with new feelings spawned by growing older. Riley’s brain introduces us to the likes of Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos). It’s an interesting set of feelings that provide a more antagonistic force to those we have grown to love, and they’re overall a welcome addition.
The plot really revolves around the rivalry and balance between Amy Poehler’s Joy and Maya Hawke’s Anxiety, creating a collision of feelings for both Riley and the audience members. Conflicts arise when the original emotions are forced to leave the sanctuary of the control room, journeying into the depths of Riley’s mind. It’s a cool metaphor for Riley searching and creating her personality, allows the film to substantially differ from the first.
One scene I particularly loved involved the emotions being held and forced into the recesses of Riley’s mind, where they meet other suppressed memories and secrets. The designs of two of these characters are drawn against the film’s art style, creating a strong and unique clash between the utilized art forms. Not only does this scene showcase the ingenuity that people love so much about this franchise, but it showcases humour that’s outside the comfort zone of Pixar’s usual antics (from what I can remember), going so far as to having a fourth wall break.
As much as I love the metaphors some of these dynamics and concepts invoke, I find that the rivalry between Joy and Anxiety overshadows some of the characters, both new and old. It’s a struggle many ensemble films face, even if it’s perfectly excusable considering how the first film portrayed Joy as the main protagonist. In the end, it was almost a wasted opportunity to pass by the talents of the other cast members, such as Ayo Edebiri, who’s just coming off massive successes with The Bear and Bottoms.
Though the entire cast gives fantastic performances, the standout of the film is undoubtedly Maya Hawke (Stranger Things), who brings such a rigor to Anxiety that the audience can clearly sense a bright career ahead of her.
Inside Out 2 is a great film and a fantastic career turn around for Kelsey Mann, making his comeback after writing the story for the poorly received The Good Dinosaur. Through a range of character dynamics, inventive concepts, and exciting performances, Inside Out 2 is an excellent follow-up to the original film that will definitely please both fans of the first, and younger audiences, alike.
Inside Out 2 is directed by Kelsey Mann and stars Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Kensington Tallman, Liza Lapira, Tony Hale, Lewis Black, Phyllis Smith, Ayo Edebiri, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan, Paul Walter Hauser, and Yvette Nicole Brown. The film is produced by Pixar and is in theatres beginning June 14, 2024.
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