Title – Inside Out 2 (2024) 

Director – Kelsey Mann (feature debut)

Cast – (voices of) Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Kensington Tallman, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan

Plot – Now 13 years of age, Riley (Tallman) must learn to deal with her new teenage emotions with the likes of Joy (Poehler) now having to in-turn deal with new additions such as Anxiety (Hawke). 

“Welp, there’s a preview of the next ten years”

Review by Eddie on 22/07/2024

Arriving almost a decade since Inside Out became one of Pixar’s most beloved hits, Inside Out 2 has come at the exact right time to become both the summer blockbuster hit the industry needed and wasn’t expecting while also showcasing after a number of lean years, Pixar still has the magic to make the films they became known for. 

Marking the directional debut of filmmaker Kelsey Mann, who has previously honed her craft contributing to films such as The Good Dinosaur and Onward in the past, Inside Out 2 is a big swing from Pixar that sees the Disney owned company explore the next stage of protagonist Riley’s life as she morphs from child to teenager in what is an experience that is most certainly aimed at the maturing Pixar audience. 

It’s a big gamble to examine puberty, anxiety, embarrassment, envy and self-beliefs amongst other sometimes taboo subject matters for children’s entertainment but for the most part Mann and her team do an expert job of handling all these hot topics while also maintaining the same creativity and humour that made the 2015 original such a well-regarded outing. 

Bringing back key players such as Amy Poehler’s Joy, Tony Hale’s Fear and Phyliss Smith’s Sadness proves once more to be a winner for the Inside Out brand but adding a great deal to proceedings this time around are new additions such as Maya Hawke’s Anxiety, Adèle Exarchopoulos’s Ennui and Ayo Edebiri’s Envy who all bring the energy and creativity to their voice roles and help perfectly balance out the drama with the fun as Joy and her friends look to take back control of the Riley they know as she transitions to the next phase of her life. 

There’s no doubt that there are moments here that are going to emotionally resonate and even devastate some viewers, much like the best Pixar films manage to do (here’s looking at you Up, Toy Story 3 and Wall-E) but there’s also plenty of time for fun and games as Inside Out 2 takes us to Hockey training camps, very different type’s of chasms and storms and lots of witty banter between our mismatched gang of misfits, making this an all round animated experience that is sure to please fans of many different ages and backgrounds. 

In a gloomy time for Hollywood and cinemas, Inside Out 2’s great critical, commercial and audience reception, making it quickly become Pixar’s highest ever grossing film at the international box office to the tune of well over a billion dollars, is a good news story to savour and a timely reminder that after years of so-so outings, Pixar still has what it takes to make the special type of films very few can make for its target audience. 

Final Say – 

A powerful and important exploration of its many themes and subject matters that at same time never forgets to have fun, Inside Out 2 is a successful and enjoyable return to form for Pixar that will likely act as a key film for many children navigating the path to teenage/adulthood in the future. 

4 pieces of broccoli out of 5