Inside Out 2 - Review

Rating: 4 out of 5

PIXAR movies have, at their very best, displayed an emotional complexity that is the envy of most filmmakers - but sequels, outside of the Toy Story franchise, have proved something of an Achilles heel. Thank goodness, then, that Inside Out 2 doesn't fall into the easy trap of so many formulaic follow-ups (such as Monsters University or Cars 2 and 3, etc).

Rather, it builds on the success of the innovative original and delivers a sequel that's every bit as intelligent, involving and enjoyable as its predecessor - building on the successes, while confidently exploring new territory.

Pete Docter's 2015 original examined the emotional awakening of an 11-year-old girl, named Riley, as she navigates a move to San Francisco from her beloved Minnesota home - and the effect it has on her five primary emotions: Fear, Anger, Joy, Disgust and Sadness. At its core, it sought to show that there is a place for every emotion in all of its complexity - something that primary protagonist Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler) struggled to embrace once Sadness (Phyliss Smith) began to play a bigger part in Riley's life.

It was notable for giving voice to mental health struggles, validating emotions that society's ableist rhetoric would otherwise seek to silence.

Kelsey Mann’s follow-up continues that trend, following Riley as she enters puberty and has to contend with existing emotions, as well as a batch of new ones, including Anxiety, Ennui and Embarrassment. This comes at the same time as she receives news of an impending separation from her best friends during a summer ice hockey camp, at which she also desperate to impress her prospective new coach and team members.

As with the original (and other Pixar classics such as Wall-E and Toy Story), Inside Out 2 explores big themes in a nuanced, balanced way - always clinging to hope, yet seldom shying away from some dark places, while simultaneously maintaining a fine balance between crowd-pleasing humour and poignant observational drama.

It looks stunning, with vibrant colours and inventive sight gags (the sar-chasm skit is brilliant), but the visuals never arrive at the expense of the characters and how well drawn they have become. As a result, there are some stunning individual moments, including a sequence that finds Joy finally forced to confront her own perceived failures and needing the support of her emotions (who almost break character to offer it).

Anxiety is suitably complex and combative, getting in the way of herself as anxiety tends to do, while there are some lovely moments afforded to the likes of Embarrassment and Sadness.

A last act sequence involving a panic attack is also beautifully realised and an emotional highpoint that will feel relatable, possibly even panic inducingly so, for anyone who experiences them!

But then the beauty of the Inside Out movies is their ability to relate to viewers on an everyday basis, by keeping things grounded. The issues at play - about identity and fitting in, the scariness inherent in growing up - are big enough, without having to latch onto some outsized adventure.

Riley is a flesh and blood character: flawed but likeable, and someone just trying to fit in and make her own way in the world, acutely aware of the expectations of those around her. Her emotional response feels genuine.

And while there's certainly room for all kinds of humour in the way that the emotions themselves are portrayed - whether it's Anger's hilarious propensity for immediate, impulsive action, or Embarrassment's overriding desire to have the world swallow her whole - the film always keeps this in service to Riley's journey, while also working hard to avoid swerving into cloying sentiment or manipulation.

It's perhaps the biggest reason that the films have been so widely embraced by audiences (the sequel is now the highest grossing animated film of all time globally), given their ability to offer comfort, understanding, compassion and empathy towards children (and their parents) who can relate to what's happening on-screen. This, at the same time as delivering what is also expected of an animated family of this type: amusement, entertainment and inspiration to all ages.