When Inside Out made its premiere in 2015, my daughter was 7 years old. Riley, the main character, whose emotions gave rise to the endearing (and very marketable) personalities of Joy, Anger, Disgust, Fear, and Sadness, was only a few years younger than her. The prototype was present, though. Throughout her early years, fear predominated in my daughter’s psyche, with anger (mainly) making cameo appearances.
That she sat next to me during my critics’ preview of Inside Out 2, the sequel in which Riley experiences puberty, makes perfect sense. As a matter of fact, sharing the early stages of life with her enhanced and enhanced the overall experience of Inside Out 2. It seems like this movie was created specifically for me, as in, “Hey, you made it through the beginning.” Shall we have a little giggle?
Riley plays a teenager in Inside Out 2 who is going through puberty in the summer before high school. Riley, who has hockey potential, is enlisted, along with two pals, to attend the summer camp run by the high school hockey coach. There, she will be assessed and maybe scouted for an early roster spot on the high school team. The original five—Amy Poehler’s Joy, Phyllis Smith’s Sadness, Lewis Black’s Anger, Tony Hale’s Fear (replacing Bill Hader), and Liza Lapira’s Disgust (replacing Mindy Kaling)—are naturally joined by a number of additional emotions evoked by the new events. The Fraggle-like emotions of ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), anxiety (Maya Hawke), envy (Ayo Edebiri), and embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) are introduced to humans throughout puberty.
The fact that Pixar’s most recent releases are entirely emotional is one of my few grievances with them. They are so desperate to break your heart. They’re all made by middle-aged (mainly male) people who want to get rid of the trauma they experienced as kids. It appears that the films have lost their wonder, spontaneity, and wide-ranging humor.
Thankfully, Inside Out 2 makes some corrections to it. Yes, it still has the iconic Pixar emotional pull at the heartstrings (by the end, I was fighting back tears), but it’s also hilarious throughout. The darker, more profound parts of the story are balanced out by a good number of sight gags and corny jokes. The plot’s human element is a fairly shallow, Disney Channel-caliber tale, but it isn’t the main focus. The internal realm of emotions, which is as vividly and imaginatively depicted as you recall, is where the comedy are found. In particular, there is a deep well that gives Riley her “sense of self.”
Riley’s emotional journey, which plays out wonderfully as an adventure, sets the main five emotions on a classic hero’s quest to reclaim the original sense of self that was harmed by Hawke’s anxiety. Naturally, none of this would be possible without the outstanding vocal performances, which are led here by Poehler and rookie Hawke (who wonderfully delivers a caffeine rush of nervous line readings). I had completely forgotten how amazing Amy Poehler’s voice acting can be. Here, she captures Joy as a figure whose inner compass is unsettled by uncertainty about who she is and where she is going. She gives the role an endless amount of vigor and passion, and the result is some of her best work to date.
Of course, not everyone can enjoy Inside Out 2 with their kid the way I have with mine. It may be argued that for those without a hormonal teen living with them, there are plenty of happy moments to be experienced. But, I felt that our two hours together greatly enriched the experience for me. The passing of those father-daughter bonding moments is something I am painfully aware of as I watch her develop into a stunning young woman. She’ll be gone and enjoying her own life one day.
In the interim, I’m even more happy if we can both enjoy Inside Out 2.
You can currently see Inside Out 2 in a cinema near you.
