It might have taken almost a decade, but we finally have a follow up to the much-loved Pixar animation Inside Out (2015). The original film received huge acclaim on its release for its ability to portray the essence of childhood through Riley, a young girl who must learn to navigate changes in her young life after she is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to the big city.
Directed by Kelsey Mann, in his feature directorial debut, Inside Out 2 sees the return of SNL favourite Amy Poehler as the voice of Joy, one of Riley’s most dominant emotions. Elsewhere, Lewis Black, Maya Hawke (Asteroid City), Ayo Edebiri (The Bear), Adèle Exarchopoulos (Blue Is The Warmest Colour) and Paul Walter Hauser (I, Tonya) all lend their voices to old and new emotions.
Puberty takes centre stage at Riley (Kensington Tallman) HQ when old emotions are set aside in order to make room for brand new emotions, fitting for a bona fide teenager. Joy (Poehler), Sadness (Smith), Anger (Black), Fear (Tony Hale) and Disgust (Liza Lapira) must make way for Anxiety (Hawk) and her friends Ennui (Exarchopoulos), Embarrassment (Hauser) and envy (Edebiri).
Meanwhile in the real world, emotions run high when Riley is invited to join an Ice Hockey camp with her two best friends. Torn between old friendships and wanting to be part of a new, much cooler gang, Riley is faced with the biggest dilemma of her young life, can she really do it all, or has she already ruined her chances with everyone.
Screenwriters Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein deliver another knock out screenplay in a film that treads a fine line between the serious and the very silly. While nothing will beat the freshness or originality of the first film, there is no denying that this is yet another win for Pixar who up until now have struggled to replicate former success stories a la Toy Story.
This is a film full of heart, emotion and a truck load of silly antics, but at the heart of the story there remains a strong message of hope and kindness. Fans of the original can breathe a sigh of relief, because there is a lot here to enjoy thanks to some brilliant performances from a truly eclectic cast.
