Disney’s had a slew of mistakes lately, but this is not one of them.

The emotions within Riley are having a blast since the last time we saw them. But when a big warning light labelled “puberty” appears on their control console… things are about to get crowded.

2015’s Inside Out was a very strong entry in Pixar’s catalogue. Although some audiences were starting to clock the motto: “what if [blank] had feelings”, by that point. But as far as concepts go, Inside Out had room for development and a sequel, and given the experiment was successful, a sequel isn’t that surprising.
The original was directed by Pete Docter, but the sequel has been given to directorial newcomer Kelsey Mann (having directed the Monsters Inc short “Party Central” previously). Some of the voice cast have changed, but all of these notes do not detract from the final product. Inside Out 2 is a solid sequel.

The film follows Riley (voiced by Kensington Tallman) who is riding high on successes in ice hockey. Her emotion of Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler) is over the moon and in full control. Joy has zealously shielded Riley from memories that are damaging to Riley’s wellbeing; pushing them to the back of the mind. However, this utopia is shattered quite literally as construction crews rebuild their control centre. Not long after that, new emotions arrive: Anxiety, Embarrassment, Envy, and Ennui.
At a critical time in her life, Riley finds herself overwhelmed with these new emotions. Shutting out and losing the others. Can the emotions reconcile their differences and help Riley in her time of need?

The Disney brand might feel a bit tired these days, especially after the lacklustre Wish in 2023. Pixar too, seems to have lost some of their magic, sometimes playing second fiddle to Disney’s own animation studio productions. Any reluctance for Inside Out 2 should be quickly banished: if you enjoyed the first film then you will only find familiar fun here.
The characters are still bright and fun, the new characters are unique and serve the narrative. The film still has high-jinx and antics: once more the emotions are on a riotous adventure through Riley’s brain. The movie still has a host of creative visualisations of mental properties like the first. From “sar-chasms”, “brain storms”, and even belief systems born from memories. It is safe to say it isn’t as emotionally-crippling as the first film. The 2015 movie had… that… scene.

This film is not as brutal, although it does tackle some heavy topics. Of course it does, it is about puberty. It doesn’t do puberty in the way you might at first expect; it is more subtle, less gross and vulgar. The film does it all in relatable fashion, though; you’ll still get a lump in your throat at least.

Disney sequels are all the rage right now in the studio. Moana 2 is around the corner, with Toy Story 5 not far behind. This film does acquit itself better than most sequels, although it does feel like there’s room for improvement. The emotions feel more segregated by plot convenience and audience acceptance than by their actual function. One would expect Fear to get on with Anxiety. Or the scene where Joy breaks down. There is a lot of gravitas when even Joy feels sadness, but simultaneously it feels as though they shouldn’t? The alternative would probably make characters like Joy extremely infuriating…

Like with the first film, some characters are a little side-lined. Disgust is still the weakest emotion out of all the characters, but newcomers Envy and Embarrassment are heavily overshadowed by Anxiety’s antics. Which, to give the film credit, is sort of the point. Anxiety is an overwhelming and awful emotion. The film was a little slow to get going; with a needless “summary”, which included new information that was then repeated quickly afterwards.

The film is overall a very solid experience. Audiences shouldn’t shy away from the Disney or Pixar brands with this one, especially if you enjoyed the first movie.