Inside Out 2 review: a successful sequel?

My Inside Out 2 review, and thoughts on the movie:

When we last saw Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust at the end of Inside Out (2015), they were able to work together in harmony. They learned a lot and could be the team they were meant to be for Riley. Things were going smoothly. Happy ending, right?

Of course, we know our emotions are never that simple, especially as we grow older. Riley is 13 now, and puberty alarm goes off. Things just got a lot more complicated more complicated. Not only is the control panel extra sensitive – one quick touch from Anger has Riley screaming at her mother – but our friends also have to deal with the addition of 4 new emotions to the team.

Suddenly we’ve got Anxiety, Embarrassment, Envy, and Ennui showing up. Riley’s also slowly developed a “sense of self” in addition to her personality islands and core memories. Of course Joy wants to protect Riley and this new sense of self.

But Joy’s learned her lesson, right? There’s room for everyone at the control panel! Anxiety is a big fan of Joy and just wants to help her, but when Anxiety needs to take control it sends things in a direction that none of them want for Riley.

I loved the first Inside Out movie – it’s in my top 2 of Pixar movies. So I didn’t know how I’d feel about a sequel, or if they could pull it off. When I found out Anxiety would be a character I was even more conflicted. As a person who struggles very, very much with anxiety, I didn’t know if they would do it justice, or if it would be treated as the villain to get rid of. I was, well… anxious about it.

But just as Riley discovers many of her worries were for naught, so were mine. Pixar pulled it off incredibly well, making a beautiful film that I loved. More than that, it perfectly represented how anxiety exists, at least for me. It is a true gift to be able to feel so seen and understood – and more than that, accepted and embraced.

I would guess that people who don’t suffer with anxiety in the way that I do might see the film differently, and that’s okay. Just know my Inside Out 2 review will be colored by my experiences, as all reviews and opinions are.

Please note: minor spoilers will follow within this Inside Out 2 review.

A sequel that actually works

I am always hesitant about sequels, especially when it is a sequel to one of my favorite films. Inside Out 2 had potential, but would it be anywhere near as charming and emotional as the first one?

For me, the answer is an absolute yes. It works as a sequel because it doesn’t try to just repeat what happened in the first one, or do the same thing with slightly different characters or a different setting. 

In the first movie, we meet Riley when she’s 11 years old. This movie is about Riley’s emotions, so of course those are going to be different now that she is a 13-year-old. This movie isn’t just rehashing things, it’s developing them and adding to them as Riley grows. 

Inside Out created an entire “universe”, so there’s plenty more to explore. Yes, Riley’s memories are still a very big part of it, but the core memory concept of the first is pretty established already. Now we have a sense of self to contend with. There are cool places and ideas to explore, like the “stream of consciousness” and the “sar-chasm”. There are some very smart and clever additions.

For that reason, I actually wouldn’t mind if they wanted to make more Inside Out films. We know that our emotions and feelings change as we get older, so you could just keep going and take a look at the way our emotions change at the age of 15, 18, 21, 25, 35… forever, honestly (Inside Out 5: The Midlife Crisis, anyone?). I don’t think that will happen because at that point it won’t really be a kid movie anymore, but I think it could be cool.

…but a few things did feel repetitive

All that being said, it wasn’t a perfect movie. A large part of the first movie is Joy having to learn to embrace Sadness, and that all of Riley’s emotions are needed and welcome. It is somewhat similar here, at least at first.

We do see some growth in Joy. She doesn’t immediately try to get rid of the new emotions (in fact, it’s the other way around). But the ultimate lesson and interaction between the emotions does feel very familiar.

Part of the plot line also involves our original 5 emotions trapped outside of headquarters and struggling to find a way back. That whole concept is pretty much identical to the first one and I would have liked to see something a little bit different.

Another bit of a shortcoming was an attempt to add in some humor (and maybe introduce an “outside” character, like Bing Bong). You couldn’t recreate the magic of Bing Bong, and the attempts here felt flat. The gang comes across some old memories of Riley’s hidden away, including TV and video game characters she has since (presumably) grown out of. Pouchy and Lance the video game character felt kind of forced in for humor.

There was plenty of other funny moments in the movie though. I know I definitely got a laugh out of Nostalgia showing up. She also shows how you really could keep growing this universe and expanding on the ideas here if you wanted to.

Anxiety: the antagonist?

When Anxiety shows up, she could have easily slipped into the role of a villain. But she’s not. She genuinely wants to help Riley, just like everyone else. Fear takes a bit of a liking to her right away. They certainly do have a lot in common, but as she explains it, “He keeps Riley safe from things she can see. My job is to keep her safe from things she can’t see.”

Anxiety prepares for the future. In moderation, this is a good thing. In excess and with overthinking, we can see how harmful it can be. It drives Riley to do things she wouldn’t normally do in an effort to try and combat every possible negative scenario.

She has the best intentions, but she needs to find balance with the other emotions to make good use of them. I really appreciated that even though Anxiety was part of the force that Joy and others were working against, she wasn’t really the bad guy.

Themes of Inside Out 2

If I had to pick one main theme from the first movie, it would probably be that all emotions are valuable and should be recognized. That is also a very strong theme in this movie, but the sequel builds on it and adds some other important themes before.

As I began to write this Inside Out 2 review and explore all of the themes in the movie, I realized it was going to make this review much too long. So if this is something that interests you – fear not, there will be a follow-up post! I may have a bit to say or at least ponder about this movie, which I always appreciate.

Embrace all emotions – none are negative

Simply allowing the emotions to be in headquarters, and even feeling them occasionally, may not be enough. They not only need space to exist, they also need to be embraced and be seen. There needs to be a recognition that all emotions have value and that they have to figure out the best ways to work together to help Riley succeed.

One thing I appreciate about the characters in the film is that they are not made out to be heroes or villains. They are all useful and also all flawed. And they all have the same goal, which is to help Riley. They want to protect her, they just have different ways of doing that.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that you can just let your emotions have free rein over you to do whatever you want. One thing this movie definitely teaches is the importance of balance in your emotions and how they all need to be working as team.

What our “sense of self” is

Aside from 4 new emotions, we also get the “sense of self.” In the first movie we learned about core memories, and how they create “personality islands” which help make Riley who she is. Now that she’s a little bit older we have more than just core memories and personality traits. Riley is beginning to develop her sense of self.

The lesson here could have easily been that Riley needs her own “original” sense of self back, and that certain emotions are a better foundation for who we are than others. “Good will overcome,” etc. But that’s not what happens here.

I won’t say too much more to avoid major spoilers, but I appreciate how nuanced this concept is.

Accept who you are

It’s not just that Riley also has to have space for Anxiety, Envy, Ennui, and Embarrassment. It’s that all of the emotions and every important memory – good or bad – have to be part of who she is.

This idea really hit home for me, even as a 36 year old woman. I’ve spent a long time “fighting” anxiety in my life, and I’m done. It’s a fight I will never win, because anxiety is a part of who I am – and that’s okay. She needs space to be accepted and useful… without taking over all the time.

Inside Out 2 is universal and relatable

Just like the first one, Inside Out 2 is a movie that people of almost any age can get something out of. It may teach kids about basic emotions, but it also shows adults why it’s important to embrace your feelings instead of hide them (and, honestly, why as an adult you may need to let your kids experience the tough stuff instead of just trying to fix everything). 

The same is true here as the new emotions show up. Anxiety and embarrassment are all things that we deal with as grown-ups. So is trying to define your sense of self. Riley’s sense of self changed throughout the movie as she went through new things, and I know it will continue to change. As we get older and experience more nuanced emotions and collect more experiences and memories of our own, our sense of self will continue to evolve.

Does it make my top 3 of Pixar films?

That’s a tough question, because it’s pretty competitive in the world of Pixar! If I had to give you my top three before this film, it would still be tough. My top two are pretty solid – Soul and Inside Out – but there are so many good contenders for that third slot. It’s a battle for me between Elemental, Monsters Inc., and a few others.

I’m not sure Inside Out 2 could ever take the place of the first one. Inside Out is very special because it came up with the concept. But in some ways, I actually like the sequel more than the original. Inside Out 2 expands on the complexities, so it’s a bit more rich and detailed in some ways. Since it includes anxiety as a main focus, it’s also a very personal one for me.

I thought the ending was a perfect touch as well. I won’t give it away, but I will give a slight spoiler to say there was a bit of ambiguity. Honestly, that feels fitting given what Riley – and the audience – has learned about life and feelings in this movie.

Have you seen the movie yet? Do you agree with my Inside Out 2 review?