INSIDE OUT 2: A Comeback, Of Sorts

INSIDE OUT 2 (Digital)

2024 / 96 min

FROM DISNEY

Review by Stinky the Destroyer😺

On Digital NOW and 4K, Blu-ray & DVD 9/10.

On one hand, I’m happy that Inside Out 2 was hugely successful, especially after years of films that either underperformed at the box office, or worse yet, were immediately regulated to Disney+. It recalls the glory days when each Pixar movie was practically an event and a must-see in theaters (even if you didn’t always have kids in tow).

On the other hand, this is Pixar playing it safe, revisiting a tried-and-true brand name. And I get it. Most of their biggest films of the past decade have been sequels, which I suppose is fine, since God knows they aren’t the only studio with franchise aspirations. Not to sound like a crusty old boomer, but I remember the days when Pixar itself was the franchise. The films may have been different, but each had the studio’s unique, indelible stamp.

Still, with the possible exception of Cars 2, Pixar’s has never made a truly bad sequel. Even Toy Story 4 managed to avoid being superfluous and was a lot better than it had a right to be. Inside Out 2 is superior to that one. It might even be the best Pixar sequel since Toy Story 2, even though it sometimes takes a similar conceptual path as Turning Red.

Emotional baggage.

In this one, Riley is a 13-year-old at the onset of puberty and all the new emotions that come with that tumultuous age…Embarrassment, Envy, Ennui (boredom) and, most significantly, Anxiety, who threatens to to take complete control over Riley’s decisions and actions. These feelings are welcome additions to the story, as they amusingly depict what we all go through at that age. If nothing else, their introduction certainly justifies this sequel. The brief appearance of Nostalgia, a running gag in which she’s repeatedly told to leave, suggests maybe a second sequel is possible (?).

Inside Out 2 is not as fresh or inventive as the original, which is to be expected. The world inside Riley's head is still an elaborately rendered wonderland, especially “The Vault,” where things she once loved are locked up (old kiddie shows, video game characters). But overall, this one doesn’t reach the emotional highs and lows as the first film, though there are certainly moments where Riley’s anxiety is infectious. Still, Inside Out 2 is an enjoyable, entertaining sequel. 

EXTRA KIBBLES

FEATURETTES - New Emotions is about the new characterss introduced to reflect being a teenager; Unlocking the Vault goes into the making of the film’s best sequence.

6 DELETED SCENES - These are largely unfinished animatic sketches.