Rating: ««
out of ««««
Running Time: 100 minutes
This feature from Disney and Pixar will begin playing exclusively at theaters on Friday, June, 14.
Remarkably, it has now been nine years since the Pixar/Disney film Inside Out debuted at theaters. The picture, about the emotions of a youngster, was such a critical and commercial hit that it is something of a surprise a follow-up hadn’t arrived sooner. Inside Out 2 features the lead character entering her teenage years and developing a new set of feelings that play havoc with her behavior. Truthfully, it’s a sequel that doesn’t match the original, yet has enough inventive and amusing moments to please.
As mentioned, new teen and hockey enthusiast Riley Anderson (Kensington Tallman) is readying herself for big life changes, including high school. When she and her chums are invited by Coach Roberts (Yvette Nicole Brown) to attend a special hockey camp that may lead to a position on the high school team, a wide range of emotions are experienced.
Within Riley’s brain, Joy (Amy Poehler) has been successfully working alongside Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale) and Disgust (Liza Lapira) to help develop the youngster’s sense of self. But soon, new emotions Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) arrive to complicate the process. Riley really wants to impress older kids at camp like Val Ortiz (Lilimar). Inside her brain, Anxiety begins trying to wrestle control away and begins changing Riley, leading to conflict and confusion for the protagonist, appropriately enough, both inside and out.
The imagery in the original was incredibly unique, with neural pathways and memory orbs really popping on the big screen. While impressively animated, the interior world of Riley hasn’t changed dramatically in this effort and thus the visuals don’t make as strong of an impression. And while the concept of the lead entering her teen years has dramatic potential and there is some degree of conflict from attempts to change Riley’s personality, the stakes still never seem as serious or urgent as they could be.
The film primarily focuses on the lead’s 3-day experience at hockey camp. It’s understandable that the young character would be concerned about making a good impression with a personal hero and want to be asked to join the team, but this is hardly the stuff of high drama (even if Riley’s erratic behavior might suggest otherwise).
Thankfully, there are enough positives to help make up for these quibbles. The voice cast are all excellent and there are amusing interactions between the old and new characters. The deadpan Ennui’s direct observations as she lounges and acts disinterested garner chuckles. It’s fun to see Sadness and Embarrassment find common ground over the course of the story, and Anger has a couple of entertaining comments and actions as tensions flare. Anxiety is an interestingly manic figure and the character’s battles with Joy over Riley’s “self” are intriguing to watch, even if the results outside don’t feel like a do-or-die scenario.
The highlight of the picture is actually new characters who haven’t been advertised. At one point in the story, Joy and the others find themselves in a mysterious location filled with hidden and secret figures from memory that have been buried into the subconscious. The heroes are surprised to meet individuals like Bloofy (Ron Funches), who made a major impact on Riley’s early life.
These bizarre personalities make a hilarious impression. In fact, one notable figure (who carries helpful, but somewhat severe tools) cleverly pokes fun at a cartoon character from a T.V series created by the film’s parent company. Iit should make those who recognize the reference grin. These bits are a blast and even offer hints at where another follow-up could lead.
So, like the majority of sequels, Inside Out 2 isn’t as immediately arresting as its predecessor. Regardless, some of the added material and characters make an impression. While some of the emotions on display may be too familiar, the end result is still engaging and fun family entertainment.
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By Glenn Kay
For the Sun
