Inside Out 2 is fun, engaging, and very amusing all while displaying the heart that is at the center of the combination of all the emotions, giving this movie all the feels.
Inside Out 2 releases in theaters across the United States today, June 14, 2024. The film stars Amy Poehler (Joy), Maya Hawke (Anxiety), Kensington Tallman (Riley), Liza Lapira (Disgust), Tony Hale (Fear), Lewis Black (Anger), Phyllis Smith (Sadness), Ayo Edebiri (Envy), Lilimar (Valentina), Grace Lu (Grace), and Adèle Exarchopoulos (Ennui). The film was written by Meg LeFauve, Dave Holstein, and Kelsey Mann, who also directed the film. Check out the details in my parents guide movie review.
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Inside Out 2 Movie Quotes
INSIDE OUT 2 Parents Guide Movie Review
Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley just as headquarters is undergoing a sudden demolition to make room for something entirely unexpected: new Emotions! Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust, who’ve long been running a successful operation by all accounts, aren’t sure how to feel when Anxiety shows up. And it looks like she’s not alone.
INSIDE OUT 2 Parents Guide
Let’s take a look at what concerned parents need to know about the age ratings of the movie before letting their younger audiences watch Inside Out 2.
Language: Inside Out 2 does not contain strong language, but silly humor. The strongest words viewers will come across are “moron” and “jerk.”
Mature Content: Like most PIXAR films, the new Inside Out 2 movie will definitely pull at the heartstrings and bring on the tears. Unlike the first film, there are no extremely emotional scenes like the “Bing Bong” scene in the first film. This film is based around puberty, and it displays the wild array of emotions a teenager goes through. Anxiety plays a big part in the film, and there is a scene that shows an anxiety attack.
Overall Thoughts
Disney Pixar’s Inside Out 2 is a stellar addition to the hit franchise, following the original which debuted nine years ago. For all that do not know, this movie is about a girl and all the emotions that conflict in her head as she navigates life. This sequel follows main character Riley as she has grown up a bit and reaches the beginning of puberty.
Inside Out 2 finds Riley as she is finishing up middle school and preparing to go to hockey camp with her two best friends. While in the car on the way, Riley learns that her friends will be attending a different high school than her in the fall, this news creates a flood of new feelings for Riley, and thus introduces some new emotions to the original emotion cast. The classic emotions are still there with just a couple changes in voice talent from the original.
Amy Poehler reprises her role as the emotion Joy, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, and Lewis Black as Anger. Tony Hale however steps in for Bill Hader as the emotion Fear, and Liza Lapira replaces Mindy Kaling as the voice of Disgust. As I mentioned before some new emotions come into play for Riley as she traverses new mental ground. Hurt by the knowledge of her friends’ new school and aspiring to make new friends with the cool older kids at hockey camp creates conflict in her mind, coupled with the hormonal changes she faces due to the onset of puberty, and Riley has her work cut out for her.
The new emotions that develop are Anxiety, voiced by Maya Hawke, followed by Ayo Edibiri as Envy, Paul Walter Hauser as Embarrassment, and Adele Exarchopoulos as Ennui (a bored emotion). Anxiety is the de-facto leader of the new group and competes with Joy to wrest control of Riley, and this threatens to change the core belief of who Riley is essentially as a person.
The voice-over cast does a great job embodying their respective emotions, and the audience can really feel each emotion themselves vicariously through their performances. Maya Hawke does exceptionally well as Anxiety, and many child fans of the original may have made the leap to puberty themselves since it came out in 2015 and can now identify with the more complex emotions brought on by an aging and developing mind. Feeling anxious and embarrassed especially when trying to make new friends is something we all have experienced by the time we reach adulthood. And of course, being envious of others and becoming bored rounds out the mood of most all teenagers.
Pixar always does such an amazing job as their studio, and audiences will delight in the colorful imaginative world that they have created. The writing is impeccable this time out, as the story truly propels this film to success in my opinion, which portends to assume Inside Out 2 will be every bit of the success that the original was if not more. This sequel is fun, engaging, and very amusing all while displaying the heart that is at the center of the combination of all the emotions, giving this movie all the feels.
