Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Inside Out 2 review notes that there’s much cerebral fun here for children and adults alike. Way better than therapy!

I wasn’t a huge fan of Inside Out when it was released in 2015. But it seems just about everyone else was. Inside Out was the seventh-highest-grossing film of the year, and was nominated for an Academy Award, so it was inevitable there would be a sequel. What surprised me is that it took so long.

It was definitely worth the wait, however. I found a lot more to like about Inside Out 2. Dare I say that, after a bit of a funk over the past couple of years, the sequel marks the return of Pixar to its exalted position among the great animators of all time?

As you recall, the first installment of Inside Out told the story of what was going on inside Riley’s head when she was a young girl, ruled by the emotions of joy, anger, sadness, fear and disgust.

But in Inside Out 2, puberty sets in, and the old guard emotions are in danger of being overruled by new ones; anxiety, embarrassment, ennui, and envy. Anxiety is especially pernicious. Overnight Riley changes from a sweet, loving goofy little girl to a sulking adolescent with raging hormones and…a zit!

It’s set against a backdrop of Riley and her friends playing on an ice hockey team, and attending new schools, as kids do around the age of 13. That’s a refreshing storyline, and screenwriters Dave Holstein and Meg LeFauve,  (LeFauve also worked on the original Inside Out and on The Good Dinosaur as well) taking full advantage of all the possibilities.

A chance was taken on relative newbie director and former storyboard artist Kelsey Mann, and it paid off. The animation itself is rich, full and delightful. The plot is many layered, the music is an unobtrusive yet emotional treat, and the voice actors are perfectly cast.

Inside Out 2 review — The game cast

About the voice actors—Amy Poehler returns as Joy, and Phyllis Smith and Lewis Black come back as Sadness and Anger, respectively.

Interestingly enough Bill Hader did not return as Fear, nor did Mindy Kaling retake the role of Disgust. Tony Hale and Liza Lapira took their places. Rumor has it there were salary disagreements that could not be reconciled.

Brand new characters are voiced by Maya Hawke as Anxiety, Ayo Edebiri as Envy, Adèle Exarchopoulos as Ennui my favorite newbie and Paul Walter Hauser as embarrassment. Hawke is particularly amusing.

Now if you’re not familiar with the whole Inside Out gestalt, don’t make the mistake of thinking that it’s just for kids and their parents. Anyone who’s experienced puberty will appreciate it.

Inside Out 2 review — What’s in it for you?

You see, just because we grow up doesn’t mean we’re not still dealing with Embarrassment, Ennui, Envy and especially Anxiety.

I’m particularly interested in Anxiety. The film shows us how it can actually be a motivator and help us grow, although we should not be ruled by it.

Quitting things when they get stressful is not always the best option. Fighting through it, and figuring out how to turn stress into success, is a recipe for achieving great things, and that’s a useful message for anyone to ingest.

You don’t often find this type of subliminal message in an animated film, but Inside Out 2 nails it. It’s a great contrast to the trite and untrue “you can do anything if you just try really hard!” message that so many movies and influencers promote.

That’s what was going on inside my head as I watched Inside Out 2. Aren’t you kind of curious to find out what will go on inside yours?

Rated PG

1 Hour 36 Minutes

If this Inside Out 2 review makes you want to skip to the cineplex to see it, (and why wouldn’t it?) Get times and tickets at Fandango.com.

Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Inside Out 2 review notes that there’s much cerebral fun here for children and adults alike. Way better than therapy!