The Stream: Basically, it’s just the same movie with new feelings.

The Big Screen: Classic Pixar production with emotional moments and top-notch animation.

The Final Bill: A good pre-teen movie but too similar to the first one.

– Trip Fontaine
Director: Kelsey Mann
Writers: Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein; story by Kelsey Mann and Meg LeFauve
Stars: Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Phyllis Smith, Ayo Edebiri
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Family
Rating: PG for some thematic elements
Runtime: 1 hour 30 minutes
Production Companies: Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios
Platform: In theaters June 14, 2024
Notable Trailers: Paddington in Peru, Moana 2, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, The Wild Robot, Mufasa: The Lion King

What’s going on, Streamers!?! Summer is in full swing, and the kids are out of school. What to do? What to do? Well, Pixar’s Inside Out 2 recently released in theaters, so that could occupy 90 minutes of their time. Plus, keep you in an air-conditioned theater during this heat wave. Here’s whether the trip to theater will take care of your anxiety, envy, embarrassment and ennui.

Inside Out 2 picks up 3 years after the action of the original film. Riley is now 13 years old, and it’s the fateful summer between middle school and high school. Riley and her friends are going to a 3-day hockey training camp when she finds out everything is about to change. In her head, Riley’s core emotions are confronted by some new emotions that come with the onset of puberty, which include Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment and Ennui. Of course, the emotions struggle for control of Riley’s sense of self. Anxiety-inducing but Joy-filled hijinks ensue.

Now, the obvious portion of this review is that Disney-Pixar are going to do what they do. The production, creativity, and animation are the standard quality we would expect from them. The voicework is solid but a little boring, especially from the core emotions. Unfortunately, the standard quality has become the problem. Pixar has made a good, thoughtful sequel, but it isn’t life changing or overly memorable. In fact, the movie feels almost exactly like the first installment. That’s not necessarily meant to be a slight, but it’s also not a ringing endorsement either.

On the other hand, there are some new additions to the Inside Out universe that are worthy of mentioning. Anxiety, voiced by Maya Hawke, is the central emotion in this sequel. The movie depicts this complicated emotion delicately and with enough simplicity that young ones can understand. Hawke’s vocal performance perfectly suggests the chaos that comes with unchecked anxiety. The turmoil that comes with Anxiety’s arrival leads to an emotional climax, which is in line with what we’d expect from Pixar. Additionally, this movie mixes animation styles in interesting ways through funny side characters. There are definitely laughs to be had along with a few sniffles, if your heart is in the right place.

Ultimately, Inside Out 2 follows the great Pixar tradition of beautiful animation telling an emotional story. It still has the same issue that many Pixar sequels have, which is that it doesn’t set itself apart enough from the original. The new characters are cute and provide a good life lesson for those moving into their pre-teen years, but it feels like a retread. Nevertheless, this movie in inoffensive and fine enough for a matinee bowl of popcorn at the theater.