Featured Image Credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Topics: Pixar, Disney, Review, Film and TV, Entertainment
Niamh Shackleton
Topics: Pixar, Disney, Review, Film and TV, Entertainment
Nearly a decade on from the first film and Inside Out 2 is finally here.
Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust are back again, and this time with friends. Joining now 13-year-old Riley's mind is Anxiety, Embarrassment, Envy and Ennui - all the things you expect to come with puberty.
And new emotions mean new cast members with Maya Hawke (Anxiety), The Bear star Ayo Edebiri (Envy), Paul Walter Hauser (Embarrassment) and Adèle Exarchopoulos (Ennui) making brilliant additions to Inside Out 2.
Stranger Things star Hawke in particular steals the show and makes the perfect (and relatable) Anxiety.
Elsewhere, Amy Poehler, Lewis Black and Phyllis Smith have all reprised their respective roles, but Tony Hale and Liza Lapira have replaced Bill Hader and Mindy Kaling as Fear and Disgust.
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While the replacements could have been glaringly obvious, Lapira and Hale's transition into the long-awaited sequel is seamless.
In the film, now-teenage Riley is preparing herself for high school, which is arguably one of the most scary and difficult parts of childhood.
She's learning to navigate puberty and the emotions that come with it, and it's safe to say Anxiety in particular hits Riley (voiced by Kaitlyn Dias) pretty hard.
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Now, Pixar and Disney films are known for their heart-wrenching, tear-jerking moments but Inside Out 2 notably doesn't have this - something which could be a first for them. It's still extremely moving though, and will resonate with people who suffer with anxiety in particular.
With Riley now being a bit older, I'd say that Inside Out 2 is largely appealing to a slightly older audience; likely those who are going through or have been through a similar thing to the teenager, or parents who are seeing their own kids go through the awkward and emotional stage of adolescence.
The big stand out thing for Inside Out 2 for me was the humour, and I could even go as far as saying it's one of the funniest Pixar films to date.
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There are several laugh out loud moments, and I advise you keep an eye out for the character Nostalgia in particular who makes a couple of brief appearances in the movie.
While funny, Inside Out 2 still hits all the right notes in regards to sticking to its original emotion-driven tone and could definitely give young people and adults alike a lesson in how to cope with things such as anxiety.
It manages to address emotional and moving topics and make you laugh all in one 1 hour 36-minute long movie which, to me, are two very different and very difficult chords to strike well side-by-side.
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In regards to a third film, it seems to remain unclear. Riley's puberty stage of life was hinted at in the end of the first Inside Out, but there was no obvious leads at the end of this movie.
Speaking of the end of the movie, there's a post-credit scene you should keep an eye out for.
To conclude, Inside Out 2 is a fantastic and clever film that will hit you right in the feels, all while making you laugh your socks off in the process.
★★★★½
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Inside Out 2 hits cinemas worldwide on Friday, June 14.