Prepare for all the feels, again.

In a perfect world, Pixar wouldn’t require sequels. In a perfect world, Pixar would stick with the original stories they built their name on. In a perfect world, these originals would make all the box office money they’d ever want or need. This, as I’m sure you’re painfully aware, however, is not a perfect world, and, like it or not, Pixar sequels are very much here to stay.

When the chips are down, having reliable names to fall back on can be vital, and more than any other studio in these post-pandemic times, no one’s chips have been more down than Pixar’s. It’s safe to say that the last few years have not been kind to the animation giant, and after their recent box office struggles, it feels more than a little harsh to blame them for wanting to play it safe.

That said, however, is the Inside Out name really the reliable, safe bet it may once have been?

With great grades, hockey wins, and two amazing best friends, everything is running like clockwork for Riley (Kensington Tallman) and her emotions - Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale), and Disgust (Liza Lapira). However, when Riley turns thirteen and puberty hits like a wrecking crew, her internal HQ must make room for several new emotions - Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos). But as they all tussle for supremacy within her, it’s clear something will have to give if Riley’s personality is to be saved.

Sad though it may be, Pixar are in quite the pickle right now. Whether the blame lies in themselves, audiences, or their parent company Disney, the fact of the matter is that Pixar’s fortunes since COVID have been poor, with box office (although, it must be said, not quality) returns as bad as they’ve ever been. So, with their fortunes at rock bottom, it feels rather fitting that the title Pixar have turned to for a quick mood booster is the one all about emotional balance.

While an Inside Out sequel certainly wasn’t a necessity, it’s probably one of the few names in Pixar’s illustrious back catalogue that actually warrants returning to. As we all know, emotions don’t just begin and end with childhood, they’re a lifelong journey, so it makes total sense that we check back in with Riley and her emotions at a time in everyone’s life when things both inside and out can feel a little…chaotic.

If there were any lingering fears that a sequel to such a beloved title would somehow tarnish Inside Out’s good name, they can be well and truly put to bed now. True, the bar set by its predecessor was ridiculously high, however, while Inside Out 2 doesn’t quite reach it, it does get mightily close.

Fittingly, Inside Out 2 reflects its protagonist’s broadening emotional range by offering a story with more depth, density, intricacy, and anarchy. Just as Riley takes the leap to a new emotional era, so too does the film’s narrative, as the inclusion of new feelings and the development of more complications mark a natural evolution from where the first film left us.

With Michael Giacchino’s original stirring score noticeable by its absence and with a script that never feels as consistently on point as the first film, Inside Out 2 doesn’t hit quite as hard as before, yet its emotional probing manages to excavate just that little bit deeper. With remarkable incisiveness, the film explores the chaotic complexities of adolescence remarkably well via the kind of classic Pixar accessibility that will strike a chord with audiences of all ages.

Refusing to shy away from the inherent chaos, disorder, and darkness that come with puberty, Inside Out 2 plays a remarkably deft tonal balancing act. You don’t include an emotion like anxiety without darkening the mood somewhat, and director Kelsey Mann does well to acknowledge this bleakness while never taking an eye off the need to be relatable and relatively light-hearted.

As hilarious as it is heartfelt, Inside Out 2’s writing is snappy and warm in a way that only the very best Pixar films are, and while it isn’t quite at the elite level of the studio’s very best, it certainly isn’t far off. Poignant, pertinent, and highly impactful, the film’s story may feel familiar, yet its masterful execution never allows such familiarity to undermine it.

Blessed with a strong script that should work well with all ages, Inside Out 2 gets the job done and gets it done well, using our familiarity with the characters and the world around them to its advantage. Building on one of the most satisfying, well-rounded worlds of any Pixar film, Inside Out 2 takes the well-established universe crafted so lovingly and so thoroughly by its predecessor and expands upon it.

As with the first film, the animation in Inside Out 2, while perhaps not as expansive in scope as other Pixar efforts, is nevertheless jaw-dropping, satisfying, and highly creative. Much like Inside Out, the world inside Riley’s mind remains both startlingly imaginative and admirably functional, managing to feel both wondrous and pleasingly operational, and allowing its natural expansion to work perfectly.

Within this freshly fleshed out environment, the film’s new batch of emotions are all fantastic additions, as each one adds something unique to the story while meshing well with the established characters we know and love. As before, Amy Poehler’s Joy is our lead and, complemented nicely by the four other original emotions, is as vibrant and endearing as ever, however, it’s through the addition of the brand-new characters that Inside Out 2 truly shines.

Led by the wonderfully twitchy energy of Maya Hawke’s Anxiety, this new batch of puberty-induced emotions not only complement Riley’s original feelings but work well to stand out on their own. Whether it’s the sharp comic timing of Ayo Edebiri as Envy, the delightfully languid Adèle Exarchopoulos as Ennui, or the fun physical comedy of Paul Walter Hauser’s Embarrassment, this new gang bring a huge dose of humour, heart, and relatability to the story.

As the leader of this chaotic bunch of newbie emotions, however, Maya Hawke’s Anxiety is the true standout. Encapsulating the jittery, potent, and potentially debilitating essence of anxiety perfectly, Hawke’s voicework, combined with the wonderfully crafted character design, are so precise in their representation it’s actually quite startling.

As a concept, anxiety is not an easy one to broach for any film, let alone a family-friendly animation, so what Inside Out 2 manages to achieve and convey with this character is nothing short of astonishing. Broad, bright, colourful, and cartoonish, yet threaded through with something far deeper, darker, and nuanced, Anxiety must go down as one of Pixar’s greatest creations, one that will have a lasting effect well beyond the film’s conclusion.

Whether Riley’s emotional journey ends here or whether there’s space for more Inside Out entries somewhere down the line, only time (and box office returns) will tell. Regardless, the lasting power of this franchise on the mental health of children and adults alike has been felt – and will continue to be felt – for some time to come.

The bar the first film set was incredibly high, however, while it doesn’t quite reach it, Inside Out 2 manages to get very, very close. Although it never hits quite as hard as its predecessor, there’s just so much to love about this sequel, as the emotions and themes remain poignant, pertinent, and highly impactful; and while Inside Out 2’s story beats are certainly familiar, they nevertheless capture the complex emotional chaos of adolescence beautifully.

Inside Out 2 is in cinemas worldwide now.