In ‘Inside Out 2,’ growing up is an adventure

Inside Out 2

Directed by Kelsey Mann (Pixar, 2024)

Inside Out 2 is Pixar’s highest-grossing film of all time. And for good reason. It’s loaded with vocal talent, smart dialogue, and the kind of smooth, detail-rich visuals you’d expect from the animation giant. But Inside Out 2 manages to be greater than the sum of its parts: It’s a masterclass in plot and structure, a standout entry from an animation studio that is known for its consistent and quality storytelling.

Inside Out 2 sees the franchise protagonist, Riley (Kensington Tallman), and her emotions entering puberty. The film opens with relative predictability—emotions jockey for influence over Riley and become befuddled when the standard machinery of “Head Quarters” goes puberty-haywire. For the first few minutes, Inside Out 2 appears to be a safe, if predictable, sequel. But with the help of imaginative storytelling and compelling animation, the film manages to move in fresh and delightful new directions. Not only does the sequel give us new emotions (including Anxiety, Ennui, Embarrassment, and Envy), the plot also takes the viewer to new spaces in Riley’s psyche. Much like the first Inside Out, this sequel deals with complex social-emotional dynamics via accessible puns and humorous visualizations (characters travel down the “stream of consciousness,” struggle to navigate a “sar-chasm,” and get caught in a “brain storm”).

Structurally, Inside Out 2 is a bildungsroman on the “outside” and a hero’s journey on the “inside.” As Joy (Amy Poehler) and her emotional friends journey through Riley’s psyche, the trials and tribulations of their “hero’s journey” correspond to social and emotional turmoil in the real world with Riley and her friends. Through its interlocking narratives—Riley’s coming-of-age story and Joy’s epic quest—Inside Out 2 packs tenderness, humor, and emotional depth into a rip-roaring comic adventure.