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On the Screen: Anxiety brings new challenges to ‘Inside Out’s’ emotional bundle…

DAVID ADAMS watches the long-awaited sequel to Pixar’s ‘Inside Out’…

Inside Out 2 (AU – PG/UK – U/US – PG)

In a word: Effervescent

Disney and Pixar’s ‘Inside Out 2’ returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley, where her emotions Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale), Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith) and Disgust (Liza Lapira) must make room for new emotions, including Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Anxiety (Maya Hawke) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser). © 2024 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

The sequel to 2015’s successful Inside Out, the story picks up where it last left off, finding us once again with the colourful emotions – Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale), Disgust (Liza Lapira) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith) – inside the mind of Riley (Kensington Tallman), helping her as she navigates her young life.

“Once again, it’s a playful take on the emotional lives of young teenagers as they navigate the challenges life throws at them and, as was the case in the first film, it comes with lots of positive messages about living a balanced life and the important role each emotion can play in out life.”

Things are going well – Riley is building a good sense of self based on some strong positive beliefs about herself – and the emotions have their roles down pat. But it’s obvious from the get-go that trouble’s a-brewing when we see Joy pushing any bad memories to a huge pile at the back of Riley’s mind in an attempt to keep things upbeat (doesn’t sound terribly healthy).

That trouble arrives one night when a new button – “puberty” – appears on the control console used by the emotions. With it come the wrecking crews, charged with giving the entire control centre a makeover, and, alongside that, a suite of new emotions appear led by Anxiety (Maya Hawke) and including Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), Envy (Ayo Edebiri) and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos).



The old emotions soon find themselves sidelined and imprisoned in a glass jar in a vault of Riley’s secrets. The new team, meanwhile, try to use negative emotions to ensure Riley fits in as, about to head to high school, she and her two best friends go on a hockey camp to take the next steps in their hockey playing.

Of course, it all goes pear-shaped and our old friends find themselves on a quest to the back of Riley’s mind to retrieve her sense of self.

Once again, it’s a playful take on the emotional lives of young teenagers as they navigate the challenges life throws at them and, as was the case in the first film, it comes with lots of positive messages about living a balanced emotional life and the important role each emotion can play in our lives.

There’s plenty of humour – although some of the best gags are given away in the trailers – and, in a small departure from the first film, the story seems to feature more of Riley’s real life than the first which spent more time inside her mind with the zany emotions.

Directed by Kelsey Mann, Inside Out 2 is an uplifting film with high quality animation, some interesting, if at times briefly seen, newcomers (including some ridiculous cartoon characters from Riley’s past) and enough of a developing storyline to keep things interesting (although don’t expect any sharp departures from the previous outing). As with the first, it could prove a good conversation-starter for parents.

Hang around at the end to see the characters return to reopen the vault of secrets.

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