By Jacob Richardson
3 STARS
The first Inside Out movie was a unique, lightning in a bottle thing; showcasing a truly unique and wonderful interpretation of the mind and our emotions. It pulled on the heartstrings perfectly, and had a well thought out and engaging through line to keep us grounded to the struggles of the protagonists. It made you laugh, and cry.
This sequel, while sure to be perfectly entertaining for kids, unfortunately fails to recapture that magic. The film follows our hero emotions from last film, led by Joy (Amy Poehler), who are shocked when puberty for main character Riley brings new emotions; namely led by Anxiety (Maya Hawke). The new emotions are quite fun (and at times, a tad annoying), and there is a heap of inventive elaboration around the Inside Out world, with the sar-chasm and the stream of consciousness particularly fun. There are also a lot of laughs, and the characters in the vaults of secrets are amazing; pouchy is an instant icon.
Ultimately, the film is just too overcrowded, and the journey not only too nebulous for our heroes, but also a bit of an ‘also ran’; it’s too held together by the experience of main character Riley outside of the mind, instead of the struggles and interplay internally within the mind. While this sequel will certainly keep you in your seat throughout, and will undoubtedly be a blast for kids, a classic Pixar it is unfortunately not.
