'Inside Out 2' Tackles Teen Angst in a Scary, Realistic Way – The Daily Texan

“Inside Out 2,” directed by Kelsey Mann, continues where the 2015 original “Inside Out” left off as Riley (Kensington Tallman) becomes a teenager and officially enters puberty. The film follows Riley as she attends a weekend hockey camp and loses sight of her identity due to the new emotions introduced into her head: Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Boredom (Adèle Exarchopoulos) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser). After being suppressed by new emotions, Joy (Amy Poehler), Disgust (Liza Lapira), Fear (Tony Hale), Anger (Lewis Black) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith) must venture deep into Riley's mind to help him regain his senses. Self.

The care put into this story about growing up will amaze audiences, eclipsing that of the original and increasing the relatability of the story. Driven by emotions new and old, Riley's desire to fit in leads her to make decisions such as ignoring her best friends to hang out with the cool older teens. One of the most memorable moments comes when Anxiety panics about how to move Riley's arms while she's walking, just for Ennui to make Riley place her hands in her pockets to act cool. Other memorable moments include Riley's family island becoming much smaller than the rest of her islands once she reaches adolescence.

New emotions were at the forefront of this film's marketing, and each of them proves to be a nice narrative foil for old emotions. The film even presents some surprise emotions that are not announced and rather used as gags, which can only reach an audience beyond adolescence. However, writing about new emotions makes the adolescent experience universal because it concerns not only older people who have experienced their adolescence, but also adolescents themselves. By involving almost all ages, the film's appeal proves to be much higher than that of its predecessor.

Pixar's track record with comedy tends to be hit or miss, but the humor in “Inside Out 2” remains strong. Not only does the humor come from scripted jokes and goofy characters, but the situations feature long silences, awkward decisions, and nerve-wracking interactions that will have audiences laughing nervously while gritting their teeth. In terms of characters and dialogue-based humor, one of the characters that stands out is a character Riley had a crush on in a video game, animated in a way incredibly similar to its inspiration, “Final Fantasy “. Another notable character is a character from a series that Riley watched as a child that breaks the fourth wall, much like cartoons such as “Dora” or “Blues Clues.” All of these moments blend well into the serious narrative, fueling a comedic undertone.

“Inside Out 2” proves better than its predecessor and stands out as an effortless return to the beloved emotions of the original. The new emotions create a dynamic that allows viewers to relive and sometimes explain why puberty and adolescence are the worst in anyone's life. This and its message of being true to yourself makes this a Pixar sequel that audiences everywhere will love.

3 ½ energy drinks out of 5