Released nine years after the first, the long-awaited sequel of the animated movie “Inside Out 2,” directed by Kelsey Mann, is not a quick cash-grab, but a realistic and authentic teenage life experience put into relatable terms.
The movie shows the indecisiveness and instability of the teenage mind through the chaotic situation concocted by the emotions, creating a relatable and accurate metaphoric example.
First off, what makes this movie so great isn’t the rather simple plot: a power struggle between conflicting emotions. But it’s the details, the metaphors and how amazingly this movie puts together the complicated emotions shown in 13-year-old Riley Anderson. One example of when “Inside Out 2” portrays complex emotions in simple terms is when the avalanche of negative and to-be-forgotten memories reach and flood into Riley’s mind during a panic attack. This scene shows the final confrontation, taking place simultaneously with the final game of Riley’s hockey camp.
We see the feeling of panic captured with precision: the overexposed lights, Riley’s quickening heartbeat, her ringing ears overshadowing the muffled sounds of the game, the tightness in her chest, the chaos that we see within her mind, all accented by the genuine emotion that Kensington Tallman (auditory performer for “Inside Out 2”) puts into the voice of Riley.
Throughout the entire one hour and 36 minutes of the film, “Inside Out 2” perfectly mixes well-timed, family-friendly comedy and emotional moments with pacing that is easy to track. The movie also tackles toxic thinking incredibly well. For example, Anxiety, the leader of the new emotions, puts a tension-filled memory in place with dozens of other negative memories into the new Sense of Self, a new part of Riley’s mind that represents how she sees herself. The new memory completes the Sense of Self, resulting in an unhealthy version that echoes “I’m not good enough.”
Despite all that the movie does well in, “Inside Out 2” still has its issues. Some of the dialogue seems out of place or stagnant, even with the authentic voice acting. Alongside this, the movie’s general plot is similar to the original: One of the emotions causes a problem, resulting in a few being kicked out, but in the end, they save an important part of the mind and restore Riley’s life.
With a solid 91 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating, “Inside Out 2” captures heavy topics, such as emotion and toxic thinking, accurately with great pacing and comedic timing. Despite the stiff dialogue and repetitive plot, this movie is an emotional roller coaster that carries its audience through an accurate depiction of a crucial part of life: change.

Plot summary: Sense
of Self is rediscovered

“Inside Out 2” begins with Riley Anderson being invited to an elite hockey camp for three days, which is something that Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger have been working to achieve for years. However, a new batch of emotions including Ennui, Envy, Embarrassment and, most notably, Anxiety, have new plans to achieve Riley’s goals.
Anxiety has the old emotions stuck in a vault, while Riley’s Sense of Self is removed to be rebuilt with thoughts of stress and anxiety instead of positivity. Behind the scenes, Joy and the other emotions escape the vault and sabotage Anxiety’s plans, all while moving to recover the Sense of Self.
During the final scenes, all is going according to Anxiety’s plan up until Riley gets a penalty and is sent out of the rink. In the panicked chaos that follows, the others return to the headquarters and Joy uses her positivity to calm Riley and Anxiety down. In the end, the emotions band together to help Riley win the game and return to normal.