Kelsey Mann, whose credits include The Good Dinosaur and Onward, was tasked to direct Pixar’s latest film Inside Out 2. Just nine years ago the world was introduced to Riley (Kensington Tallman) and her inner thoughts and emotions. But now, fans can rest assured that their patience will be worth it as this film proves Pixar is back!
Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale), and Disgust (Liza Lapira) have kept things operating pretty smoothly since the last time we saw them. Now that Riley is a teenager, a new age group means new emotions come with it. The original five feelings were completely caught off guard when a demolition crew showed up to make more space. It was only a matter of minutes before the gang was surprised by a new emotion: Anxiety (Maya Hawke)!
But we’re talking about a full-blown teenager remember? So Anxiety didn’t arrive alone. An entire crew crash landed into HQ including the emotions Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser), and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos). The linguist in me laughed since they didn’t name the latter emotion ‘boredom’ but, cleverly enough, used the French translation.
Unlike many franchises with multiple iterations attempting to outdo the original, Inside Out 2 does a great job following the easiest course of action — growing up. Instead of falling over itself, it simply follows the course of realistic possibilities an actual teen could face. Following this line of thinking was an excellent idea for two reasons. First, it’s fail-proof because we’ve all been or will become teenagers at some point, and because of this, everyone can relate to Riley’s experiences.
I’d zeroed in on the idea of Anxiety being a major character. It’s something that really starts to appear as we become teenagers—we can all relate. I remember doing a lot of research early on about what happens in our brains at this age that triggered this idea of a wrecking ball coming through Headquarters—a bunch of workers piling in and tearing everything down. It’s a renovation—that’s kind of what it feels like to be a teenager. It’s chaotic.”
Director Kelsey Mann on welcoming new emotions
There are a host of new characters and special appearances but you’ll have to see them for yourself. Riley is faced with a plethora of decisions to make in her personal life regarding, friends, school, and extra-curricular activities, or as we’d call it, typical teen stuff. Good on the writers for making everything run seamlessly and the new voice cast is excellent. The team continues with the healthy theme of acceptance as you are which young people need to feel now more than ever. Some of the conversations going on were almost too perfect for a teen to behave in her head. That’s because the team met with specialists to give these experiences credence. “We met with experts,” says producer Mark Nielsen. “We read a lot of books and spoke with psychologists about what happens to the teenage brain—the expansion of their minds at that time.”
The Pixar team took an even bigger step toward making this as relatable and authentic as possible by using a group of teenage girls as their ultimate resource. Dubbed “Riley’s Crew”, the nine girls were spread out all over the country and ranged from ages 13 to 16. Riley’s Crew was shown the film periodically over three years and was responsible for authenticity and comprehension.
Inside Out 2 gets a 9 out of 10. There are twists and turns around every corner but thus is life. Pixar went to great lengths to get this one right and their efforts paid off. The film is hilarious and the story oozes authenticity. This is a sequel that’s worth the price at the box office.
Inside Out 2 will premiere in theaters on June 14.
-Jon
Photos: Courtesy of Disney/Pixar