A sequel to Pixar’s Oscar-winning Inside Out, Inside Out 2 has managed to garner rave reviews that rival the original 2015 film’s success. Directed by long-time Pixar filmmaker Pete Docter (Up), Inside Out centers on a young girl named Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) and the five anthropomorphic emotions that grapple for control of her mood and actions. The de facto leader, Joy (Amy Poehler), is aptly bubbly, determined, and optimistic, and she’s joined by four other core emotions: Fear (Bill Hader), Disgust (Mindy Kaling), Anger (Lewis Black), and, of course, Joy’s polar opposite, Sadness (Phyllis Smith).

A happy, hockey-loving kid, Riley’s life is upended when her family suddenly moves from rural Minnesota to San Francisco, California. Inside Riley’s head, her five most-important “core memories” help to form her personality — made manifest by floating islands within the preteen’s mind. While Amy Poehler’s Joy views Sadness as an unnecessary, burdensome emotion, it’s clear that Riley’s coming-of-age is tinged with the melancholy feeling. When Joy and Sadness end up far from mission control, Riley’s life starts to crumble, leading Joy to discover that it is, in fact, okay to be sad too.

Inside Out 2’s Reviews Praise The Story, New Emotions, & More

The Inside Out Sequel Builds On The First FIlm’s Inventive World

Directed by Pixar vet Kelsey Mann (Turning Red), Inside Out 2‘s story is set shortly after the first film, with a now-13-year-old Riley (Kensington Tallman) starting high school. In the intervening time between films, Riley’s five emotions have created their human’s Sense of Self — a repository of memories and feelings that make Riley unique. One night, the “Puberty Alarm” goes off inside the emotions’ HQ, prompting a few mind workers to upgrade the control panel. Joy learns that “the others” are coming — and those new emotions are part of why Inside Out 2 soars.

Joy, Anger, Sadness, Fear (Tony Hale), and Disgust (Liza Lapira) are joined by teenage emotions: Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), the ever-bored Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser). The first film already boasted an incredible comedic ensemble, but Inside Out 2‘s cast of characters takes the chemistry, laugh-out-loud moments, and poignant asides to new heights. After all, teenage mood swings and super-charged feelings perfectly justify the inclusion of new emotions. In particular, Rotten Tomatoes reviewers have praised Maya Hawke’s scene-stealing Anxiety, a high-energy emotion that has a strong grip on Riley.

Inside Out 2’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Proves It Is A Worthy Inside Out Follow-Up

Pixar’s Second Inside Out Film Genuinely Has Something To Say

From both a critical and audience perspective, Inside Out is one of Pixar’s best films, so living up to the heights of the Academy Award-winning $858.8 million blockbuster is no small feat. With expectations wildly high, Inside Out 2 manages to be one of Pixar’s best sequels ever. The sharp writing, which sees Riley’s internal and external stories echoing each other in a pitch-perfect manner, is a huge part of that success. By juggling accessible, entry-level psychology with abstract, inventive manifestations of the mind, and truly hilarious comedic flair, the coming-of-age film doesn’t disappoint.

How Inside Out 2’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Compares To Pixar’s Movies

Inside Out 2 Is The Rare Pixar Sequel That Works Well

Much like Toy Story 3, Inside Out 2 does what only the best Pixar sequels (and properties) achieve: It grows alongside its viewers. Instead of being stuck-in-time or rehashing something familiar, Toy Story 3 tackles what its like for Andy, the owner of Woody and Buzz Lightyear, to let go of parts of his childhood and move on to his next chapter. Similarly, the toys learn to cling less tightly to a college-bound Andy, even though their lives have revolved around his happiness for years.

By throwing Riley into the deep waters of adolescence, Inside Out 2 is also forced to mature alongside its protagonist. In the first film, Joy learns in lock-step with Riley that it’s okay to be sad sometimes. In fact, it’s crucial to one’s growth to experience a range of emotions. Similarly, Riley and Joy are thrust upon new complimentary journeys, allowing the Pixar sequel to not only justify its existence, but prove that Inside Out 2‘s story is perfect viewing for children, teens, adults of all ages.

Inside Out 2 plays in theaters nationwide beginning June 14, 2024.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes