I’m ready to start the campaign now for an “Inside Out 3” in which we return to the mind of Riley Anderson — maybe when she’s off to college or entering the workplace full-time in her 20s or becoming a mom. The possibilities are as long as life, and given the magnificence of the first two “Inside Out” movies, a trilogy could place the franchise alongside “Toy Story” as the greatest in Pixar history.
Sorry sorry sorry! We’re getting ahead of ourselves here. For now, let’s celebrate the spectacular visuals, the sharp and funny and insightful screenplay and the wonderful performances from the expanded ensemble in “Inside Out 2,” which matches the originality and exuberance of the original from 2015. That movie grossed more than $850 million worldwide, was nominated for best original screenplay and won best animated feature at the Oscars, and is widely considered one of the best films in the Pixar library.
Directed by Kelsey Mann from a screenplay by Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein, with the Pixar army of animation experts providing exquisite and stunning visuals and Amy Poehler leading an all-star cast of voice performances, “Inside Out 2” is sure to resonate on a universal level, whether you were 13 many decades ago, have children who have been 13 — or are in that general age range right here, right now. It’s one of the funniest, smartest, most touching movies of the year.
When last we saw Riley, she was 12 years old and had adapted to her new life in San Francisco after an emotional rollercoaster ride. We pick up the story shortly thereafter, with Riley (now voiced by Kensington Tallman) sailing along and things running as smoothly as can be expected in the Headquarters of her mind, thanks to the teamwork of Joy (Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale, replacing Bill Hader after a reported salary dispute) and Disgust (Liza Lapira, replacing Mindy Kaling, same reason). As was the case with the original, each emotion has its own distinct color and just a hint of a distinct sparkle or glow; after all, they’re Emotions, not Humans.
With Riley’s sweet albeit borderline helicopter parents (Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan) in the front row of her life, cheering her on, Riley is having a blast spending time with her best friends and hockey teammates, Bree (Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green) and Grace (Grace Lu). She’s got this! It’s smooth sailing from here — wait a minute, hold on. Riley turns 13, which means she has become ... A TEENAGER! It’s the greatest thing ever no wait it’s the worst thing ever why won’t everyone leave me alone where did everyone go what is even happening!!!!
This sends Headquarters into mass chaos, with a “PUBERTY!” sign flashing and construction crews barging in to make room for a whole new set of Emotions, including the orange and anxious Anxiety (Maya Hawke), the indigo and quite bored Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), the cyan Envy (Ayo Edebiri), the oversized and the very pink Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser). Why, we even get the occasional visit from the grandmotherly Nostalgia (June Squibb), but her time will come much later.
Thanks to the sharp and focused screenplay and tight editing, “Inside Out 2” makes room for each of these characters to have their moments, all within the framework of a three-day weekend in which Riley has been invited to a hockey camp that will largely determine who will make the high school team, led by Riley’s hero, the fabulous and talented and kind Valentina “Val” Ortiz (Lilimar). Anxiety becomes the dominant emotion at Headquarters, as Riley worries herself into a frenzy and makes a series of bad choices. Suddenly, her core Sense of Self, in which she tells herself, “I’m a good person,” “I’m a good friend,” has been disconnected.
There’s a distinct difference in the animation of the “real world,” with the human characters looking much like the characters in many a Pixar film, and the mind of Riley, which is even more colorful, complicated and wondrous than it was in the first film. In addition to all those new emotions, we get some great cameos from Riley’s memories, including Bloofy (Ron Funches), who was a character in Riley’s favorite interactive children’s TV show when she was little, and Lance Slashblade (Yong Yea), a swashbuckling video game character. It was a tall order to match the brilliance of “Inside Out,” but the sequel meets the challenge on every level.
