Disney and Pixar’s hit animated film Inside Out returns with a second installment and this time our girl Riley is a teenager, which means new emotions! Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust have been running the Riley show, but when that big red puberty alarm goes off (a laugh out loud moment for the adults in the theater), they’re banished from headquarters and the emotions console as Anxiety and friends Envy, Embarrassment and Boredom show up, and a power struggle ensues. Meanwhile on the outside, Riley feels the pressure of wanting to succeed and fit in at a hockey camp with high school girls.
The coming-of-age sequel follows the emotions as they journey through Riley’s mind and memories to get back to her sense of self, with lots of witty puns along the way. The writers seem to get a bit carried away with this one, squeezing in maybe a few too many metaphors, along with a couple ideas that seemed to miss the mark a bit, like the appearance of an odd cartoon character from Riley’s preschool days. There’s also the glaring lack of more positive emotions that Riley is surely feeling at 13 like love and pride.
But overall, the film does a good job of taking us through the inner workings of a complex teenage mind, while keeping it playful and entertaining for kids -and adults- of all ages.
Inside Out 2 is in theaters June 14 and is sure to be a summer hit.
This review was contributed by our family correspondent Lauren Petrowski. Lauren is a longtime Austin resident, on camera host, and writer. You can find her out exploring Austin with her two kids or enjoying a date night with her husband, and she’s always sharing food, fashion, travel, and lifestyle content on social media @laurenpetrowski.
