Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust have been running a successful operation by all accounts. However, when Anxiety shows up, they aren’t sure how to feel.
For the past several years, Pixar has been in a creative and financial rut. The pandemic forced the company to go to streaming and since that move, nearly every project since 2020 has been a critical and financial failure. So in a desperate move, Pixar decided to create a sequel to the acclaimed hit, Inside Out. Given Pixar/Disney’s track record of giving unneeded sequels to perfectly fine movies, I was worried. So for Inside Out 2, it mostly works as a sequel to the original as it is a natural continuation of the story, even though it doesn’t have the spark of the original.
The biggest issue I found with Inside Out 2 was that it follows the same story structure as the original film beat per beat but with more complex emotions. This repetitive storytelling structure, concerning sequels or new TV seasons, frustrates me. It is unoriginal and safe, and I am very disappointed in Pixar for choosing this route. To witness our characters go through the same arcs, the same MacGuffin hunt, and the same climatic conclusion, is frustrating as it adds nothing to the story. If it wasn’t for its portrayal of anxiety, it would easily be one of Pixar’s shallowest projects.
The character work also feels much weaker than the original film. Outside of Joy and Anxiety, the remaining characters are just there. They feel like one-dimensional stereotypes of their emotions. This is primarily due to the movie being overstuffed with characters and emotions. I understand that going through puberty is overwhelming and filled with many emotions, but with the film being so fixated on anxiety, it felt like all the other aspects of puberty were glossed over. I wanted to see more exploration of not only the other emotions but the other aspects of puberty such as physical body changes, sexual awakenings, for girls, getting their period, and whatnot. Sadly, the film decided to focus on anxiety as that is now a hot topic issue for children’s movies.
Now for its depiction of anxiety, this is easily one of the best depictions I have seen in a children’s movie. The film perfectly portrays the emotional rollercoaster that anxiety will do to someone. From the fixation on what can go wrong to the accurate panic attack, this is an excellent depiction of anxiety and is digestible enough for younger audiences. Maya Hawke is easily the biggest standout here with her performances as anxiety. She finds a nuance in her performance where she doesn’t portray anxiety as a villain but as a victim to themselves. Which is a true descriptor of anxiety. However, outside of anxiety, this feels like a very shallow film. It feels like it is trying to say something important, but it sadly decided to play it safe. It is an important film to show to younger audiences because of its depiction of anxiety, but it gives nothing to chew on in the end.
My Rating: B-
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