Inside Out 2 (2024)
Directed by Kelsey Mann
[Rated PG] 1hr 36min
★★½
Inside Out 2 is an animated family comedy about personified emotions that manage a teenager’s feelings. As Riley prepares for high school and joins a summer hockey camp, new emotions arrive in her mind and take control of her changing personality, so her old emotions try to change her back to the way she used to be.
This is a perfectly fine film. While it doesn’t contain anything particularly bad, it also doesn’t do anything unique or groundbreaking either. Rather than expanding or improving on the previous film, the sequel only provides more of what the first film offers but in another setting. It even covers some of the same exact themes and narrative elements, so it lacks the novelty that made the original special. Everything in the film is fairly standard, as it has a typical narrative structure with a simple plot and straightforward characters without much depth. As a result, the story is extremely predictable and easy to watch, but it’s still engaging enough to maintain a relatively enjoyable experience.
I recommend Inside Out 2 to anyone who enjoyed the first film and wants more of the same. Everyone can relate to many aspects of this movie, and it can especially resonate with younger teenagers as they navigate similar situations in their own lives.
Inside Out 2 is now playing in theaters. Click here to watch the Official Trailer.
– Review by Will Hopper