Now available on digital platforms is the latest Disney/Pixar film release, Inside Out 2. The film will be available on Blu-ray and DVD on September 10, 2024.
The film brings back the voice talents of Amy Poehler (Joy), Phyllis Smith (Sadness), Lewis Black (Anger), Liza Lapira (Disgust) and Tony Hale (Fear). The film also introduces a list of new emotions voiced by talented actors.
Inside Out 2 picks up a few years after the first film. Riley is now a teenager, and anyone who knows teenagers knows that comes with a whole new list of emotions. Riley gets them all pretty much at one time, feelings such as anxiety, envy, embarrassment and even nostalgia.
Life seems to be going great for Riley. She has two best friends and is excelling at Hockey, her favorite sport.
Riley’s world gets turned upside down when on her way to a special hockey camp she learns that her best friends will be attending a different school than her at the start of the new school year.
At the hockey camp, Riley encounters one of her favorite players, and is asked to join her team. That leads her torn between her best friends and her idol.
As if that wasn’t hard enough, Riley’s core emotions have been banished to make way for all the new emotions, and anxiety is leading the way, making it nearly impossible for Riley to feel joy again.
INSIDE OUT 2 – MEET ANXIETY — Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley just as new Emotions shows up unexpectedly. Among them is Anxiety, voiced by Maya Hawke, who isn’t the type to take a back seat, which makes Riley’s core Emotions—Disgust (voice of Liza Lapira), Sadness (voice of Phyllis Smith), Joy (voice of Amy Poehler), Anger (voice of Lewis Black) and Fear (voice of Tony Hale)—more than a little uncomfortable. Directed by Kelsey Mann and produced by Mark Nielsen, “Inside Out 2” releases only in theaters June 14, 2024.
It’s a roller coaster for Riley, both on the surface and in her mind.
How will it all play out? To find out, check out Inside Out 2. Look for it on digital platforms (Fandango at Home, Movies Anywhere, Apple TV…), as well as on Blu-ray and DVD September 10, 2024.
I like that the film makers took the teen years into consideration with this film. Teenagers are all about emotions, that’s for sure. I also like how they focused on the main ones that most teens experience. I did find it funny that they brought in Nostalgia. She only pops out a couple of times, but I did find that funny.
Unlike the first film, this film seemed to have equal focus on both what was playing out in Riley’s mind, as well as what was going on in real life. In the first film it seemed like what was going on with her emotions too center stage compared to Riley’s external life. This film was a good mix of both.
I did enjoy the new characters. Embarrassment was especially cute.
Compared to the first film, I didn’t enjoy this one as much. Don’t get me wrong, I did like Inside Out 2, but I think I like the original film better. Sadly, my husband didn’t like the second film at all. He “check out” almost as soon as the movie started playing. I also don’t think he gave it a fair chance, but that’s just me.
As always, the animation from Disney/Pixar films is amazing. At times things looked so realistic that it was hard to tell that you were looking at an animation and not the real thing.
There is some bonus content you might want to check out.
INSIDE OUT 2 – FEELING ENVY – In Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2,” Envy may be small, but she sure knows what she wants. She’s perpetually jealous of everything everyone else has, and she’s not afraid to pine over it. Envy’s wishful thinking and fascination with the newest, coolest thing pulls her attention in all directions and longs for what Riley doesn’t have. Featuring Ayo Edebiri as the voice of Envy, “Inside Out 2” releases only in theaters June 14, 2024. © 2024 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
Bonus Features*
- New Emotions – With Riley’s imminent puberty, the story of Inside Out 2 always suggested that there would be a party of new emotions complicating Riley’s world—and throwing a wrench into Joy’s hard-won stability. But exactly what those new emotions could be was a big question mark. Casting the new emotions in Riley’s mind was a fun exploration into the shifting mindset of a teenager, and was also informed by some of the discarded scenes and characters from the original film. In this documentary we’ll discuss that process of creating Anxiety, Embarrassment, Ennui, and Envy—from narrowing them down from a long list of possible emotions, to the design, animation, and voicing of these new, hilarious, and strangely recognizable characters.
- Unlocking the Vault – In a kind of visual commentary, a group of central creatives watch and discuss the scene “The Vault.” As they stop and start—and refer to various IP versions of the scene—we’ll hear about the inspiration for Riley’s repressed memories like Bloofy and Lance Slashblade, the development of the scene in Story, and the technical challenges of creating 2D characters that exist in the CG world of Riley’s mind.
- Deleted Scenes
- Cold Open – In this alternate opening, a now 13-year-old Riley awkwardly fumbles her way through an original song she wrote for a school audition.
- Broken Joy – After momentarily being unable to drive the console, Joy worries that she might be starting to malfunction.
- Pool Party – After Riley tries too hard to be fun at an older teen’s party – resulting in utter embarrassment – her “Anxiety” becomes “Self-Loathing” who then ousts our hero emotions from headquarters.
- Puberty Park – After seeing their faces printed on “wanted posters,” Joy and the others rogue emotions race through a puberty-themed amusement park while being chased by mind worker cops.
- Shame Spiral – At a lock-in with some cool, older girls, Riley and friends play a game of “Never Have I Ever” that goes a bit too far – wreaking havoc in Riley’s mind.
You can also check out the film on social media.
Twitter/X: @pixarinsideout
Facebook: @pixarinsideout
Instagram: @pixarinsideout
The official hashtag is #InsideOut2.
Below is the film’s trailer for your enjoyment.
Did you see Inside Out 2? If so, what did you think about the film? Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts. I always love to hear from readers.
Kimberly
*I received a free copy of this film in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
