Inside Out 2

Rated PG • Theaters

After five years of failing to live up to its own reputation, Pixar regains some of its lost sparkle with Inside Out 2.

Since the last movie, Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale), and Disgust (Liza Lapira) have been harmoniously living inside Riley’s head, guiding the young girl through her daily ups and downs. But when puberty hits, everything changes. Anxiety (Maya Hawke)—along with Envy, Ennui, and Embarrassment—moves into Riley’s emotional control center and hijacks her sense of self.

Inside Out 2 is a well-crafted sequel that possesses economical storytelling, but it doesn’t have the same spark of originality, retreading old themes, reminding us once again to avoid suppressing aspects of our character. But familiar messages somehow feel appropriate for a movie that transports its viewer to that liminal state between childhood and adulthood. Like the original, this sequel will resonate more with parents than children, even though the movie contains enough zany antics to keep the kids entertained. They just won’t experience the moments of self-awareness the movie so ably imparts.

Inside Out 2 offers refreshing honesty about the human condition, and it also avoids some of the missteps we’ve lately seen from Disney and Pixar.

The movie depicts a teenage girl on the cusp of puberty grappling with her emotions and her desire to fit in, but it thankfully avoids all the aspects of puberty that might prompt uncomfortable questions from small children. Riley, and by extension the audience, experiences many embarrassing moments, but the real conflict is within the heart.