Riley (voice of Kensington Tallman) has just turned 13 and is about to start high-school. Over the course of a three-day hockey camp, Riley starts to feel brand-new emotions as her "headquarters" expands. Anxiety (voice of Maya Hawke), Envy (voice of Ayo Edibiri), Ennui (voice of Adéle Exarchopolous) and Embarrassment (voice of Paul Walter Hauser) arrive and banish Joy (voice of Amy Poehler), Sadness (voice of Phyllis Smith) and the rest of the emotions to the back of Riley's mind - literally...
For much of 'Inside Out 2', we're left with the distinct impression that Anxiety - voiced with genuine gusto by Maya Hawke - is going to end running Riley's mind for the rest of her life.
For anyone who's experienced, or is currently experiencing anxiety, the reality is that it feels exhausting and simply trying to manage it and exist is a daunting, endless challenge. The final moments of 'Inside Out 2' captures this beautifully. Another fascinating scene is when Riley's imagination, housed inside a pillow fort with a team of animators slaving over desks in a bull-pen, has been commandeered by Anxiety who appears on screen like Big Brother from the '1984' Macintosh advert. Anxiety herself even has the physical tics down; shaking hands in frustration, boundless energy and enthusiasm, and a neverending need to plan ahead for all eventualities.
This sharpness is something that Pixar, and subsequently 'Inside Out 2', does well and should be expected from them. Yet, beyond that, 'Inside Out 2' feels like it's conspicuously trying to keep the story narrow and focused. The real messiness of the early teenage years, the awkwardness, the impulsivity, it's all cleaned away and made into something that's a footnote. When compared with 'Turning Red', which actively embraced all of the above and then some, 'Inside Out 2' feels tame and safe by comparison. Moreover, it's covering the same ground and reshapes it to be less weird, and thus less unique.
For her part, Amy Poehler is still more than willing to throw her voice at Joy with all of the energy required. Phyllis Smith, equally, is as dour as ever in Sadness while new emotions Envy and Ennui - voiced by new indie sensations Ayo Edibiri and Adéle Exarchopolous - have some of the best gags in the movie. Ennui, or Oui-Oui, guides the moodboard of Riley by a remote app, refusing to get up from her chair out of sheer boredom and saunters onto the screen with a vaguely garage rock theme. There's plenty more gags along the way, including a trip to Riley's vault of secrets where a talking pouch voiced by 'SNL' alum James Austin Johnson has some of the best lines in the movie.
'Inside Out 2' is an animated movie that feels honed and fashioned into something bright, colourful and easy for all to grasp and understand. It never rests too long in any of the awkwardness and anguish of becoming a teenager, nor does it leave itself open to be seen as being too serious. It's not that it lacks a sharpness, but for something that's about the inner workings of a teenager's mind, and the oncoming pressures of life and so forth, it feels impersonal at times. It's still wonderfully crafted and made for everyone, and is as broadly entertaining as it can be. It's fun, yes, but it's trying too hard to be everything to everyone. That could well be the point, of course, that Riley can't be perfect and neither can this. It has to be comfortable letting go, and in doing so, maybe allowing it to be more natural.
