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Living with a kid is seeing unbridled joy unfold. Anybody that is a parent can attest to that. Kids will show immense excitement over the most "inconsequential" thing in the world, and they will let you know all about it; be it a twist in their favorite cartoon show or a bird they saw outside... and then they grow up, and joy is often replaced with anxiety. How will this new experience go? Will they accept me? Will things go wrong? All of this serves as the basis of Pixar's latest outing.
Inside Out 2 follows 13-year-old Riley (Kensington Tallman) who is about to join a weekend ice hockey camp with her two best friends. Meanwhile, Joy (Amy Poehler) and the other "emotions" have to deal with new ones that want to take over her mind. The main one is Anxiety (Maya Hawke), whose frantic and desperate attitude leads Riley to various chaotic and problematic situations in her efforts to take control over Joy.
I came to see the original Inside Out a bit late, and although I liked it well enough, it didn't really resonate with me. Overall, I feel more or less the same about this one, although I admit it did hit a bit more. Maybe it's the fact that my kids are closer to Riley's age (10 and 11), maybe it's the fact that *I'm* "closer" to Riley's age. So I guess most adults can identify with that sense of letting go of "joy" while "anxiety" takes over, cause yeah, sometimes that is what happens when you grow up.
Just like the first one, I think the script cleverly portrays the inner-workings of the human mind in a way that's relatable to children while also being fun and entertaining (I mean, "sar-chasm" opens a up a "chasm"?). But more importantly, it does so in a way that feels emotionally effective. I like that it feels like we get to see more of Riley here, and I think there is some good build-up for the inevitable third part.
Ever since we started our journey as parents, it has been an emotional rollercoaster. There's been joy, but there's also been sadness, fear, anger, and yes, anxiety; a LOT of anxiety... and maybe that's what happens when we grow up. But even though sadness, fear, anger, and anxiety are still there, and will always be there, at least for 96 minutes while watching this with one of my kids and seeing the unbridled joy in him, I felt joy myself.
Grade:
INSIDE OUT 2
(2024, Mann)
(2024, Mann)
"I don't know how to stop Anxiety. Maybe we can't. Maybe this is what happens when you grow up. You feel less joy."
Living with a kid is seeing unbridled joy unfold. Anybody that is a parent can attest to that. Kids will show immense excitement over the most "inconsequential" thing in the world, and they will let you know all about it; be it a twist in their favorite cartoon show or a bird they saw outside... and then they grow up, and joy is often replaced with anxiety. How will this new experience go? Will they accept me? Will things go wrong? All of this serves as the basis of Pixar's latest outing.
Inside Out 2 follows 13-year-old Riley (Kensington Tallman) who is about to join a weekend ice hockey camp with her two best friends. Meanwhile, Joy (Amy Poehler) and the other "emotions" have to deal with new ones that want to take over her mind. The main one is Anxiety (Maya Hawke), whose frantic and desperate attitude leads Riley to various chaotic and problematic situations in her efforts to take control over Joy.
I came to see the original Inside Out a bit late, and although I liked it well enough, it didn't really resonate with me. Overall, I feel more or less the same about this one, although I admit it did hit a bit more. Maybe it's the fact that my kids are closer to Riley's age (10 and 11), maybe it's the fact that *I'm* "closer" to Riley's age. So I guess most adults can identify with that sense of letting go of "joy" while "anxiety" takes over, cause yeah, sometimes that is what happens when you grow up.
Just like the first one, I think the script cleverly portrays the inner-workings of the human mind in a way that's relatable to children while also being fun and entertaining (I mean, "sar-chasm" opens a up a "chasm"?). But more importantly, it does so in a way that feels emotionally effective. I like that it feels like we get to see more of Riley here, and I think there is some good build-up for the inevitable third part.
Ever since we started our journey as parents, it has been an emotional rollercoaster. There's been joy, but there's also been sadness, fear, anger, and yes, anxiety; a LOT of anxiety... and maybe that's what happens when we grow up. But even though sadness, fear, anger, and anxiety are still there, and will always be there, at least for 96 minutes while watching this with one of my kids and seeing the unbridled joy in him, I felt joy myself.
Grade: