bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

James Mottram

3.5/5 stars
With apologies to Soul and Turning Red, 2015’s Inside Out was arguably the last Pixar masterpiece. Masterminded by the magician that is director Pete Docter, the film took you inside the inner landscape of a young girl, personifying her emotions.
Now it’s time for Round 2. Riley (voiced by Kensington Tallman) is 13 and about to be beset by a whole new set of emotions as adolescence hits her like the proverbial avalanche of bricks.
Inside, trying to steer her personality, is the eternally upbeat Joy (Amy Poehler), with help from Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Anger (Lewis Black), Fear (Tony Hale) and Disgust (Liza Lapira).


Joy is tidying up some of Riley’s less palatable memories when a bunch of workmen raid their HQ, fiddling with the controls and erecting a sign: puberty is messy. It is, of course, the natural step for Inside Out 2 – taking Riley through that most awkward coming-of-age stage.
Within seconds, the orange-hued Anxiety (Maya Hawke) appears, flanked by Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) and, amusingly, Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos), a Gallic figure who just expresses boredom and disdain.
Together they want to change Riley’s sense of self – which soon means she is dumping her old friends and trying to get in with the cool kids at the ice hockey camp she is attending.

This being Pixar, the joy – excuse the pun – is in the details. As the emotions traverse Riley’s interior, a huge, volatile gorge – “Sar-Chasm” – opens up as Riley starts acting all sarcastic to impress her new friends.
They also arrive at “Mount Crushmore”, a rocky monument to all of Riley’s secret girl crushes. Not to be outdone on the puns, Hawke’s angst-ridden character is settled down with a nice cup of “Anxi-Tea”.
Debutant director Kelsey Mann does a solid job of replicating the intelligence of the first film, even if the innovation and originality isn’t quite there second time around.

Riley’s attempts to ingratiate herself with her new hockey buddies also isn’t all that exciting – a better story could have been found. About the only dramatic eruption might be the spot that is permanently placed on Riley’s chin.
That said, the new emotions, particularly Anxiety, bring real flavour to the film, while there are some nice nods to old-school animation – including a Final Fantasy-like game character that Riley had the hots for.
Doubtless Inside Out 2 plays well for adults and kids alike. It just does not quite touch the genius of its predecessor.
Want more articles like this? Follow SCMP Film on Facebook


Gladiator II movie review: Paul Mescal leads Ridley Scott’s gory swords-and-sandals sequel

Meet Leonardo DiCaprio’s fascinating parents, George and Irmelin: the actor’s mum was born in a German air raid shelter during WWII, while his dad was a beatnik and comic book writer in 1960s New York

Gladiator II: Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal shine in Ridley Scott’s epic, big-budget sequel that has critics raving

Meet Justine Lupe, aka Kristen Bell’s sister in Nobody Wants This: the breakout star was pregnant while filming the Netflix show, and was also in Succession and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

American cinema

Inside Out 2 movie review: Pixar adds new teenage emotions to coming-of-age sequel

A still from Inside Out 2. Photo: Disney/Pixar

Inside Out 2 follows the emotions of 13-year-old Riley. This time the original emotions (left of screen, clockwise from left: Fear, Sadness, Joy, Disgust and Anger) are joined by Anxiety (right), Envy, Embarrassment and others. Image: Disney/Pixar

Netflix movie review – Ultraman: Rising is a wholesome take on the Japanese superhero

A still from Ultraman: Rising. Photo: Netflix

A still from Ultraman: Rising, directed by Shannon Tindle and voiced by Christopher Sean and Gedde Watanabe. Photo: Netflix

Bad Boys: Ride or Die movie review – Will Smith fails to impress in second film since Chris Rock slap

Will Smith (left) as Detective Lieutenant “Mike” Lowrey and Martin Lawrence as Detective Lieutenant Marcus Burnett in a still from Bad Boys: Ride or Die. Photo: Sony Pictures

Will Smith in a still from Bad Boys: Ride or Die (category IIB), directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah. Martin Lawrence co-stars. Photo: Sony Pictures

Martin Lawrence as Detective Lieutenant Marcus Burnett in a still from Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

Will Smith (left) as Detective Lieutenant “Mike” Lowrey and Martin Lawrence as Detective Lieutenant Marcus Burnett in a still from Bad Boys: Ride or Die.

Robot Dreams movie review: story of a dog and a robot is one of the best animated features you’ll ever see

A still from Robot Dreams (category I), directed by Pablo Berger.

A still from Robot Dreams (category: I), directed by Pablo Berger.

A still from Robot Dreams.

Boy Kills World movie review: Bill Skarsgard is a killing machine on a mission in exhausting, blood-soaked thriller

Bill Skarsgard in a still from Boy Kills World (category III), directed by Moritz Mohr and co-starring Famke Janssen.

Bill Skarsgard in a still from Boy Kills World.

Netflix movie review: Hit Man – Glen Powell cements his star power in Richard Linklater’s charming action romcom

Adria Arjona as Madison and Glen Powell as Gary Johnson in a still from Hit Man. Photo: Brian Roedel/Netflix

Adria Arjona as Madison Masters and Glen Powell as Gary Johnson in a still from Hit Man, directed by Richard Linklater. Photo: Netflix

Glen Powell as Gary Johnson in a still from Hit Man. Photo: Matt Lankes/Netflix

Lifestyle

Entertainment

Culture

Film & TV

In sequel to animated hit, Riley is going through adolescence and encounters new teenage emotions including Anxiety, Envy and Embarrassment


Inside Me 2 follows Riley, now 13, who is dealing with some new emotions, from Anxiety to Envy, Embarrassment and Ennui in this solid sequel that does not quite hit the highs of the first film.


Film reviews

Cinema

Fame and celebrity

Hollywood

Pixar

An assessment or critique of a service, product or creative endeavour.  Film reviews, restaurant reviews, reviews of art exhibitions. (Eg. Crazy Rich Asians: an important film, yes, but a good one?)


Review

Review | Inside Out 2 movie review: Pixar adds new teenage emotions to coming-of-age sequel

In sequel to animated hit, Riley is going through adolescence and encounters new teenage emotions including Anxiety, Envy and Embarrassment