Walt Disney Studios and Pixar Animation cannot leave well enough alone. From its now seemingly never ending Toy Story franchise to its Cars trilogy to Monsters Inc. and its prequel, Monsters University to Finding Nemo and its sequel, Finding Dory the The Incredibles, its sequel and now forthcoming second sequel, to likely plenty more to come, the two studios together have turned out so many movies that simply never needed to happen, including this year’s sequel to their 2015 psychotherapy session for kids, Inside Out. Inside Out 2 made its theatrical debut June 24 and now less than three months after that, is set for home physical release Sept. 10. This latest offering from Disney and Pixar is yet another piece that just like its predecessor and like the companies’ 2022 offering, Turning Red, will appeal primarily to tween and teen female viewers. That is because it is more of the same from Inside Out in regard to its story. This will be discussed shortly. The bonus content that accompanies the movie in its forthcoming home release adds at least a little bit of appeal. This will be addressed a little later. The few jokes that are incorporated into the story will appeal at least a little bit to older audiences, along with the few “easter eggs” that are thrown in here and there. Keeping all of this in mind, parents and their daughters will find Inside Out 2 worth watching at least once.
Inside Out 2, the sequel to Disney and Pixar’s 2015 psychotherapy session for kids, Inside Out, is a movie that proves worth watching at least once (though not really more than that). That is due in large part to its featured story. The story continues to follow its protagonist, Riley, as he goes from childhood to puberty and goes through lots of complex emotional and psychological challenges that come with that physical growth. No longer do Joy and her fellow primary emotions control everything. New emotions – anxiety, embarrassment, ennui, and others – come into the picture. Along the way, all of the emotions eventually come to realize that they cannot control who and what she becomes, but rather they are all part of who she is becoming so they have to balance each other. This whole matter of dealing with those emotions amid one’s personal development is more of the same from Pixar in comparison to Inside Out. Keeping this in mind, audiences really get little if anything new here in terms of story. What’s more, that some of the movie’s creative heads talk in the bonus content about all that young people have to face today, emotionally, is so important, is somewhat close-minded. That is because every generation has a lot to face, just in its own way. The bonus content will be addressed at more length a little later. Getting back on the topic at hand, the story has no male protagonists. It is all female-centric once again, so as noted, what Riley goes through will resonate more with young girls than boys. To that end, while boys and girls alike deal with their own emotional and psychological challenges as they enter puberty, the situations in which Riley is placed will connect more with female audiences than males, thus limiting its reach, just like Inside Out and Turning Red.
Knowing that the story presented in Inside Out 2 limits its reach, there is at least a little bit of wider appeal presented through its bonus content. More specifically, the bonus content featured in the deleted scenes develops that appeal. Each of the deleted scenes, which come with an introduction make sense as to why they were deleted. They do not go with the final product at all. From Riley’s musical audition to the girls’ party that puts her at odds with her friends to the emotions theme park and everything else, audiences can at least be glad that none of those scenes made the final cut.
On another note, the primary discussion on the movie’s themes of emotional and psychological development that Riley deals with in another discussion helps to explain the direction taken this time out. Though in reality, no explanation is needed considering how easily the noted targeted young viewers will understand the addressed concepts. To that end, the bonus content that accompanies Inside Out 2 in its home release does help the presentation to a point, but only to a point at the most.
Knowing that the movie’s bonus content adds at least a little bit of engagement to the whole, there is one more item to note. That item is the collective “easter eggs” and jokes thrown in at random points. Right from the movie’s outset, audiences familiar with Pixar’s history will catch the blatant easter egg that is the Foghorns’ mascot. The mascot, shown on the jersey for Riley’s girls hockey team (again more female centric matter, women’s hockey) is Qbert from Wreck It Ralph. The standard A113 inclusion is also there for eagle-eyed audiences, as another easter egg. Another intriguing easter egg (intended or not) is the use of the colors red and blue in the lines that connect Riley’s memories to her brain. True longtime Disney fans will catch this as a connection to Disney’s timeless 1982 live action/CG movie, Tron. The very way in which the memories tie to Riley’s mind and the use of the colors is a direct throwback (again intended or not, though it certainly seems intentional). Early on, there is another easter egg in the clear Monsters Inc. throwback as the little blos come in, wearing their hardhats, and tell Joy and company lear throwback to that franchise.eir design is a clear throwback to that franchise.
Moving to the jokes, Riley having to check her body odor as she wakes up on her first morning of puberty is a silly moment thanks to her reaction therein. It is a moment that grown-ups and younger viewers alike will appreciate. The introduction of Bloofy the cartoon preschool character (who was voiced by Ron Funches – Trolls, Once Upon a Time in Venice, 6 Underground) is its own joke. That is because he is a spoof of all of the pre-school cartoon characters out there on the likes of Nick Jr., Disney Jr. and even PBS Kids nowadays. Kids will love it while parents will find plenty of reason to laugh here, and Funches does a wonderful job making Bloofy that over the top silly figure. Between these jokes and others and the collective easter eggs, that overall content gives audiences at least a little more reason to take in this movie. Between that and the bonus content delivered on the movie’s home physical release, the collective content serves to help save a movie that is otherwise just another entry in Disney and Pixar’s ever-expanding library of sequels.
Inside Out 2, the latest sequel in Pixar and Disney’s ever-growing list of sequels, is an otherwise forgettable offering from the companies that will largely appeal to young female viewers, much as with its predecessor and their fellow Pixar entry, Turning Red. That is made clear through its story, which follows Riley as she navigates the emotional and psychological struggles that come with puberty in a young woman. All the themes of emotions, friendship, etc. that are so commonplace among female-centric stories are sure to keep those targeted audiences watching. The bonus content that accompanies the movie in its forthcoming home release is sure to appeal to a wider range of viewers, as us the collective content that is the jokes and easter eggs. All things considered, Inside Out 2 is far from being one of Pixar and Disney’s finest works. That honor belongs to the likes of Coco, Up, and Cars). It is also not one of the companies’ worst offerings. To that end, it proves worth watching at least once.
Inside Out 2 is scheduled for release on 4K UHD and Blu-ray Sept. 10. More information on this and other titles from Disney and Pixar is available at:
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