It’s back to basics for Team Pixar.
The studio, which could do no wrong for years, is suddenly falling back on sequels to its more popular titles.
Hard.
If “Inside Out 2” is any indication, it could be the most conservative path from a bean counter perspective. We may not get any future classics, but “Inside Out 2” shows the tried and true is good enough for families starved for appropriate fare.
Faint praise? Perhaps. It’s an upgrade over recent Disney-fied titles.
Young Riley (Kensington Tallman) still hears voices in her head. Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust and Fear are back from the first film, embodying the youngster’s mood on any given day.
Except there’s something new in Riley’s life, and it’s bound to shake up the emotional world depicted in the first film.
Puberty.
Riley is obsessed with thriving at summer hockey camp, but middle-school-aged pressures keep getting in the way. Should she bond with her favorite gal pals or cozy up to the hockey phenom with the badass streak in her hair?
Can she score enough goals to impress her cranky coach, or will she crumble under the pressure?
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Franchise fans care about one question above all – will Joy and co. keep her kindhearted nature alive while a flood of emotions crashes over her biological shores?
It’s the latter that matters most, of course. Amy Poehler’s Joy leads the way, reminding us how gifted the “Parks and Recreation” alum remains even without any physicality to bump up the gags.
The laughs generated this time around aren’t as big as before. It’s a series of snickers and smiles, from clever wordplay to sly visual gags.
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And, as is too common with modern animation, the frantic action often takes the place of sweet, emotional storytelling. The latter is there, often conveyed in Riley’s evolving expressions. Kudos to the animated team that brought such complexity to the pre-teen’s mug.
Still, introducing Anxiety (Maya Hawke) into the girl’s emotional world is a masterstroke. So, too, is avoiding the kind of adult material that has inundated Disney content in recent years.
“Inside Out 2” isn’t woke, assuming you look past the hockey team’s aggressive diversity. It’s like a modern TV commercial but more obvious.
The unabashed scene stealer? Adèle Exarchopoulos as Ennui, the French emotion with the beatnik wardrobe. Kids may not know what Ennui means, but they’ll laugh all the same. The film uses Ennui sparingly, which isn’t true for Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser). The new emotion’s one-note shtick grows tired fast.
Powerful lessons abound, from the pitfalls of ignoring old friends to the perils of putting too much pressure on a specific goal or task. Riley’s innate kindness is her super power, not that blistering slapshot.
That’s the sort of universal sentiment that powers family-friendly fare, the kind Pixar once delivered for grateful parents and grandparents.
“Inside Out 2” can’t out-perform its predecessor, but its sweet storytelling will go down easily this summer.
HiT or Miss: “Inside Out 2” expands the original’s canvas, providing a witty look at teen angst.
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