Pixar may be back to form with 'Inside Out 2' | Review

After what could be called a so-so run in recent years, Pixar may be back in form with “Inside Out 2.”

Keeping in mind that whether the pioneer of computer animation ever suffered from issues is subject to debate.

There is, however, ample proof that the last four years, which included the likes of “Elemental,” “Lightyear,” “Turning Red” and “Luca” suffered from mixed receptions critically and financially. The one film in that span that received rave reviews, “Soul,” was sacrificed to the home streaming gods during the onset of the pandemic. It deserved a better fate because of its sheer brilliance in dealing with thought-provoking issues regarding life and self.

Consider “Inside Out 2” the “Soul” for the younger set. It’s clever, quirky and it speaks in a language and situations that transcend generations, something that Pixar films have not done since “Soul.” It helps especially that adults can appreciate the situations involved in the continued story of now 13-year-old Riley (Kensington Tallman) and her conflicting, battling emotions.

Who voices Joy, Anxiety and the other Inside Out 2 characters?

Joy (Amy Poehler), Anger (Lewis Black), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Tony Hale) are joined by the more complex emotions Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Disgust (Liza Lapira), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) and Ennui (Adele Exarchopoulos), better known as boredom. Recognize the newcomers as those that show up just when Mother Nature runs its course in human development?

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

That’s right. Riley is hitting puberty, and with that comes dealing with that new set of feelings.

'Soul' review:Pixar explores the meaning of life in jazz musician's struggles

In her case, the hockey-loving Minnesotan and her best friends Bree (Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green) and Grace (Grace Lu) will be moving on to different high schools once their summer ends. That gives them a final summer together with the opening weekend at a hockey camp on the ice.

It starts out as a weekend of fun, but when the camp’s coach – who also leads Riley’s potential high school team – invites the trio, a flip is switched on in Riley.

She may as well have developed another emotion – obsession. Instead, Anxiety takes over to ensure that Riley not only comes across as the best potential freshman player at the camp but works to ensure the upperclassmen accept and like her.

‘Turning Red’ review:Mother-daughter relationships lift coming-of-age tale

Of course, that does not go as Anxiety planned as sweet, innocent Riley evolves quickly into someone her friends nor her original emotions recognize. Riley’s losing her sense of self, sending her into inner turmoil where her respective emotions fight – not for control – but for balance.

Kelsey Mann, making his feature debut, directs from a script he co-wrote with Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein and in the process adds some fresh polish to the Pixar brand. The script and its concepts are well conceived and smart.

The story is unexpectedly compelling and points to the progress being made in society in showing the diverse interests and emotions of individuals.

And, not surprisingly, Pixar continues to innovate and impress in the realm of animation with images that blur the line between animation and realism.

It’s encouraging to see the studio return to form.

George M. Thomas dabbles in movies and television for the Beacon Journal.

Correction: This review was changed to reflect that Kelsey Mann, the film's director, is male. The writer inadvertently misidentified his gender.

Review

Movie: “Inside Out 2”

Cast: Amy Poehler, Ayo Edebiri, Lewis Black, Paul Walter Hauser

Directed by: Kelsey Mann

Running time: 1 hour, 36 minutes

Rated: PG for some thematic elements

Grade: B+