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inside out 2

★★★★

.5

starring: amy poehler, phyllis smith, lewis black, and liza lapira
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REVIEWER: lyall carter

Follow Riley, in her teenage years, as she encounters new emotions.

There are very few scenes in cinematic history that are as impactful as when Bing Bong fades away in 2015’s Inside Out. I was crying buckets. So that, as well as the rest of the film, is a heck of a lot to live up to. But Pixar feels like they’ve got their storytelling mojo back with this one. They have hit it out of the park. While not quite reaching the dizzying heights of the original, Inside Out 2 is a funny, colorful, and thoughtful film with stunning animation and themes that will impact both adults and children alike. 

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Riley turns thirteen and Headquarters undergoes a sudden demolition to make room for new emotions, something Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust weren’t prepared for. The first new emotion they meet is Anxiety, who carries a lot of emotional baggage — literally.

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Joy and the gang aren’t sure how to feel about Anxiety joining the crew, but they can’t possibly imagine a full house with the other new emotions, Embarrassment, Ennui, and Envy. 

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Often you have the sense with sequels that they’re merely a carbon copy of the story that went before, but not so with Inside Out 2. It doesn’t rest on its storytelling laurels but pushes the narrative and its characters into completely different directions. 

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From sar-casms (literally a chasm that opens up), to imagination land, and brain storms, Inside Out 2 creatively continues in the footsteps of its predecessor. Its creative expression of Riley’s emotions is incredible and it also is where a lot of the film's really funny moments are to be found. And, since it's a Pixar film, it goes without saying that the animation is phenomenal. 

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Thematically Inside Out 2 explores not just anxiety but what really someone who they are, at their core. They do a superb job of characterizing anxiety so that not only will those who’ve never experienced anxiety get what it really is but for those of us who have experienced it will feel seen and heard. 

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While not quite reaching the dizzying heights of the original, Inside Out 2 is a funny, colorful, and thoughtful film with stunning animation and themes that will impact both adults and children alike.

★★★★

.5

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