Inside Out 2 (English) Review {3.5/5} & Review Rating
Star Cast: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Maya Hawke, Kensington Tallman
Director: Kelsey Mann
Inside Out 2 Movie Synopsis:
INSIDE OUT 2 is the story of a teenage girl and her emotions. A year after the events of the first film, Riley (Kensington Tallman) has adjusted to her new life in San Francisco. She turns 13 and gets better at playing hockey. Meanwhile, inside her head, her emotions - Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Tony Hale), Anger (Lewis Black) and Disgust (Liza Lapira) - are doing their job beautifully and have created a new section called Sense of Self. It consists of memories and feelings that take up Riley's core personality. A night before Riley is about to leave for a hockey camp, she hits puberty. The mind workers barge in the headquarters and upgrade the console. Four new emotions - Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) - also arrive. Things take a bad turn once Joy and Anxiety have a clash of opinions. On the other hand, Riley is having a hard time as her best friends, Bree and Grace, tell her that they are shifting to a different school. Riley also wants to be friends with the popular senior hockey player Valentina Ortiz (Lilimar) and wants to appear cool in front of her. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Inside Out 2 Movie Story Review:
Kelsey Mann and Meg LeFauve's story is terrific. Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein's screenplay is top notch and imaginative. The dialogues further add to the entertainment.
Kelsey Mann's direction is uncomplicated. This is not an easy film to handle, especially for a debutant, but he succeeds. Thankfully, the first part had already set a template and Kelsey does justice to it. He also balances and ensures that he just doesn't focus on the wonders of Riley's mind and also simultaneously takes the story forward. A few aspects are too good like Mount Crushmore, consisting of Riley's crushes in the form of Mt Rushmore, a carnival which has hot air balloons of professions that Riley is interested in, etc. And most importantly, the makers raise a point about the importance of different emotions and how the mind is a mess in the early adolescence years. The depiction of Anxiety and panic attack in the climax is straight out of life.On the flipside, for those who have seen the first part, there's little novelty in terms of storytelling and even the plot. Yet again, Joy is out of headquarters and needs to be back; or else, Joy will face a tumultuous time. And though the makers try their best to add to the novelty, it doesn't wow you, like the first part. In short, the first part is too awesome and set a huge benchmark; the sequel, despite being a great flick individually, doesn't have the same effect as the predecessor.
Inside Out 2 Movie Performances:
The voiceovers by Amy Poehler and Phyllis Smith are the best. Maya Hawke takes the cake as Anxiety and gets it just right. Kensington Tallman is impressive while Lilimar suits the part of a popular player. Tony Hale, Lewis Black, Liza Lapira, Ayo Edebiri, Adèle Exarchopoulos and Yvette Nicole Brown (Coach Roberts) lend able support. James Austin Johnson (Pouchy) is adorable.
Inside Out 2 music and other technical aspects:
Andrea Datzman's music is in sync with the film's mood and theme. Adam Habib and Jonathan Pytko's cinematography is satisfactory. The VFX, as expected, is out of the world. Maurissa Horwitz's editing is slick.
Inside Out 2 Movie Conclusion:
On the whole, INSIDE OUT 2 is an entertainer for viewers of all ages. At the box office, it has taken a decent opening and has the potential to surprise.
