When thinking of Pixar, I think of the creative stories the acclaimed studio has made over the years; and perhaps no film symbolizes this more than Inside Out. Released in 2015, Inside Out tells the story of Riley and her emotions whose job is to help her get through the challenges of life. The film was an instant classic and left many to wonder if the movie would be getting a sequel. Well it did not take for Pete Docter (director of the film) and the rest of Pixar to get to work on a sequel and development began as early as 2016. After many years and several changes, Joy (Amy Poehler) and the emotions are back again in the new Pixar film: Inside Out 2.

The movie continues the story of Joy and her emotional crew as they guide Riley (Kensington Tallman) through her teenage life. However Riley starts going through changes which lead to new emotions like Anxiety (Maya Hawke) becoming a part of her, and it is up to Joy and the others to find Riley’s sense of self. Inside Out 2 made a few changes during its production. Along going through many concepts, the movie would see Kelsey Mann take up the director’s chair while Pete Docter would serve as an executive producer; and along with new characters the movie would see changes in voice actors for returning characters. Regardless of the changes, this sequel had much to live up to as it had to match the standards of its predecessor as well as Pixar itself. So, for me, the question for this animated feature was simply could Inside Out 2 live up to its own hype?

Inside Out featured a creative concept that was only matched by its inventive storytelling. Going into Inside Out 2, I was hopeful that the sequel would keep true to this direction, and for the most part it did. When it came to concepts, the movie was not as creative as I would have hoped. True the story featured some fun ideas, but these concepts did little to expand the world of Inside Out. The same thing could be said about the story structure as, while paced well, it felt formulaic; especially when compared to its predecessor. Yet the plot thrived in its thematic nature; significantly its theme about change. While the story centers on concepts seen in the 2015 film, these themes still worked for the movie by expanding on these ideas and showing that change is a constant thing that people (and their emotions) deal with.

Speaking of emotions, it was nice to see these characters return to the big screen. When it came to the Joy, the vibrant emotion was as enjoyable as ever (pun slightly intended). While her development could have been stronger, Joy remained solid in her respected role thanks to the stellar and witty performance by Amy Poehler. As for her compatriots, emotions like Sadness (Phyllis Sadness) and Anger (Lewis Black) were fun to see again, and the movie found a way to utilize each of these characters so none of them felt left out. However with Riley getting older she has to deal with new emotions, and that meant a set of new characters to see. Just like the core group, emotions like Envy (Ayo Edebiri) and Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) were vibrant characters that showcased the eccentric nature of this cast. Yet the highlight of this group was none other than Anxiety. Despite filling an antagonistic role, Anxiety was still a compelling addition to the cast, and the charismatic performance from Maya Hawke was truly something special.

With this being a Pixar movie, I would be remiss not to speak of the animation of Inside Out 2. The 2015 film featured a look that was stylish and pleasing to the eye, and its successor was no different. The animation was as crisp as ever and embodied the movie’s inventive presentation. A prime example of this were the forgotten characters and how they were designed differently from the main cast-the most notable of these additions being a cartoon bag. These characters showed off the movie’s sense of imagination while remaining true to the movie’s overall look. Along with the movie’s vibrant animation was none other than the score. Michael Giacchino provided the score for the first film, but this time the music was conducted by Andrea Datzman. Living to Giacchino is no easy feat, Datzman was to the challenge as her score to Inside Out 2 was a faithful companion to both the movie’s direction and the sounds of the 2015 movie.

So did Inside Out 2 live up to the hype? If you ask this Film Adventurer, I would say that despite some issues this Pixar film was a proper continuation. Between its formulaic nature and simplistic direction, the movie could struggle in its execution. However the film thrived where it counted with its compelling themes, memorable cast; and exuberant presentation. Though it may not be the strongest Pixar sequel, Inside Out 2 was still an enjoyable film that lived up to the creativity of the both 2015 movie and Pixar itself.