The addition of Riley’s beliefs is brilliant, along with the addition of the Back of the Mind, the Sar-Chasm, and a bit of “brainstorming.” Inside Out 2 also builds on the charm of the first with its psychological subversion. I cannot recommend Inside Out 2 more highly to parents of pre-teens and under. It’s safe and before you ask…not woke. Enjoy.
Now, let’s get into the problems in Inside Out 2. These problems have been happening at Disney and Pixar since 2019. I’ve documented this in The D-Files this past year, and Inside Out 2 is another example of Disney losing its spot as the gold standard of animation. The animation of Inside Out 2 has fallen since the original. Take about 80% of the frames, and they look like television animation.
What’s the problem? It’s depth. The world of Inside Out is deep and expansive. When you look out into the horizon, it goes for hundreds of miles into the distance. Here, it goes out only tens of miles. It’s a nitpick, but it’s the difference between feeling cinematic and cheap. It misses that artistic wow factor that Pixar used to be known for. Another example is the HQ. In Inside Out, HQ was big and spacious. Here, it’s cramped and confined.
WHAT IS HAPPENING? – In Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2,” Joy (voice of Amy Poehler), Sadness (voice of Phyllis Smith), Anger (voice of Lewis Black), Fear (voice of Tony Hale) and Disgust (voice of Liza Lapira) are awakened to an alarming reality: everything is changing now that Riley is 13. Directed by Kelsey Mann and produced by Mark Nielsen, “Inside Out 2” releases only in theaters Summer 2024. © 2023 Disney/Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
“…cannot recommend Inside Out 2 more highly to parents of pre-teens and under.”
Why does this matter? It isn’t only these small artistic choices that made Disney stand out far above the pack. Now, it’s just like everyone else, and with what Dreamworks and Sky Dance have come, Disney will be left in the dust. Let’s be real. All the people who know these animation gems have either left or were forced out of the company, replaced by people who just want to make cartoons.
The other problem with Inside Out is its comedy. Like its art, the comedy is bland. Comedy was a hallmark of every Pixar film. I first noticed the decline with Elemental (which was a success). The best I can say is it’s safe. They are all tried and true jokes that, quite frankly, anyone can write. In early Pixar films, you get this sense they were writing and rewriting and rewriting jokes. They wrote the first funny thing they could think of and left it at that.
I found the show to be somewhat funny, but it seemed like the jokes were playing it too safe. It feels like comedians are restricted from pushing boundaries and taking risks with their humor, which can stifle their creativity. I call it Second-Guess-Itis – the tendency to hold back and self-censor out of fear of being criticized for crossing a line.
Is Pixar back to form? Yes, but at 70%. I love the fact that they told a straightforward, insightful story that doesn’t feel the need to push the “message.” At the same time, Inside Out 2 misses that quest for excellence and instead goes for good enough.
"…another example of Disney losing its spot as the gold standard of animation."
