Inside Out 2
Overall goal:
The entire idea of having this film entirely focus on the Hockey aspect of transitioning to High School drags the entire film down with it as everything else is tied to that plot point. It’s not that the Hockey plotline couldn’t work, if anyone in the world could relate to a person in high school feeling massive anxiety, frustration about their performance in a sport, wanting to be on Varsity, and getting panic attacks it’s me. However the way the Hockey plot is executed feels not stressful enough and not important enough to not help this feel like an Inside Out supplementary picture book over a full on blockbuster theatrical sequel
Introduction
This movie is very disappointing,
The conflict feels not grand enough in scale and too casual
The conflict in the first film was Rylie losing her personality because of a move to a new city, while this film’s conflict is Rylie getting a little bit anxious because of a 3-day hockey program. This film had compelling ideas for a conflict that were just shoved away because of the overemphasis of hockey that this film injects into it’s conflict. If the story focused on the transition to high school and how it’s seriously hurting Rylie’s emotions and well being it wouldve been better.
The directing and animation of the film had a lot of attention to detail.
During the hockey games, there’s lots of secondary animations of ice spraying around the players’ boots, hockey gloves being thrown in the air, to scuff marks on the helmets that make these scenes have an electric aura. A single frame has a lot of dynamism, with additional animations of ice clatter as the hockey blades touch the ice, an ice trail as the puck moves on the rink. The animation’s smear frame effect makes objects look like they are moving when in a still frame.
The directing also uses tactics of using a few frames in slow motion to transition to real-time in a way that doesn’t call too much attention and looks natural. The characters are all expressive with constantly moving their hands, feet, poses, and facial expressions that helps the direction enhance the electric aura of the film. The color grading of the film is ethereal, having scenes be staged around a color that allows for the scenes center purposed to be highlighted the most with the colors not being to colorful or too uncolorful.
This film has less grayish feel than first one. It has a more _ish feel.
The music is too discordant
It employs excessive use of guitar chords and background drum beats that make the audio feel distortedp. The music always has background music behind the foreground music to where it also feels discordant. During the music with piano notes, the piano notes are just played randomly and there’s no free tempo just leading to the music being discordant.
Expanding the universe:
The film expands the Inside Out world in a lot of annoying ways. We’re introduced to the “Sense of Self”, which is just used to give more exposition to how the characters are feeling without them showing it, or their actions dictating it. We meet new annoying characters in Rylie’s memory vault who overstay their welcome, and don’t contribute much to the overall story.
Continue the story in a new compelling way:
Introducing New Compelling Themes/expand on the themes of the original:
This film doesn’t introduce new compelling themes or expand on the themes of the .
The movie tells rather than shows
One thing that makes the movie less mature is that it tells rather than shows. An example is during a scene where Joy blows up at Anger, Fear, and Disgust, after Anger calls her “Delusional”. She says, “Delusional? Of course I'm delusional! Do you know how hard it is to stay positive all the time, when all you folks do is complain, complain, complain? Jiminy mother-loving toaster strudel! Do you think I have all the answers? Of course I don't! [sighs] We can't even find the back of our own mind. Anxiety is right! Riley doesn't need us as much as she needs them. And that hurts. It really hurts.” Everything Joy is feeling is pressured by is stated on the nose to the audience. It tells them exactly how she’s feeling (hurt), her external conflict (reaching the back of the mind), her internal conflict (that she realizes that Anxiety doesn’t need her), her obstacles (The other emotions complaining), and her conflict with the villain (that Anxiety’s ideology of Rylie not needing Joy may be right). Prior to this scene, the film hasn’t shown the emotions constantly hounding at Joy, or Joy’s facial expressions and appearance, change where the audience can see that she’s really hurting from Anxiety’s comments. The film also didn’t show any scenes of Riley not needing the original five emotions, to show that Joy believes that Anxiety is right. Another example is in the climax, with Joy saying to Anxiety, “You don’t get to choose who Rylie is.”, and Anxiety later following it up with “We don’t get to choose who Rylie is.” The film doesn’t show, Anxiety making the decision of knowing that she can’t choose who Rylie is, it doesn’t show Anxiety’s continual transition from choose who Rylie is to realizing that she doesn’t get to choose who Rylie is.
Emotional Beats don’t land
The emotional beats in this film don’t land. An example is when Joy says, “I don't know how to stop Anxiety. Maybe this is what happens when you grow up. You feel less joy.” This statement doesn’t hit the emotional beat because we haven’t seen Joy getting put through the emotional ringer, making the audience feel worse and worse for her, until she finally loses all and breaks down. She also at this moment isn’t lost at all as she still has hope, and is ready to get back at Anxiety, _ seconds.
Bad Pacing
The pacing here is jarring. The convergence with the panic attack after she hurts her friend goes by way too fast to feel the seriousness and emotions of the situation.
Anxiety’s arc
Overall, Anxiety’s arc of wanting to control Rylie is a mixed bag. It’s interesting to see how she keeps building on her desire and getting worse and worse with every action. However, while her actions getting worse is good for a redemption arc where she can becomes good at her lowest point, her thoughts don’t even give a nudge that she could have a natural continual transition from wanting to choose who Rylie is to realizing that she doesn’t get to choose who Rylie is. Also, at the beginning her disagreement with Joy is not built upon enough for her to go from being fine on the sidelines, to taking full control and becoming a villain. Maya Hawke was a solid choice to voice Anxiety, but her voice is so shifted where it’s just to strange. I understand that the character Anxiety
Conclusion
At the end of the day, Inside Out 2 feels like Pixar was pressured to release a film that couldn’t step on any Americans toes, just to please Ron Desantis, who was in a feud at the studio’s parent company Disney during this film’s production, not to put any mature topics about cognitive development or tackle any serious mental issues. This movie just plays this concept so safe, tackling the most basic issues of cognitive development like cool kids and friends, without handing them with seriousness or maturity that could have enhanced this story.
