Inside Out 2

I am quite surprised at the overall positive reactions for this film compared to the first one as I don't think they are comparable at all.

Unlike the first film, Inside Out 2 felt rushed and lacked the time to properly develop each character. The film lacked direction at times and felt quite disconnected. The first film had an amazing sense of journey and adventure and I think that's where this one missed the mark. The journey undertaken by the original characters simply didn't have the same sense of purpose the storyline felt forced to try and rush to the end where where we all learn lesson of the complexity of emotions are what life is about.

All in all not a bad film, the animation was still great, same with the voice acting, it just lacked the extra magic of the first and didn't quite evoke the same feelings.

6/10.

When I first heard that Pixar was making a sequel film, I was very excited as I simply adored the last one. I saw the trailer and thought that it looked good for a current movie. I went to see it with high expectations, and I came out sobbing from how personal it felt to me.

For some context about me, I had terrible anxiety for years until I finally healed from it and watching the film from that perspective made it very personal. I found myself teary at a few of the lines that Anxiety said just because I had said them to myself in the past. The film portrayed accurate depictions of teenage life, from struggling to fit in, those feelings associated with friends going away, thinking less of yourself etc... One scene I found especially hard to cope with and that got me SOBBING just because it gave me time to reflect on how I used to be.

Personal feelings aside, this film was really amazing. The animation was incredible, and the plot was surprisingly good. I loved the new emotions and its just as good as the first one (almost better)

I can't believe I'm saying this, but this is one of the best Pixar movies to date. I did not expect to like this movie very much. Disney and Pixar have been vastly disappointing and even controversial recently, but Inside Out 2 rivals Pixar's best movies like Up, Monsters inc., Ratatouille, The Incredibles and Toy Story in quality.

I found the story very moving. The best animated movies ever made appeal not just to children, but resonate with the more mature audience as well. And that's what this movie does.

The theme was very poignant. I loved the introduction of the new characters and especially how they incorporated anxiety into the transformation of puberty. Anxiety is not fun, but many people struggle with it.

The ending was great too. I love that they didn't wrap it up in a cliche way.

Great job Disney and Pixar!

All in all, while "Inside Out 2" has a good concept and loveable characters, it is not perfect. Promoted as an entertaining event that lasts one and a half hours, it has a problem with a story. It introduces Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, and Fear again who travel through teenage Riley's mind, but it is not as profound as the first movie. While pacing appears to be slow with large chunks where not much story occurs and the audience is not able to form a bond with the character. Although the first film was emotional and deeply meaningful, "Inside Out 2" lacks a single, overarching message compared to its predecessor. The humor and warmth are insufficient to make up for the shoddy plot, even though some of the animation and voice acting are excellent. Younger audiences will find it entertaining, but it falls short of the first film's potential, which will disappoint some viewers who were hoping for yet another heartwarming tale.

What we have here feels like a cheap copy of the first film. Except where the first Inside Out was filled with 'magic' and 'wonder', this one is replaced with lacklustre moments and uninspired inserts. The train of thought becomes the stream of consciousness. The core memories are now core beliefs. And where in the first film, Riley must grapple with her entire known world collapsing beneath her - she now must grapple with going to a new high school without her middle school friends.

The movie isn't exactly bad, but it feels cheaper in comparison. Even the lessons learned are important in this movie. Don't let anxiety control your brain.

But isn't that what we learned from the first film? We saw Joy trying to be a control freak - and - what do you know - in this film, Anxiety turns into a control freak, causing a bunch of chaos for Riley.

What's more, the new emotions seemed like lesser versions of the original emotions. Fear becomes Anxiety. Disgust becomes Envy. Sadness becomes Embarrassment and Ennui.

It's just too bad that the first movie came out of seemingly nowhere and told a unique and loveable story with lessons for all ages, and in its sequel, we have a movie that feels half-baked and lacks as many whimsical/playful ideas as the first.

The movie wasn't as fun or meaningful as the first. Even the new characters felt gimmicky and lazily imported. A children's cartoon and a video game character show up. Sure they were amusing but they added very little to the story, unlike Bingbong in the first.