Inside Out 2 isn't the big surprise that the original film was, which it could never really be since Inside Out was simply a masterpiece by Pixar. Some say, its last one. However, the new film remains a welcome exploration of the human mind, specifically our emotions, as we grow older, and in this case, through adolescence. At the same time, we get to spend more time with the lovable characters inside Riley's mind, Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust, introduced in the first film, but also get to know some new funny characters, representing the new emotions, like Envy, Anxiety, Embarrassment, and Ennui, that she acquires as she becomes a teenager, wanting like everyone else to fit in and be accepted. And that is what's interesting about this premise and what holds promise for the future. Since we spend time with the same person growing up, we can potentially revisit Riley every few years, like Linklater did in Boyhood and the Before trilogy, or Michael Apted more characteristically did with the 7 Up documentary series, as well as François Truffaut with The 400 Blows. But besides the possibility of more sequels, the beauty of the second film is that it manages to be again insightful about human nature, and at its climax, as the first film did, it manages to speak to all of us and become moving from such a small moment, but so important for everyone psyche. Glad to see Pixar keeping up the promise of using metaphor in the most profound way to tell stories for the ages.
