Okay, so Riley’s hit the teenage years. You know what that means: braces, awkward sleep schedules, and suddenly wanting to sass your parents for no good reason. Puberty’s kind of throwing her life into chaos, especially with the news that her best friends Grace and Bree are going to different high schools after summer. But before all that hits, the trio is off to a three-day hockey camp. While they’re there, Riley is desperate to fit in with a new group to avoid becoming a total loner later on.

This new crew is an older girls’ hockey team. Most of them think Riley’s just a cringy freshman — except for Viv, the team captain who decides to mentor her. Meanwhile, inside Riley’s mind, she’s experiencing some next-level emotions. Joy, Anger, Sadness, Fear, and Disgust have always been running the show up there, but now they’re joined by Ennui (a fancy word for boredom), Envy, Embarrassment — and worst of all — Anxiety. This guy’s causing chaos and trying his hardest to mess up everything Joy leads.

Making a sequel like Inside Out 2 was no small feat since Inside Out did such an awesome job looking at how our minds work during childhood. The genius ideas behind this one? They focus on Riley growing up—something Pete Docter based on his own daughter when he created the first movie.
In “Inside Out 2,” we’re back with a fresh story written by Meg LeFauve, who also worked on the first one, with Dave Holstein teaming up as well. Kelsey Mann steps in for his big debut as director this time. Kids who loved the first movie can now dive into this sequel as teenagers, kind of how we all grew up alongside Harry Potter.

This time around, they shake things up quite a bit from the original idea. In “Inside Out,” we saw emotions calling the shots from inside our heads, making us feel like they ran the show. If you’re young, that can make you feel like you can’t control those wild characters living in your mind—they each had their own little drama going on.

But in the sequel, it’s about all these emotions working together—even new ones join the mix! It’s pretty much how teenage years roll: figuring out who you are and wanting to fit in, worried if you’ll click with others outside just family and childhood friends.

“Inside Out 2” really nails capturing this teenage turmoil while keeping it fun and relatable for everyone watching.
Inside Out 2 dives deep into those messy teenage years. You know, when you’re juggling all these crazy feelings and trying to figure out who you are. Teens deal with tons of self-doubt and use sarcasm as a shield to pretend they’ve got it all together. While the first movie celebrated every emotion, this one zooms in on how anxiety can really drag you down and isn’t all that helpful for handling real-life stuff.

There’s also a bit of pushback against that over-the-top positivity you often see in the US (hey, Joy). It’s like they’re embracing other vibes without getting too negative or doubting themselves entirely. In the end, it’s all about thinking for yourself and owning up to your responsibilities while being careful not to ignore your boundaries. Riley learns she needs to handle her inner conflicts without letting anyone or even her own emotions take the wheel.

While Mann’s direction might not be as flashy as Docter’s, the story builds up to an emotional high that might even get parents misty-eyed when they think of their teens’ struggles. It’s a shame that characters like Ennui and Embarrassment don’t get more attention; they’re huge parts of what makes teenagers tick! Still, this sequel packs a punch by exploring the ups and downs of growing up.
Seems like this movie didn’t quite hit the mark with its comedy duo potential. The characters who could’ve provided some good laughs just didn’t deliver. Plus, there’s this character named Invidia who’s supposed to be all about jealousy, but she doesn’t really give off that vibe at all!