“Inside Out 2”: Pubertal feelings get into chaos

Millions around the world were captivated, laughed and cried by the adventures in the mind of eleven-year-old girl Riley Andersen in the 2015 animated film “Inside Out”. The Oscar-winning story about conflicting emotions in a child’s brain was moving and amusing. Many had doubts as to whether a sequel could keep up with the quality of the original. It can. “Inside Out 2” is not a bland rehash and is currently showing in cinemas.

The story of Riley continues effectively. The already familiar embodiments of joy, sorrow, fear, anger and disgust are now joined by doubt, envy, ennui aka boredom or lack of motivation and embarrassment. In short: Riley is turning 13 and is entering puberty. It’s clear that things are going to be turbulent.

The film, produced by the successful Pixar studio (“Toy Story,” “Finding Nemo”), initially impresses with its visual originality. The candy-colored allegorical figures oscillate effectively between humanity and fantasy. Naturalism and surrealism are beautifully combined. That in itself is simply fun. But what is even more exciting is the astonishing psychological depth of the story being told. The depths and shallows of life are explored without overwhelming young and very young viewers.

The exciting events in the film reflect, for example, the great value of true friendship. It also shows how easily human interaction can become a conflict through wrong decisions, vanity and egoism. This could easily have led to a moralistic, superficially didactic narrative tone, but this is never seen. The adventure of growing up seems light-hearted. Film fans of all ages can have a great time and take home a lot to think about.

“Inside Out 2”USA 2024, 96 min, Director: Kelsey Mann, currently in cinemas, Rating: Five out of six stars