“Inside Out 2” is an animated Pixar film released in theaters  June 14. According to The New York Times, it is the highest-grossing Pixar movie since “Incredibles 2.” It is rated PG, and it is an hour and thirty-six minutes long. It can be watched on Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies, Fandango at Home, and YouTube for $24.00. 

The film has a new director, Kelsey Mann, who also was a writer for the film. His well-known previous works are “Party Central,” “The Good Dinosaur,” “Purl,” “Onward,” “Lightyear,” and the Disney-animated Pixar show “SparkShorts.” All of his well-known works have touching messages, and “Inside Out 2” is no exception.  

“Inside Out” had two directors, Pete Docter and Ronnie Del Carmen. However, the change in directors from the first to the second film did not drastically change the movie by any means. In fact, the two films are very similar in animation style and filming style.  

One notable change is the voice actors for the characters Fear, Disgust, and Riley Anderson. In the first film, Fear was played by Bill Hader, who is well-known for his role as Richie in “IT Chapter Two.” Fear is now played by Tony Hale who known for his role as Forky in “Toy Story 4.” In the first film, Mindy Kaling played Disgust. Kaling who is known for her role as Kelly Kapoor on the comedy show, “The Office.” Disgust is now played by Liza Lapira who playes the role of Melody in the drama show, “The Equalizer.” In the first film, Riley was played by Kaitlyn Dias, who is well-known for her role as Riley in the Pixar short, “Riley’s First Date?” Riley is now played by Kensington Tallman who is also well-known for her role as Lucy in the comedy show, “Home Sweet Rome!”

Both Hale and Lapira sound slightly different as Fear and Disgust than the original voice actors, but it is not something the audience would easily notice unless specifically told the voice actors were changed. I knew the voice actors were different before I saw the film, so I was sensitive to it while watching. However, at the time I did not realize Riley had a different voice actor, but it makes sense due to the fact that the first film came out in 2015. I thought the voices were all very similar to the voices from the first film and the switch did not negatively impact the film in any way.  

There were several voice actors who returned as their original characters for the sequel, including Amy Poehler who returned as Joy. Of course, Poehler is also famous for her “Saturday Night Live” turn.  Phyllis Smith returned as Sadness, and her credits include her role as Phyllis Vance on the comedy show, “The Office.” Lewis Black returned as Anger, and he is remembered for his role as Eddie Langston in “Man of the Year.” Diane Lane returned to play Riley’s Mother, and she is also well-known for her role as Martha Kent in “Man of Steel.” Kyle MacLachlan continues as Riley’s Father, and his prior credits include Hank MacLean in the drama show, “Fallout.”  

There were new emotion characters in “Inside Out 2.” Envy is played by Ayo Edebiri who is also well-known for her role as Sydney Adamu in the drama show, “The Bear.” Anxiety is played by Maya Hawke who is well-known for her role as Robin Buckley in the horror show, “Stranger Things.” Adèle Exarchopoulos played Ennui, and she is also well-known for her role as Alex in “Wingwomen.” Paul Walter Hauser played Embarrassment, and he is well-known for his role as Horace Badun in “Cruella.” Lastly, June Squibb played Nostalgia, and she is also well-known for her role as Joe Flanagan in “Table 17.”  

Both “Inside Out” and “Inside Out 2” touch on the many emotional issues a person can have, and one of the more heart-wrenching moments from “Inside Out” is when Bing Bong, Riley’s imaginary friend, gives his life up for Joy to be able to get back to Riley. Another downer is when Riley decides to run away from home. The third scene worth mentioning is when Riley returns home and cries because Joy let Sadness take control of Riley’s feelings.

“Inside Out” always made me emotional while watching it, and “Inside Out 2” has that same effect. I will not spoil the plot for anyone, but I’ll tease it and share that Anxiety plays a big part. The film includes some funny parts, too, and Riley is trying to figure out who she is as a teenage girl is one. I found the sequel emotional because it was relatable. 

“Inside Out 2” has a rating of 7.7/10 from IMDb, and it has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 91%. The audience score is 95%. The movie is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. It has a higher audience rating than “Inside Out” at 89%. According to CNN, “Inside Out 2” has made $1.46 billion globally.  

I believe “Inside Out 2” was so successful financially because people wanted that familiar, touching feeling that Pixar movies provide. “Inside Out” is a Pixar movie I grew up with, so it is not only young kiddies who went to see “Inside Out 2.” It was also the college students who wanted to be in touch with their inner child again.