Commentary: ‘Inside Out 2’ Successfully Retreads Old Themes
by Frank Martin
Sequels are always looking to expand upon the original in different ways. There is no one right way to do this. It can add new characters, change the setting, have a bigger plot, and even touch upon different thematic elements. A dangerous thing for a sequel to do, however, is rehash familiar territory. Sequels are supposed to move on. So doing something too similar to the original is always a risk. Inside Out 2 does exactly this with its theme. The overall message and meaning of the film are perfectly in sync with the first one. However, there was enough about the sequel to remain an entertaining watch — not in spite of its recycled theme, but because of it.
(Spoilers for both films follow)
Inside Out 2 picks up with Riley (Kaitlyn Dias) in a great position in life. She has friends and is excelling on her hockey team. But as she becomes a freshman in high school, she learns her friends are going to go to a different school. Also, with the onset of puberty, new emotions move in, including Anxiety (Maya Hawke). Worried about making this new hockey team, Anxiety exiles Joy (Amy Poehler) and the others for getting in her way of controlling Riley’s future. This leads to her making terrible decisions and forming a negative sense of self. It is only once all the emotions realize that they are all a part of Riley that they are able to work together and give her the best life possible.
Joy was exiled in the first film, as well. Her and Sadness (Phyllis Smith) had to partner up to find a way back to the command center and return Riley’s core memories. It was a harrowing journey that ended with Joy accepting that Riley is a complicated being and it was wrong for her to push Sadness down. Sadness is a part of life and should be accepted rather than ignored. A similar situation happens in the sequel. Joy is exiled by an antagonistic emotion. Only once Joy and Anxiety reconcile do audiences get a fuller picture of who Riley is as a person. This theme of accepting complex emotions and having them all be a part of the individual was present in both the first and the second films. Normally, retreading such a strong theme would lead to a stale story, but Inside Out 2 had many different characters and fun plot points that led to a completely new and complex way of delivering the same message.
Inside Out 2 is now in theaters.
