Inside Out 2

My daughter and I saw Inside Out 2 (2024) in theaters last night. The storyline picks up with Riley wrapping up middle school and preparing for high school. She's excelling in hockey, and she and her friends are selected to attend a hockey camp. However, she discovers her friends won't be going to her high school and meets some new girls who will. She begins experiencing new, strange emotions while navigating this transition and going through puberty. How will her old emotions handle the surge of new emotions to help Riley through this adjustment period?

This film is directed by Kelsey Mann, in her directorial debut, and features the voices of Amy Poehler (Baby Mama), Maya Hawke (Stranger Things), Phyllis Smith (The Office), Lewis Black (Man of the Year), and Kensington Tallman (Drama Club).

This is such a smart animated series with valuable lessons and real-life scenarios that resonate with everyone as they journey to adulthood. It cleverly illustrates how emotions evolve and how one's old and new selves adjust as responsibilities increase and life lessons are learned. The storyline is excellent. We saw this film in 3D, and the animation was stupendous. The hair and texture looked so realistic, you felt like you could reach out and touch them. There's so much to love in this animated gem.

In conclusion, Inside Out 2 is another animated gem from Disney with smart coming-of-age elements that's worthwhile for the entire family. I would score this a 7/10 and strongly recommend it.