Inside Out 2 Review: Crisis of Joy

©Disney/Pixar

Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust, Fear… We know these emotions well. Already because we experience them every day, but also because Disney and Pixar have made them the stars of the animated film Vice-Versa. In 2015, this feature film shook spectators, young and old alike. Both funny and moving, Vice-Versa quickly became a staple in Pixar's catalog. This is why it won the Oscar for best animated film in 2016.

Obviously, when Disney and Pixar announce that Riley and his emotions will be back in a sequel, there are two schools of thought. The cheerful, who do not shy away from their pleasure of returning to a world that touched their hearts, and the mixed, fearing the worst. We were really looking forward to it.

The hour of deliverance is here: Vice-Versa 2 arrives in cinemas in France this Wednesday June 19, 2024. The trailers let us imagine the best, but what is it really?? Will this new part not suffer from the flawlessness of its predecessor? Or, like Spider-Man Across the Spider-Verse, will he manage to go even further and amaze us ? Discover our guaranteed review without spoilers for Vice-Versa 2. Please note, however, that we are going to discuss elements present in the trailers and the official synopsis of the film.

Effervescence of emotions

In Vice-Versa, Riley is 11 years old. Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Fear and Anger rule her life, which is turned upside down by her move to San Francisco. The young girl has trouble adjusting to her new life and her emotions are upside down. This first opus is an opportunity for Joy, who leads Riley's little troop of emotions, to learn that any emotion is good to take. Even sadness. After all the adventures experienced by Joy and Sadness, and their companions, we left a 12-year-old Riley, more fulfilled and in tune with her emotions than ever.

Nine years later in our world, Riley is almost 14 and she is officially a “teenager”. Disney and Pixar are definitely passionate about the subject of adolescence. After Red Alert, Vice-versa 2offers us a new vision of the thankless age and the emotions which are particularly in turmoil during this period.

While everything is going perfectly for the young girl, her emotions are suddenly awakened by a terrifying alarm. That's it, Riley is going through puberty and there's no escaping it. The control panel of her emotions expands and the young girl's head welcomes four new emotions, more subtle and “sophisticated”: Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment and Boredom. Poor Riley, this isn't going to be easy…

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Laughter…

The arrival of puberty and Riley's new emotions is enough to provoke our laughter. Disney and Pixar have outdone themselves to make us laugh out loud on several occasions, especially from the start of the feature film. Entering an ungrateful age brings its share of uncomfortable and hilarious situations. Vice-Versa 2 managed to convey the embarrassment. We too would like to disappear during certain moments.

Writing jokes from Vice-Versa 2is excellent. We saw the feature film in the original version and certain jokes will surely not have the same weight in the French version, especially when we talk about puns. Nevertheless, young and old alike should enjoy this new opus which promises a great time for everyone.

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… To tears

But like the first feature film, Vice-versa 2plays with our emotions. Laughing is good. Cry too. In full adolescence, Riley is on edge. New complex emotions race through his head, Anxiety at the forefront. The latter intends to redefine her person, to the great displeasure of the young girl's original emotions. This new opus teaches us that Riley's memories can form beliefs and that these determine her self-esteem. With new emotions in charge, his self-esteem is shaken, the idea of ​​not being good enough taking precedence over the idea of ​​being a good person.

© Pixar/Disney

Anxiety takes up more and more space in Riley's head, and she makes choices that no longer correspond to the person she is (was ?). The portrayal of anxiety, above all, is extremely authentic. The director and the entire film team hit the nail on the head. As filmmaker Kelsey Mann and Mark Nielsen, one of the producers, explained to us in an exclusive interview, they worked with experts to accurately portray the emotions. They worked at length on Anxiety, “the’antagonist” of this new feature film. The idea was to capture this emotion that so many people experience on a daily basis, especially in recent years following the pandemic, to show them that they are not alone.

Thus, behind the many humorous traits and funny situations, Vice-Versa 2 slaps us in the face, with meaningful reflections . The place of joy is called into question, and that is heavy and powerful. Yes, if that’s the question you were asking, Vice-Versa 2might bring you a few tears. Nevertheless, this new installment is full of hope for how to manage these new emotions. And if we leave the dark room with a tight throat and a slightly heavy heart, it’s with a smile on our lips.

In your comfort zone (but not only that!)

With each new project, Disney and Pixar amaze us. Visually, Vice-Versa 2 is sensational and we don't have much to say. The feature film is a show of force, like every new film produced by Disney and Pixar. If we are amazed, we cannot say that we are really surprised. It’s beautiful, it’s fluid, but it’s the usual recipe. At the same time, how can we blame them? This is also why we are going to see the feature film.

© Pixar/Disney

If Disney and Pixar remain in their comfort zone, the studios manage to explore new avenues when Riley's original emotions take a turn towards the young girl's best-kept secrets. For a few minutes, Vice-Versa 2 tries out other graphic styles and multiplies the references for our greatest pleasure. Ultimately, this makes sense since we remember that in the first film, this had already been touched upon.

Verdict: what a joy to find Vice-Versa

Vice-Versa 2don't disappoint us. If the first film set the bar very high, the new opus does not flinch under the pressure and does not give in to the erroneous beliefs of Anxiety. It is at once beautiful, funny, poignant… Vice-Versa 2 is unfailingly accurate and stands out as an excellent representation of adolescence but also, and above all, anxiety.

This new feature film from Pixar should fill young and old alike with joy, as the subjects covered are universal and multi-generational. If you want to experience a multitude of emotions, Vice-Versa 2 is to be seen and re-watched without moderation in the dark rooms of France.

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