Inside Out 22024

Verdict: 🥇 MUST SEE I was worried when I discovered Pete Docter wasn’t returning to direct, but his DNA and the essence of Inside Out are on full display in this beautifully orchestrated sequel to what I consider to be one of Pixar’s most important films. In fact, I believe it actually stands at the top of the Pixar mountain of work as a crowning achievement in everything Pixar does best. In Pixar fashion, and in the signature way only Pixar has been able to achieve, the climax is undeniably powerful. The mix of emotions, the role of each emotion, and their realization of their roles… it’s all weaved together in a way that’s not only entertaining, but also highly educational and psychologically-grounded. My only significant criticism with Inside Out 2 is actually the same as I have with the original: many times the mind’s characters have to cram in too much dialogue at once, veering into cacophony. Yet, it is still quite effective, a mind at the stage Riley’s is at does tend to move a mile a minute. This film, like Inside Out and Finding Dory, will be a new powerful tool in helping a whole swath of humanity to understand the emotions they feel, and to give those emotions the console when they are needed most. And I love that about Pixar.