The screening room | “Inside Out 2,” an imaginative, witty and insightful classic

What has made Pixar films the benchmark for modern animation is their ability to not only dazzle us with their imaginative visuals and tickle our funny bones with their unique characters, but also to push us towards the ‘introspection. For both adults and children, “Toy Story,” “Monsters Inc.”, “Finding Nemo” and others evoke vivid and illicit childhood memories that, reflected upon after years, provide the viewer with more aged not only a poignant feeling. nostalgia, but also a meaningful reflection on who we were and who we have become.

“Inside Out 2” achieves this and is one of the studio’s best efforts, a film that doesn’t feel like a sequel but rather a natural continuation of the examination of a young girl’s life. Director Kelsey Mann has constructed a charming, intelligent, inventive and engaging film from start to finish, exploring not only the awkward and humorous aspects of adolescence, but also the confusion and turmoil that accompany this sometimes traumatic change.

Having adjusted to her family’s move to San Francisco, Riley (voiced by Kensington Tallman) leads a busy and active life. She excels in school, shows empathy towards others, makes her parents proud on several occasions, and excels at hockey with her two best friends, Grace and Bree (Grace Lu and Sumayyah Nuriddin-Green, respectively). Big things happen as the trio is invited to an exclusive hockey camp where they hope to impress the high school coach. The problem is that Riley learns that her friends will be attending a different school in the fall. The fact that Riley is entering puberty compounds the torment of this life-changing revelation.

The well-managed emotional center of his brain, run by joy (Amy Poehler), anger (Lewis Black), sadness (Phyllis Smith), fear (Tony Hale) and disgust (Liza Lapira), has been literally razed to the ground by arrival. of anxiety (Maya Hawke), envy (Ayo Edebiri), boredom (Adele Exarchopoulos) and embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser).

As expected, this transition is not going smoothly. Emotions immediately clash, leading to violent mood swings for Riley, just when she needs to keep her cool among a group of peers she wants to impress. His original sense of self has been destroyed and sent to the depths of his mind, where the original five emotions travel in an attempt to restore the emotional center they worked so hard to create.

The imagination on display is astounding as the animators take abstract concepts and bring them to life. Joy and her sidekicks travel on the stream of consciousness, which contains an ever-changing collection of objects based on what Riley is thinking about. Equally amusing is a brainstorm they have to endure as they have to dodge light bulbs of various kinds while our heroine furiously tries to find a solution to a pressing problem.

Touches like these, and many others, are a tribute to screenwriters Meg LeFauve and Dave Holstein and the army of animators at their disposal. Innovative and intelligent, the film amazes at every turn with the inventive way in which a myriad of emotions are brought to life.

Yet the most important aspect of the film is how well it captures Riley’s problems. There is a universal quality to the way her trials are presented, a sense of empathy felt for her every step of the way. The issue of mental health and the stigma surrounding seeking help to maintain it has now come to the forefront, a crisis that millions of adolescents are grappling with.

If nothing else, “Inside Out 2” is an important tool in helping tweens realize they’re not alone in their struggles. Mann and Co. have created an essential tool to facilitate discussion of these issues, a contribution that cannot be overstated.

As such, the film transcends genre conventions and becomes much more than just entertainment. Pixar has created a timeless, instant classic that will spark conversation among parents and their children.

“Inside Out 2” poignantly reflects on everything that makes us who we are, brilliantly highlighting that we are the sum of all our emotions, good and bad. Ultimately, reminding ourselves that accepting ourselves as we are – both the good and the not-so-good aspects of who we are – is its greatest gift.

“Inside Out 2”

★★★★ Actors: Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Tony Hale, Liza Lapira, Maya Hawke, Ayo Edebiri, Paul Walter Hauser, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan and John Ratzenberger. Directed by Kelsey Mann; produced by Mark Nielsen; screenplay by Dave Holstein and Meg LeFauve. A Disney Films release. 100 minutes. Rated PG. At AMC Champaign 13, Harvest Moon Drive-in and Savoy 16 IMAX.