Top 10 Things Only Adults Notice in Inside Out 2
#10: A Weekend Alone
It’s not the first time we’ve seen Riley’s dad try to initiate a little something-something. This time, however, the implication feels a little less innocent than a mere kiss. In the car on the way to hockey camp, Mr. Andersen seems to be rather looking forward to some alone time with his wife. His lip-bite and wiggling eyebrows make it clear he has his own ideas for the question he’s asking. Unfortunately, Mrs. Andersen doesn’t notice his subtle suggestiveness, and her husband’s face quickly falls at the mention of using the precious time for chores.
#9: All the Clever Names
Continuing on with this trope from the first movie, we get a few new aptly-named sectors of Riley’s mind. In addition to the ‘Stream of Consciousness’ and the ‘Train of Thought’, we’ve now been introduced to the Sar-chasm. That whole bit was brilliant, by the way. While some of the earliest jokes a person can learn are puns, we don’t imagine the cleverness of the visual representations in Riley’s mind were fully appreciated by some of the younger audience members. We hope Mount Crush-more was not lost on them, at least.
#8: How the Emotions Bonded
The friendship between Sadness and Joy didn’t always come easy, so it’s sweet to see that they’re continuing to get along so well in the second movie. This makes the sight of some of the new emotions bonding so effortlessly with the old ones a little… out of character? Fear, for instance, takes an immediate liking to Anxiety. Meanwhile, Sadness and Embarrassment become friends. When you realize those are emotions that are actually linked in the brain, however, it makes more sense to see their physical embodiments hit it off right from the get-go.
#7: The Character Designs
The original five emotions have character designs that fit them super well but, in the sequel, we can see how things are pushed even further. There’s the obvious stuff, like Envy being so tiny because she’s an emotion that makes you feel small and Embarrassment being the perfect shade to connote blushing. Subtler, however, is Nostalgia’s rose-tinted glasses – you know, the way we all look back on the past? Even the quality of Lance’s animation is perfect for the era of video games he’s pulled from. Incidentally, how many kids do you think caught the gag of Ennui being French because her name derives from the French word for ‘boredom’?
#6: The “1984” Reference
Even if you weren’t around at the time of this commercial’s airing during the Super Bowl XVIII, chances are you’ve seen it online or are at least familiar with spoofs of it. The commercial was itself inspired by George Orwell’s novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four” and produced in order to introduce the Apple Macintosh computer. The scene in “Inside Out 2” where Anxiety gets on the monitors to rally all the Dream Production artists is a very clear reference for anyone familiar with “Nineteen Eighty-Four”. Joy’s efforts to overthrow Anxiety’s control aren’t quite as violent – no sledgehammers involved – but they are effective. The reference is likely an homage to Steve Jobs, who co-founded Apple and was a major player in Pixar’s launch.
#5: The Shift in the Islands
As we progress through our lives, it’s normal to see a change in the things that play a big role in our lives. The focus on friendship over family in adolescence is applicable to nearly everyone out there but it still tugs at the heartstrings to see Riley’s family island, once so big, now relegated to a small, plain three-statue isle. Like, the emotions need binoculars to see it! While it’s played for laughs – especially next to the gargantuan landmass that is Friendship island – it gave some of us the much-needed reminder to give our parents a call.
#4: Lack of Romantic Pursuit
Puberty usually goes hand-in-hand with some big feelings but there’s a notable lack of romantic interests in “Inside Out 2”. Sure, we get Mount Crush-more, where eagle-eyed viewers will spot Jordan from the short “Riley’s First Date?”. But, other than that, there’s no mention of a crush – aside from a boatload of fawning over Val. This leads us to wonder if anything ever did happen with Jordan and whether we missed Riley’s first heartbreak. Of course, romance isn’t necessary to tell Riley’s story but it would be interesting to see her navigate some of those complicated emotions, and perhaps even get a whole new island.
#3: Anxiety’s Arc Parallels Joy’s
The sequel takes the original movie’s message – all emotions serve their purpose – and expands on it wonderfully. This time around, we’re shown that, just like we shouldn’t suppress negative emotions, we shouldn’t suppress the negative parts of ourselves either. In the first “Inside Out”, Joy is bent on ensuring Riley never feels bad and struggles to relinquish control of her. In the sequel, we find her encouraging Anxiety to do just that. Don’t get us wrong, though, Joy still learns her lesson about tossing things she doesn’t like to the back of Riley’s mind.
#2: “You Feel Less Joy”
Ouch – this one’s a whole suckerpunch to the gut. It’s a line that is so plainly directed at the adults, and seems to be made further evident by Joy herself becoming discouraged enough that she's brought to tears at one point. (If Joy herself can become sad, what hope is there for the rest of us? Just kidding. Sort of.) Although we end on a hopeful, positive conclusion, this line is never really contradicted. That’s because you would be hard pressed to make a convincing argument. But, let’s not get too demoralized. It may be harder to find the joy in adulthood, but it’s always there if you’re willing to look – and we wouldn’t be surprised if subsequent movies tackled exactly that premise.
#1: Riley’s Anxiety Attack
Thirteen is already a young age to experience an anxiety attack, so we doubt any of the kids watching really understood how significant a moment it is. It’s hard to watch in general but, if you’re someone who’s dealt with anxiety, you could probably feel Riley’s panic with her. Keen eyes may have also noticed that, the moment Anxiety takes over at the beginning of the film, it’s not just the console that turns orange. Suddenly, orange is everywhere: Riley’s hockey team, the lockers, the bleachers. It serves to symbolize the lens through which she’s now seeing the world. Additionally, we close out the movie recognizing that Anxiety isn’t a villain and is actually helpful in small doses.
How did you like “Inside Out 2” compared to the original movie? Let us know in the comments!
