Critics have seen the first 30 minutes of Disney and Pixar's Inside Out 2, and their reactions and reviews were, well, emotional.
Set to release in theaters on June 14, the sequel to 2015's Inside Out 2 explores what happens when Riley enters her teen years and gains a new batch of emotions, including Anxiety voiced by Maya Hawke.
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Reactions to Inside Out 2 Preview
At 2024 CinemaCon, attendees previewed the first half-hour of Inside Out 2 and shared their reactions (and a few feelings) on X (formerly Twitter).
For instance, Tessa Smith from Mama's Geeky raved about the latest Pixar entry, describing it as "my fave Pixar film" and "a PERFECT sequel:"
"Over the moon after seeing 30 mins of 'Inside Out 2'! 'Inside Out' is my fave Pixar film & this starts out as a PERFECT sequel. It's hilarious. Pacing is flawless. Animation is stunning. Story has me hooked. Extremely relatable as a parent of a teen. Loved it! GET HYPED!"
Karama from The Blerd Girl particularly referenced the film's new characters, calling Ennui, Depression, and Anxiety "hilarious:"
"We saw 30 minutes of 'Inside Out 2' at CinemaCon and Amy Poehler was there to queue it up. The new characters Ennui, Depression and Anxiety are hilarious"
Critic Jeffrey Harris also loved "all the new emotions" and teased "some hilarious surprises:"
"Disney CinemaCon: Amy Poehler is here live to introduce the first 30 minutes of footage of 'Inside Out 2'. I love all the new emotions. Definitely looks like a worthy sequel so far and there are some hilarious surprises."
After seeing the preview, Shahbaz posted "this entry is going to be a HUGE HIT!," explaining how Inside Out 2 "takes what the first one so good and deepens its roots and beliefs:"
"The 35 minutes we saw of 'Inside Out 2' prove that this entry is going to be a HUGE HIT! It takes what made the first one so good and deepens its roots and beliefs. The crowd was LOVING IT! Maya Hawke as anxiety & Ayo Edebiri as Envy are PERFECT!"
Scott Menzel took the praise a step further, calling Inside Out 2 "the best Pixar movie in about a decade:"
"'Inside Out 2' looks like the best Pixar movie in about a decade. The footage shown was very funny. Maya Hawke as Anxiety is the scene stealer so far."
In terms of what to expect, Coy Jandreau noted the sequel introduces "incredible new concepts," including "threads of BELIEF" and "forming a sense of self:"
"'Inside Out 2' introduces some incredible new concepts *threads of BELIEF, the concept of forming a sense of self* not to mention new characters like Envy/Anxiety/Embarrassment. Forgot how much I loved this world. Impressive way to paint the human condition."
Germain Lussier also referenced new elements in the film, including "some deep dark secrets" and a "16 bit Final Fantasy type character:"
"The only bad thing about seeing footage from 'Inside Out 2' is that to end. We saw the new emotions but then also some deep dark secrets, one of which is a hand drawn cartoon character as well as a 16 bit Final Fantasy type character. Looks amazing."
Robert Butler III from Geeks of Color agreed with the consensus that Inside Out 2 features "hilarious new characters" and looks to be a "worthy sequel:"
"'INSIDE OUT 2' follows Riley dealing with puberty and new, more extreme emotions, We’re introduced to hilarious new characters like ANXIETY, ENVY, EMBARRASSMENT, and so many more. It is very very funny. Looks like a worthy sequel"
The Movie Podcast's Daniel Baptista, however, particularly championed The Bear's Ayo Edebiri as Envy, calling her a "a fan favourite:"
"Ayo Edebiri as Envy is going to be a fan favourite in 'Inside Out 2'. All the new Emotions feel so naturally intertwined into the story"
Finally, Jillian from Offscreen Central particularly praised "all the thought" Pixar put into how "emotions develop as we get older:"
"'Inside Out 2' perfectly nailing how anxiety manifests from dwelling and predicting moments that haven’t happened yet, love all the thought into how this emotions develop as we get older."
In addition, Jillian posted that the sequel "will not disappoint," teasing the "same charisma and wacky humor" and "non stop laughs:"
"'Inside Out 2' will not disappoint, possessing the same charisma and wacky humor as the first the sequel dives more into sense of self and belief, non stop laughs mixed with cynicism and a very compelling story feeling traditional Pixar"
No Anxiety About Inside Out 2
Given critics' overwhelmingly positive reactions to just the first 30 minutes of Inside Out 2, it sounds like Pixar fans have no need to feel "anxiety" (pun fully intended) about the quality of the sequel or its new cast.
Speaking of which, in addition to Maya Hawke's Anxiety and Ayo Edebiri's Envy, the film's new batch of characters consists of Adèle Exarchopoulos as Ennui, who personifies boredom and apathy, as well as Paul Walter Hauser as Embarrassment.
As the sequel nears its release date, audiences should expect to hear more about Inside Out 2 and the rest of the film in the coming weeks.
Inside Out 2 arrives in theaters on June 14.
Check out more Inside Out 2 and Pixar stories below:
New Inside Out 2 Trailer Confirms Major Pixar Shared Universe Theory
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