JASON EVANS' 100-WORD REVIEWS: Inside Out 2

Pixar returns to form

Film critic Jason Evans has made it his mission to tell you everything you need to know about movies in less time than it takes to make an emotional choice. His reviews are exactly 100 words long (99 is too short and 101 is excessive). Here is his 100-word review of Inside Out 2.

The Premise: Riley is now 13 and is ready to enter high school. Her core emotions – Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust – are excited because Riley has a perfect sense of self as a good person. Riley’s two great loves in life are hockey and her two best friends, Bree and Grace. But, when Riley suddenly enters puberty, her emotions go haywire as Anxiety, Embarrassment, Envy, and Ennui enter the picture and start to take over. Soon, Riley is willing to toss aside her friendships and break all the rules in an effort to make the varsity hockey team. Riley’s emotions are forced to cross the “sar-chasm” and float down the “stream of consciousness” as they try to find her sense of self again. The movie features the voice work of Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith (The Office), comedian Lewis Black, Maya Hawke (Stranger Things), and many others.

The 100-words: Is there anything more accurate than Anxiety and Envy taking over the brain of a teenager? This is a wonderful continuation of the insightful and funny original film. The voice work and quality of the animation are top notch. The story has a couple moments that lag but I was repeatedly laughing and the pace is excellent in the final third. Kids will laugh at the silly jokes and adults will marvel at the illumination of the human condition. I found so many moments that took me back to my own youth. Well worth seeing, no matter what your age.

Reach out to Jason Evans on Twitter @JasonDukeEvans