Inside Out 2 is neck-and-neck with the original film… though I give it the edge due to a more emotionally complex story.

It follows the same premise as the original but adds depth to Riley’s internal and external personality because she is, after all, growing up. She’s now thirteen (with zits) and working hard to become a star ice hockey player. But her friend group is challenged and she wants to prove herself to her new teammates. Meanwhile, hitting puberty has caused upgrades in her mind… which includes all new, more complex emotions.

I both laughed and thought throughout this film… it’s got a genuinely strong sense of humor (often led by Lewis Black’s Anger, once again) but also enough complexity to mull over. It once again does a solid of job of emulating our inner selves through these characters and concepts… with my favorite new addition being teenage sarcasm (the representation of which was a real hoot).

I’m a little mixed on the set of new emotions… though Anxiety is the star with the most to do. Ennui is a fun joke but she didn’t do enough for how cool the concept is. Embarrassment was adorable and Envy barely makes a dent (I often forgot what her character model represented).

Anxiety is a complicated emotion in this smart film. It speaks to all of us since the emotion is so present in most of our lives. The way they used the it was interesting… sometimes feeling important to a three dimensional inner life but also letting it run amok. I enjoyed and appreciated its depiction.

The bulk of the film in the real world takes place on the ice with some excellent depictions of hockey. The way the emotionally fraught third act played out in a penalty box was fantastic. I loved the chaos inside Riley and how that storm manifested itself in her anxiety in the real world. It’s a good, complex message for kids about growing up and dealing with internalized fear.

There’s also a handful of new internalized characters that are a fun play on different animation styles. I wish there were more of them… I could have handled knock-off Cloud Strife through the whole movie!

I’m calling this one slightly better than the original… and just this side of Pixar greatness. But it gets very close and I’m happy to say that it might represent the return of unapologetically quality Pixar.

Score: 87