Inside Out 2 is a perfectly serviceable movie. It’s fine. I was almost shocked at how fine it was, given how bad it could have been, how easily gender identity politics could slide in,
I almost thought Disney could no longer help itself. It was too busy careening down a slope usually reserved for suicidal snow skiers. They keep sliding down, not because they particularly want to, but because they don’t know what else to do except propel themselves forward as the concrete below looms closer and closer.
But a show like Andor still happened. And a movie like Inside Out 2 still got made. The engine is coughing fumes, but it still kicks out a little power every once in a while.
Inside Out 2 is not a great movie. It’s a sequel that follows the paths of its predecessor. More of the same but slightly different. I suspect this is why it wasn’t a total disaster. The molds from the first movie were still viable, so they re-used them, which didn’t leave room for many changes to the structure. They handcuffed themselves.
And that’s a good thing.