Watch Review: Inside Out 2 Details Pros Of Having Anxiety?

Inside out 2 features new emotions, but the movie was a real snoozer! Nothing compares to Inside Out 1, due to its honest and unique approach at such complex topics, and use of emotion (no pun intended.) However, after watching Inside Out 2, the message is important and once you fight through the plot, the moral will hit you where it hurts. I am aware that the movie was intended for kids, yet it felt a bit too childish in comparison to the first movie. Many people are still recovering from the scene with Bing Bong. The jokes and comedic elements fell short and I felt disconnected from the overall storyline. Again, I am past the teeny bopper age, but connecting with and enjoying children's movies is not uncommon for me. Nonetheless, I held on strong and I would say the last 15-25 minutes of the movie shifted my rating from two stars to three. No spoilers, but here are five takeaways to keep near and dear to your heart from Inside Out 2!

Anxiety is not 100% bad, but when left to it's own devises it can become dangerous and out of control

The Inside out 2 Anxiety character was a tornado! As viewers, we identify that Anxiety's intention was to help Riley and one can argue that Anxiety wanted the best for Riley. Yet, to offer another perspective, one can also argue that Anxiety had its own best interest in mind. Was Anxiety pushing Riley to perfection for her, or to appease its own needs? Unfortunately, Anxiety utilized false beliefs and fear of the unknown to drive Riley over the edge. Similar to fear, anxiety worked within Riley's body to amplify worry, nervousness, and uneasiness. Anxiety thrived in thoughts of the past, fear of the future and unknown, hyper fixations, and hypotheticals. As the movie progresses, we watch Anxiety evolve to a point of uncontrollability, which forces Riley to abandon her core beliefs, abandon her friends, and lose complete control of her emotions. In the end, Anxiety remains within Riley, but through the assistance of Joy and the other emotions, Anxiety has the necessary tools to manage their feelings and beliefs. To truly work with Riley, instead of against her.

Perfection is the thief of joy 

Riley was a star hockey player and enjoyed the sport. She loved playing with her friends, however once the stakes elevated and her anxiety began to peak she abandoned her love for the game, and replaced it with a love for approval and acceptance. With perfection, we see that we can’t completely blame Anxiety. Instead, we identify that Joy also contributes to Riley’s untimely breakdown. Which brings me to the next key takeaway! 

Joy and happiness are important, but when used as a form of manipulation both can become toxic

Joy was inadvertently manipulating Riley’s core beliefs and memories to spotlight her more positive qualities and manipulate her account. To protect Riley, Joy believed that suppression and avoidance was necessary to maintain Riley’s self-image and sense of self. Joy eliminated moments of embarrassment, guilt, shame, and many others creating a pseudo image of perfection, similar to Anxiety. As Joy engages in toxic positivity while on the journey, eventually she cracks under the pressure, abandoning the toxic positivity and openly expressing her true feelings. Joy, like Anxiety, was attempting to transform Riley into who she wanted her to become, rather than who she was. Riley is a flawed and complex developing young girl. However, at her core and left to her own influence, her values remain true when they are not influenced by anxiety or false positivity.  

Be yourself and those who love you for you, will show up and remain true 

My favorite scene within the movie, was Riley's worst moment. As to not spoile the movie, I can share that as someone that has experienced panic or anxiety attacks, they're not fun. They're actually scary and invoke feelings of a lack of control of your own body. During Riley's darkest and loneliest moment, her friend saw her. Even after Riley dismissed her, amidst other things, Riley's friend showed up for her. Riley was attempting to impress a group of girls that did not know her (the real her), let alone like her. Riley's friends knew her, the real her, when she needed them the most they showed up and supported her. Remain true to yourself and the people that love you for you will stick around.

The self-talk that we engage in and beliefs that we hold are important and powerful!

"I am not enough" roared through the theater and I wept a bit. Riley went from having such high self-esteem and values, to not knowing who she was or what she was capable of. Been there! A pivotal moment in the movie is when Joy realizes that she must abandon the old core belief, the one rooted in her influence and allow Riley to foster her own core belief. Once Joy removed the original core belief, Riley's true beliefs begin to manifest. The good, bad, and ugly, however at the core of her core belief her true self shined through. 

In closing, your emotions are not fact, but they are important and impactful! Caring about the future and accessing the past is necessary, however avoid allowing these thoughts to consume you! "Be where your feet are." I will say, sadness really held it down within this movie and unfortunately we villainize negative emotions, but they are necessary components of the human experience. 

My sister fell asleep, but woke up once the movie started to pick up momentum. My God-mom did not fall a sleep which is a good sign, but the movie was indeed still a snoozer. Watch it for yourself and let us know your thoughts!