Inside Out 2 (2024)
Directed by Kelsey Mann
Written by Meg Lefauve
Starring Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Lewis Black, Tony Hale, Adele Exarchopoulis, Phyllis Smith, Ayo Edibiri, Paul Walter Hauser
Release Date June 14th, 2024
Published June 14th, 2024
I used to anticipate a new Pixar release like other people anticipate a new Marvel release. The beauty of animation and the ambitious stories being told were inspiring. Pixar shaped generations of kids, helped them to think critically, and helped them learn to appreciate art while remaining magical and a joy to look at. The pandemic and Disney's internal rot as they let hedge fund managers and stock analysts take hold of their creative products has now infected the once pristine land of Pixar.
The company that once prided itself on pioneering the world of animation has now begun laying off employees. They have slashed budgets, cut back on the creative teams, you can see the diminishing returns in both box office and in the quality of the animation they are putting out. It's still an industry standard but we've gone over the peak of Pixar, it's all downhill from here, it would seem. My thesis statement for this Pixar hot take is Inside Out 2. Sequels, reboots, and prequels are the last refuge of scoundrels in Hollywood and while Pixar has been in the sequel business for a few years, the growing reliance on memorable intellectual product or I.P is beginning to dim the once bright star of the animation genre.
Find my full length review at Geeks.Media, linked here.
