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Inside Out 2 owes its emotional climax to another beloved Pixar masterpiece

One beloved Pixar movie from 2020 might have slipped through the cracks, but its climax seems to have inspired the hit sequel to Inside Out.

By Ramon Paolo Alfar

EXPANDED HEADQUARTERS -- Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley, where headquarters expands to make room for new Emotions. Pictured from L-R: Joy (voice of Amy Poehler), Embarrassment (voice of Paul Walter Hauser), Envy (voice of Ayo Edebiri), Anxiety (voice of Maya Hawke), Disgust (voice of Liza Lapira), Anger (voice of Lewis Black), Fear (voice of Tony Hale) and Sadness (voice of Phyllis Smith). Directed by Kelsey Mann and produced by Mark Nielsen,
EXPANDED HEADQUARTERS -- Disney and Pixar’s “Inside Out 2” returns to the mind of newly minted teenager Riley, where headquarters expands to make room for new Emotions. Pictured from L-R: Joy (voice of Amy Poehler), Embarrassment (voice of Paul Walter Hauser), Envy (voice of Ayo Edebiri), Anxiety (voice of Maya Hawke), Disgust (voice of Liza Lapira), Anger (voice of Lewis Black), Fear (voice of Tony Hale) and Sadness (voice of Phyllis Smith). Directed by Kelsey Mann and produced by Mark Nielsen, /
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Even in month 2, Inside Out 2 is an undeniable success. Ascending towards one of the top ten highest-grossing films of all time is no small feat. But it truly took strong legs and continuous word-of-mouth to sustain its momentum and land with an estimated $1.6 billion, as of this writing.

Everything has been said about what contributed to its tremendous success, from the story being a worthy addition to Riley’s life journey to the memorable characters. However, one element of the film owes much of its inspiration from another Pixar masterpiece.

And that is the climax of Inside Out 2 being strikingly similar to the climax of 2020’s Soul.

To give a little background, Soul explores the life of lowly teacher Joe, who has dreams of performing in his favorite jazz club. In a sudden mishap, Joe’s soul is separated from his body and lands in the afterlife realm called “The Great Before”. To reunite with his body, Joe teams up with cynical soul 22 and journeys throughout the realm to find a way back.

Eventually, Joe regained control of his body, but 22 was left devastated by Joe’s decision. This leads to her becoming a “lost soul”, a purposeless soul who manifests into a whirlwind-like monster. Joe was able to pacify 22, return her badge and make her worthy to be sent to Earth.

Similarly, in Inside Out 2, when Anxiety frantically controls Riley during a crucial hockey game, it results in a blinding whirlwind within Headquarters and an anxiety attack for Riley. Joy arrives at the nick of time, with Anger, Fear and Disgust, and takes control of the situation. And much like Joe appeasing 22, Joy talks some sense to Anxiety into letting Riley regain her composure. However, it was all of the emotions that repaired Riley’s Sense of Self.

In certain ways, Soul’s 22 and Inside Out 2’s Anxiety have similarities in their personality. Both served as foils to the lead character. Both are natural overthinkers observant of their surroundings. Both face scrutiny from several underlings but are unfazed by their reactions. And both share an ability to cause shenanigans. But 22 is more stubborn than Anxiety.

In terms of emotional impact, the climaxes of both movies effectively summed up their respective themes. Soul helps realize the journey of gaining your life’s purpose, while Inside Out 2 opens up the journey of comprehending your life’s emotions. But to get to that point, it takes a literal whirlwind to push the characters.

The results vary. But overall, they gained overwhelming success and became beloved movies in their own right. Soul became an awards darling back in 2020, and Inside Out 2 became a gigantic box-office hit.

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