Summary
Like any other Pixar movie,Inside Out 2has Easter eggs and references to other Pixar movies, but it missed the perfect chance to connect to a recent Pixar hit with a 95% score onRotten Tomatoes. After some challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic that forced Pixar to release some of its movies on Disney+, the studio has gone back to its normal release plan. After the release ofLightyearand the original storyElemental, Pixar moved on with a sequel to Pete Docter’s 2015 movieInside Out, simply titledInside Out 2.
Inside Out 2catches up with Riley, now a 13-year-old girl about to enter high school. Riley enters puberty right before attending hockey camp with her best friends, where she has to deal with the news of her friends attending another high school and the pressure of fitting in with her school’s hockey team. Meanwhile, Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust are surprised by the arrival of Anxiety, Ennui, Envy, and Embarrassment, who change the dynamic at the Headquarters.Inside Out 2has a good dose of Pixar references, but it missed the perfect chance to connect toTurning Red.
Inside Out 2’s 21 Easter Eggs & Pixar References Explained
Inside Out 2, the long-awaited sequel to Pixar’s beloved 2015 movie Inside Out, contains a number of Easter eggs and references to other Pixar movies.
Turning Red’s 4*TOWN Could’ve Been Riley’s Favorite Band In Inside Out 2
A key element in Mei’s story is her strong bond with her best friends Miriam, Priya, and Abby, who share their love for the boy band 4*Town.
Turning Redwas the last of Pixar’s batch of movies that were released directly on Disney+ due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, that heavily impacted its reception with the general audience, but it’s one of the most critically acclaimed Pixar movies in recent years. Directed by Domee Shi,Turning Redtook viewers to Toronto, Ontario in 2002 to meet Mei Lee, a 13-year-old Chinese-Canadian student who discovers she carries a generational curse in which, once she hits puberty, she transforms into a giant red panda whenever she experiences any strong emotion.
Turning Redhas a 95% critics score onRotten Tomatoes, with critics praising its animation style, cultural references, humor, and story.
A key element in Mei’s story is her strong bond with her best friends Miriam, Priya, and Abby, who share their love for the boy band 4Town.The band ends up playing a part in the climax ofTurning Redas 4Town’s concert is the setting for the confrontation between Mei and her mother, Ming, with Mei’s friends and 4Town joining Mei’s aunts and grandmother in singing to complete the ritual needed to contain Ming’s red panda. 4Town became one of the most memorable elements fromTurning Red, and they could have easily returned inInside Out 2.
Among Riley’s likes is a boy band named Get Up and Glow, but Pixar had the perfect chance to make 4*Town her favorite band.
At the beginning ofInside Out 2, Joy helps the audience catch up with what has changed in Riley and what she now likes and dislikes. Among Riley’s likes is a boy band named Get Up and Glow, but Pixar had the perfect chance to make 4*Town her favorite band.The band exists in the world ofInside Out 2as Riley had a poster of it in her room, but Get Up and Glow was made into her favorite.
Who Is 4*Town? Turning Red’s Boy Band Influences Explained
A big part of Pixar’s Turning Red is the boy band Mei and her friends adore - 4*Town. We break down the real-life boy bands that influenced them.
Turning Red & Inside Out 2’s Crossover Would Highlight Their Similar Themes
Turning Red & Inside Out 2 Addressed The Same Themes In Different Ways
Both Mei and Riley are going through puberty in their respective movies.
Turning RedandInside Out 2are different stories in different settings, but they cover the same themes. Both Mei and Riley are going through puberty in their respective movies, but while Mei’s process is represented through a generational curse and a giant red panda, Riley’s is represented through her actual emotions living in her head. However,they go through similar situations and problems, such as with their social lives, their bodies, and their parents, and have some shared interests as well, such as boy bands.
Turning RedandInside Out 2could have been the perfect Pixar crossover thanks to their themes of puberty and being a teenage girl.
Mei and Riley’s love for 4*Town and Get Up and Glow are important in their stories in different ways – as mentioned above, for Mei it was a way of bonding with her friends and the band was key in the final confrontation, while Riley’s love for Get Up and Glow was also a bonding experience with her friends, but also a topic used to highlight social pressure and awkwardness.
Turning RedandInside Out 2could have been the perfect Pixar crossover thanks to their themes of puberty and being a teenage girl, and it could have been as subtle as making 4*Town Riley’s favorite band (even if many years have passed since the events ofTurning Red).
Turning Red: Why 2002 Was The Perfect Setting For Pixar’s Latest Movie
Turning Red is set specifically in the year 2002, and that decision is great for millennials looking to revel in the nostalgia of the time.
Inside Out 2 Connecting To Turning Red Would Strengthen The Pixar Universe Theory
The Pixar Universe Theory Gets More & More Confusing
Although Riley’s 4*Town poster already creates a connection betweenInside Out 2andTurning Red, Pixar could have made it a lot stronger and better by making the band Riley’s favorite.
As mentioned above, one of Pixar’s traditions is adding Easter eggs and references to past (and future) movies, which have led to the famous Pixar Universe Theory. The theory brings togetherall Pixar moviesin a timeline that is confusing at some points, and it begins withThe Good Dinosaur. The theory continues with toys coming to life, humanity being destroyed, sentient cars taking over, monsters traveling to the past, and more. With more and more Pixar movies being released, it’s harder to place them in the theory, butInside Out 2connecting toTurning Redcould have made this easier.
6 Biggest Reasons The Pixar Theory Doesn’t Work
The Pixar Theory states that all Disney Pixar films exist within one universe and timeline - but there are several foundational issues with this idea.
Although Riley’s 4*Town poster already creates a connection betweenInside Out 2andTurning Red, Pixar could have made it a lot stronger and better by making the band Riley’s favorite. Pixar completely missed this perfect chance, but the similarities betweenInside Out 2andTurning Redare very clear and won’t go unnoticed among Pixar fans.
Inside Out 2
Inside Out 2 is the sequel to the 2015 original film, which starred a young girl named Riley with a head full of emotions. - literally. With Amy Pohler as Joy, Bill Hader as fear, Mindy Kaling as Disgust, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, and Lewis Black as Anger, the all-star cast brought to life the emotions that adolescents face as they grow, change, and adapt to new situations. This sequel, currently in development, will bring Amy Pohler back as Joy, with Riley, now a teenager.
