First Impression: Disney/Pixar has found its old magic. “Inside Out 2” is a smart crowd-pleasing film that will have adults as well as children laughing, thinking, and maybe even shedding a tear or two.

There was a time when Disney/Pixar would release a movie every year and it was a guaranteed critical and commercial success. From “Toy Story”, ”Finding Dory,” “Monsters Inc.,” “Cars,” and “The Incredibles,” Disney was producing high-quality films that were entertaining children and adults alike, which eventually culminated in the greatest Disney/Pixar film to date, “Toy Story 3,” where we were challenged with pondering our own existence and purpose in life. But they still made it fun and exciting for kids—they didn’t get lost in the larger philosophical questions posed by the film.

After all this success, it appeared that Disney/Pixar could do no wrong, that is, until they did. They got greedy, after the purchase of both Marvel Comics and Lucasfilm, aka Star Wars, and it appeared that the House of Mouse lost its focus when it came to producing original stories. Disney became focused on producing already established IPs (intellectual property) that they acquired. New Star Wars series were given the green light, like “The Mandalorian” and “Ashoka.” New Marvel films were made and were in turn added to theme parks. You can now visit Star Wars Land and Marvel-themed sections in both Disneyland and Disney World if you please.

So, with all the retooling it’s understandable that the original side of the Disney/Pixar realm was going to suffer. Post-“Toy Story 3,” Disney/Pixar has produced more flops than successes, with the exception of the first “Inside Out,” “Coco,” and “Encanto.” We saw films like “Onward,” “Turning Red,” “Elemental,” “Luca,” and “Lightyear,” all under-performing and considered bland or overly political by the past gauge of successful Disney/Pixar films.

So that’s why I’m so excited to report that “Inside Out 2” is a welcome return to the old Disney/Pixar magic. The story is solid, the jokes are clever, and the voice acting is top-notch and memorable. We are thrust back inside of Riley, the precocious girl whose mind is occupied by a fictional headquarters that is run by her core emotions: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust.

These core emotions are led by Joy, voiced by the endearing Amy Poehler. Joy is facing a new challenge, as Riley is entering puberty, and headquarters is being renovated. New complex emotions arrive that challenge Joy and the crew. The emotion who’s going to challenge Joy for control of Riley and her emotional well-being is Anxiety, played brilliantly by Maya Hawke of “Stranger Things” fame. Anxiety proves to be quite the thorn in Joy’s side and we are led on a fun adventure throughout Riley’s head.

I don’t want to give away any more of the plot because I don’t want to spoil the fun but the film proves to be a worthy sequel that in many aspects outshines its predecessor in asking very adult questions posed by Joy in dealing with Anxiety and the issues she’s causing Riley. At one point she states, “I don’t know how to stop Anxiety. Maybe that’s what happens when you grow up, you feel less Joy.” That line hit me and I’m still pondering it… when a movie can do that to you it’s worth your attention no matter what age you are.

Final Verdict: 4.5 out of 5 Stars