Every bit as emotional as the original

The original Disney/Pixar film “Inside Out” was the first animated movie I named the best film of any year, which was 2015. It was the masterpiece that introduced us to five emotions: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust. They’re the colorful characters that help function our minds and spirits, while having their own life lessons on growing up. It was also an honor to meet the director Pete Docter and producer Jonas Rivera at that advanced screening, which, much to my surprise, cost $5 to get inside.

9 years later, we now have “Inside Out 2,” which gives us 4 more emotions: Anxiety, Envy, Ennui, and, of course, Embarrassment. What isn’t an emotional movie without embarrassment?

Now, rest assured, this sequel is a miracle. One that captures the magic and heart of the original, and pushes itself to new limits. You could say: I was filled with Joy, Anger, and Sadness from beginning to end.

Their human girl Riley (voiced by Kensington Tallman) is now a teenager, and she isn’t turning into a red panda, but she is developing into a hockey player who now is ambitious enough to impress the top hockey coaches. That’s when Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler) finds away to get rid of Riley’s bad moments (which I’m jealous about), and that’s when Anxiety (voiced by Maya Hawke) comes in. And since she’s anxious to believe the teen won’t succeed at hockey camp, she orders Joy, Sadness (voiced by Phyllis Smith), Fear (now voiced by Tony Hale), Anger (voiced by Lewis Black), and Disgust (now voiced by Liza Lapira) out of Riley’s mind, so she, Envy (voiced by Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (voiced by Paul Walter Hauser), and Ennui (voiced by Adele Exarchopoullos) can take over.

There are so many wonderful aspects of “Inside Out 2,” but I can only name a few.

There’s Bloofy (voiced by Ron Funches), who is a traditionally animated purple “Blue’s Clues” dog with aqua eyes and a “Dora the Explorer” pouch.

There’s also a romantic hint between Sadness and Embarrassment, which makes sense because of their tones and personalities.

And there’s something called the Sarcasm, which can turn the sweetest words into the meanest. I bet your reaction to this paragraph is “Whoop de do,” and I already knew it was sarcasm. My reaction: “Sheesh.”

But I am not being sarcastic about my reaction to this sequel, which is produced by Docter and Rivera, written by Kelsey Mann (“Monsters University,” “Onward”), Meg LeFauve (“Inside Out”), and Dave Holstein (“Weeds”), and directed by Mann. Poehler is able to keep her joyful spirit as Joy, while Hawke is able to broaden her horizons as a young actress and puts all her energy into Anxiety. These two emotions struggle to keep Riley on the right path, but they both eventually acknowledge that there’s more to her than meets the eye.

And we have seen the story about how one person’s ambitions can affect her BFFs before, but, every once in a while, we get pure emotions and sincerity within the formula. This sequel qualifies in this round.

I acknowledge the cynicism out there that sequels as fresh as the original are few and far between. And I know there are some adults who believe animated movies are noisy, especially when they’re aimed for kids. But “Inside Out 2” is one of the best sequels, and it’s aimed for both crowds, especially since some parents get annoyed by interactive characters. And in Pixar terms, I think this franchise and “Toy Story” have a lot in common.

And like the first movie, I think Joy has taken over my emotions, and I’m glad she did.