Review: ‘Inside Out 2’ is a real winner with positive messages about emotions, jokes for all ages

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: PG
Runtime: 1 hour, 36 minutes

It’s been 11 years since we first met Riley in the first “Inside Out” film. She’s now officially a teenager as she prepares for high school while attending a hockey camp. Her current emotions of Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness are smoothly operating inside her. When the Puberty Alarm sounds and new emotions Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment and Ennui come aboard, they make Riley’s life complex. Anxiety takes hold of Riley and things get out of control. Joy and the crew must get to Riley’s sense of self before it’s too late.

“Inside Out 2” stars Amy Poehler, Maya Hawke, Kensington Tallman, Liza Lapria, Tony Hale, Lewis Black, Phyllis Smith, Ayo Edebiri, Lilimar, Adele Exarchopoulos, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan, Paul Walter Hauser, Yvette Nicole Brown and Ron Funches.

Teenager Riley (Tallman) is playing an intense game of hockey. Her emotions of Joy (Poheler), Fear (Hale), Anger (Black), Disgust (Lapira) and Sadness (Smith) are helping to keep Riley in check. She’s the top of her class and is a really kind person. Her original five emotions are helping to protect Riley. As she grows up her memories are creating beliefs, and her beliefs are creating a sense of self.

When the high school hockey coach (Brown) invites her to a hockey camp, she sees it as a promising chance for her to show how good she is.

Out of nowhere, the Puberty Alarm sounds, and everything goes off the rails. A demolition crew comes in and starts ripping Riley’s command center apart.

New emotions of Anxiety (Hawke), Envy (Edebiri), Embarrassment (Hauser) and Ennui (Exarchopoulos) become a part of Riley. On her way to hockey camp, Riley gets some upsetting news.

At the hockey camp, Riley meets the star high school hockey player, Val (Lilimar). Val is very nice to her and Riley picks hanging out with Val over hanging out with her friends, Bree and Grace.

Over time, the new emotions want to rebuild Riley’s sense of self. The new emotions bottle up the old emotions. This makes Riley experience a lot of change. Riley has trouble fitting in.

“Inside Out 2” features a lot of jokes for kids and adults; one of my favorites is when the ‘old’ emotions are heading down Riley’s stream of consciousness and encounter a sar-chasm, which creates problems for the original five emotions. They also come across a rumor mill and Mount Crushmore featuring boys Riley likes. The dialogue that accompanies the discovery of these places is extremely well-written.

Anger accuses Joy of being delusional on their way to save Riley from Anxiety’s takeover. Anxiety is using Riley’s imagination against her. It’s not about who Riley is, it’s about who she needs to be. Joy doesn’t know if she can stop Anxiety.

What a phenomenal movie; full of laughs, lessons and, in typical Pixar fashion, heart. Like most movies Pixar has released in the last 10-plus years, this one really works on a level that appeals to kids and adults. The characters are funny, and this movie does a good job explaining various emotions to a younger audience. What really stood out to me was the incredibly intelligent dialogue and storyline as well as the off-handed comments made by these characters that really made this movie enjoyable. I would even wager that this sequel is better than the original – something I haven’t experienced since “Toy Story 2.” Anxiety being the villain in this movie resonated with me, for reasons I don’t need to get into here. This was a sweet movie that I encourage parents and kids to watch together. It will definitely put a smile on your face.

Pouchy gives it two sticks of dynamite up.

Now playing in theaters. <

Review: ‘Thelma’ not action-packed, but still a decent movie

By Matt Pascarella

Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 1 hour, 37 minutes

Inspired by a real-life storyline that happened to writer and director Josh Margolin’s grandmother, “Thelma” tells the story of a 93-year-old grandmother who is tricked into mailing $10,000 when she thinks her grandson is in trouble. Once she realizes this was all a lie, she tries to figure out a way to get that money back – but she can’t do it alone.

“Thelma” stars June Squibb, Richard Roundtree, Fred Hechinger, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, Bunny Levine, Nicole Bayer, Annie O’Donnell, Shelia Korsi, and Chase Kim.

Thelma (Squibb) is very close with her grandson, Danny (Hechinger). When she receives a call from a scammer whom she thinks is Danny telling her he’s been in an accident and needs $10,000 for bail, she follows the instructions and sends the money through the post office. She later finds out Danny is fine and that this is a fairly common scam.

The police cannot help, because she’s already mailed the money. It’s at this point that her daughter Gail (Posey) wonders if living alone is the best thing for Thelma.

When Thelma sees an article about Tom Cruise, who she was recently informed does all his own stunts, she decides she’s going to get her money back. She has the address of where she mailed it to, now she just needs a way to get there, as she no longer drives.

Thelma visits her friend, Ben (Roundtree) and lets him in on her plan. She steals his scooter but doesn’t get very far. After Thelma threatens to test his titanium hip, Ben won’t let her go on this excursion alone. She leaves without letting her family know what she’s doing. They soon worry and try to get her declared a missing person.

“We’re not what we were, and we need to take care of each other,” says Ben.

They have an argument, and something happens to hinder their transportation. Thelma may be in over her head.

After a while, Ben returns to Thelma. She makes some personal confessions. They catch a ride to the address where the post office box is located. They may have tracked down the individual who took her money.

Based on writer and director Josh Margolin’s real-life experience with his actual grandmother who was almost tricked by scammers pretending to be him. While this movie is a bit of a slow burn to start, it’s worth sticking around for. I’m generally not a fan of June Squibb, but this performance was different; it was the first time in her extensive acting career that she played a starring role.

At the age of 94, Squibb did most of her own stunts. It is funny in parts, while also being sad with the characters acknowledgment of realizing that sometimes you need to ask for help and Thelma admitting that a lot of her friends (and her husband) are gone. There is a very sweet relationship between grandson and grandmother. I did wish this was more of an action-comedy, but there is some action. It’s a reminder that you’re never too old to accomplish a goal – even if you cannot do it alone. I found the interactions with the older family members well-represented and heartfelt. This one is worth watching with relatives of any age.

Three and a quarter out of five stars.

Available to rent. <

Birdwatching remains a popular summer activity in Lakes Region

By Briana Bizier

If you are into birdwatching, you are in the right place for it this summer. Because of its wide variety of ecosystems, the Lakes Region is a wonderful place to birdwatch in Maine. From aquatic species to impressive raptors, you should be able to view a lot of new birds during a visit to the Lakes region this summer.

The pileated woodpecker is just one of the many birds
of beauty spotted throughout Maine in summer. 
COURTESY PHOTO

The many bodies of water in this region offer enormous opportunities for birdwatching. Several of the rivers and small ponds in this area, such as the Tenny River which connects Crescent Lake and Panther Pond, are easily accessible by even a novice kayaker or canoeist. These small waterways are home to many species of waterfowl and marsh birds, such as yellow warblers, northern water thrushes, and flashy red-winged blackbirds.

If you set out in the morning or evening, you may even spot one of Maine’s largest birds, the great blue heron, patiently stalking fish in the tall reeds along the shore. These stately and impressive birds tend to be tolerant of canoes and kayaks, so you may be able to linger if the heron chooses to pose for photos.

Of course, all the lakes and ponds in this area are home to one of Maine’s most famous birds, the iconic common loon. If you haven’t spotted a loon yet, try exploring the marshy edges of a large body of water, like the northern section of Crescent Lake and almost any other body of water in the Lakes Region.

Loons are also frequently found near several swimming areas, such as the beaches at Sebago Lake State Park. Loons tend to make their haunting, prehistoric calls during the morning and evening hours. If you haven’t yet heard a loon, consider booking a campsite at Sebago Lake State Park. Research has shown that the call of a loon is much more impressive if it is heard while sitting around a glowing campfire.

The Lake Region’s northern deciduous forests, composed mostly of red oak, white pine, sugar maple, red maple, and eastern hemlock, are also home to a wide variety of bird species.

In addition to spotting Maine’s state bird, the black-capped chickadee, birders may see the brilliant flash of a goldfinch or scarlet tanager swooping between the trees on any of our local hiking trails.

Southern Maine’s woods are also home to a wide variety of species of woodpecker, including the impressive pileated woodpecker, which can be very large, with a wingspan of nearly 30 inches, and very loud. If you hear what sounds like an axe hitting a tree somewhere deep in the forest, chances are good there’s a pileated woodpecker at work! Another way to identify the presence of a pileated woodpecker is to watch for holes in the trees. Pileated woodpeckers carve large and distinctive rectangular shaped holes in wood to get at carpenter ants and other insects.

Speaking of impressive birds, the Lakes Region is home to many birds of prey, including bald eagles, red-tailed hawks, kestrels, and merlins. Bald eagles are usually spotted swooping over a stretch of open water or lingering majestically in the top of tall pines along the water’s edge.

To experience views of other birds of prey, try a short hiking activity. Hacker’s Hill Preserve in Casco offers beautiful views and hosts an annual Hawk-Watch. Even before the fall’s hawk migration, a trip to Hacker’s Hill with a pair of binoculars will usually result in spotting at least one species of raptor gliding on the air currents.

While you’re searching for birds in southern Maine, a little technology can go a long way. The Merlin Bird ID app, produced by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, helps you identify birds by asking a few simple questions about the bird’s size, location, and activities - and then produces a list of likely species. The Merlin app is free, and well worth a download.

Birdwatchers in the Lakes Region are in very good company as the Loon Echo Land Trust, which manages Hacker’s Hill as well as many other hiking trails in the area, hosts frequent birdwatching events throughout the remainder of the summer and into the fall months. <