The much-anticipated sequelInside Out 2(2024) is the latest Pixar movie to feature a litany of fun Easter eggs and hidden Pixar references. Nine years after the originalInside Out(2015) delighted audiences of all ages,Inside Out 2expanded the roster of entities that control the mind of now-13-year-old Riley Andersen by introducingfive new Emotions. As was the case with its predecessor,Inside Out 2has generated a high Rotten Tomatoesscore, which was sorely needed after the last few Pixar movies fell short of the production company’s lofty standards.
Pixar Animation Studios has crafted a tradition of loading their movies with Easter eggs and references to both past and future Pixar films, along with other relevant pop culture nods. The new sequel is no different, as by theend ofInside Out 2,eagle-eyed viewers can catch more than 20 different Easter eggs,some more obvious than others. It can be incredibly difficult to spot everything while trying to enjoy the movie, as many are only on the screen for a few seconds at most, so a guide can be helpful both pre- and post-viewing.
21A John Ratzenberger Cameo
The Iconic Pixar Veteran
One of Pixar’s oldest traditions returns inInside Out 2, as legendary voice actor John Ratzenberger makes a voice cameo for the first time in four years. Known for roles throughout Pixar’s filmography, including Hamm from theToy Storyfranchise, the Yeti fromMonsters, Inc., the Underminer fromThe Incredibles, Mack from theCarsfranchise, and John fromWall-E,the formerCheersactor has a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo midway through the movie.
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He voices Fritz, the Mind Worker, who calls the original Emotions “jerks” after misinterpreting their tone thanks to the Sar-chasm. This is also a repeat role, as Ratzenberger also played Fritz, the Mind Worker, in the original 2015Inside Outmovie as well. The cameo appearance fits perfectly, as Raztzenberger often takes on sarcastic roles himself in both live-action and his numerous Pixar roles. It was also a nice return since Ratzenberger hadn’t voiced a Pixar movie role sinceOnwardin 2020.
20A Tough-To-Spot A113
Not A Traditional Appearance
The famous A113 Easter egg can be found somewhere in each Pixar movie. A113 is the classroom number used by character animation students at the California Institute of Arts; some CIA students went on to be founding members of the Pixar animation team, and the tradition has continued. This is a nice way for the students to pay tribute to where they learned their craft. Its first appearance was inToy Storyas a license plate on Ms. Davis' minivan. In the firstInside Out, it was street graffiti art.
While it used to be written out and hidden in earlier movies, recent Pixar creations have gotten more clever in how it’s hidden.Elemental’s A113 Easter egginvolves the periodic table, whileInside Out 2labels the prison vault that the original Emotions are trapped inwith the Roman numerals for A113: ACXIII. This was a nice callback and oneInside Out 2Easter egg that eagle-eyed fans had to actually look for and understand how to read Roman numerals.
19A Pixar Self-Acknowledgement
Riley’s Relevant Jersey Number
One of the earliest Easter eggs requires just a bit of Pixar knowledge to recognize. The movie opens with Riley playing hockey for the Foghorns, the local team she joined upon moving to San Francisco. Her jersey number on the team is 28, which is no coincidence.Inside Out 2is Pixar’s 28th feature film, and the jersey number is clearly a nod to the longevity of the animation studio’s storied history.
Pixar got its start making short films before finally getting the chance to make features. This was long before Disney bought the studio, and the small company was able to impress everyone with its 1995 debut film,Toy Story. It has almost been 29 years since that first movie came out and the studio became an award-winning factory. WithInside Outi2’s release, Pixar remains one of the strongest animation studios in the world, and the “28” was a nice callback to show how far they had come.
18Riley’s Rainbow Shirt
Evidence Of Her Growth
As Joy narrates Riley’s transition into teenhood, sequences of her growing up accompany the voiceover. One such clip involves Riley trying to put on a rainbow shirt that is now far too small for her, and illustrates how much taller she is from the first movie.Inside Outfans will recognizeRiley’s iconic rainbow t-shirt, which she famously wore in the first movie.
This is a niceInside Out 2Easter egg as it shows how hard it is to leave the ideas of childhood behind for teens. The movie’s main theme is that Riley is discovering new emotions and struggles to deal with them. She is still a child, but is becoming a young woman, and seeing her in the same shirt she wore when she was younger is a nice way to show that she wants to hold onto her childhood for as long as she can. It is a nice visual cue for anyone who remembers the shirt.
17A Bing Bong Memorial
Joy Remembers Riley’s Imaginary Friend
The self-sacrifice and subsequent disappearance of Riley’s imaginary friend Bing Bong inInside Outhas been the source of more than a few adult tears over the last nine years. Unfortunately, Bing Bong doesn’t return forInside Out 2with Riley having permanently forgotten him. Joy, on the other hand, clearly has not forgotten his sacrifice for Riley; on the shelf by her bed,Joy has an origami figurine of Bing Bong and his rocket.
Bing Bong’s sacrifice was something that didn’t outwardly hurt Riley since she could never remember him since he eliminated himself from her memories. However, since Joy still has the figuring, it shows that Bing Bong has never truly been forgotten. This is also something that many adults might understand since there are things from childhood that remain somewhere in the back of their memories that they can’t quite put their fingers on, and this ornament shows why that happens.
16Riley Brangs It Back
Early in the movie,Riley can be seen in a Brang! t-shirt, whichInside Outaficionados will recognize as her father’s company. It’s a small callback to the first traumatic experience of Riley’s life — her move from Minnesota to San Francisco due to changes to her father’s job. As she wears the shirt in casual/sleep settings, and it seems a little big, it could very well be the same shirt her dad wore in the first movie.
This is also a nice reminder of how and why Riley and her family ended up in San Francisco and so far from home. Seeing her continue to struggle when the new emotions come on strong reminds Riley and viewers that she had a much easier and relaxing life when she lived in Minnesota and now things are just getting harder for her. Her wearing her dad’s old shirt likely shows that she has finally settled into her new home, even if things are harder than they were before.
15A Toy Story Throwback
Lenny Makes An Appearance
Pixar is never shy about tossing in references to their other movies, both past and future. Early inInside Out 2, they reference their very first movie,Toy Story. As Riley’s priorities have shifted since the events ofInside Out, her Islands of Personality have changed dramatically. Friendship Island has completely overtaken Family Island, and when Sadness claims she can’t even see Family Island, Joy gives her a pair of binoculars to help pick it out.
The binoculars are actually the walking pair of binoculars fromToy Storynamed Lenny, and he is a small wind-up binocular toy that appeared in both the first two movies in that franchise. He is small and blue and is often the source of warning the other toys of danger since he can theoretically see long distances and notice when danger is coming. Joe Ranft voiced him in those movies, but he has no voice inInside Out 2.
144*Town Is Popular As Ever
A BriefTurning RedReference
As a newly minted teenager, it’s only natural that Riley’s wall is covered in band posters as opposed to more childish imagery.One of the bands she has a poster of is 4*Town, which is the boy band that acts as the major common interest between Mei and her friends in Pixar’sTurning Red. The Toronto-based boy band is depicted as an international sensation inTurning Red, and it appears their influence has reached the West Coast if Riley has a poster of them in her room.
This is a nice way for the different franchises in the Pixar universe to tie together. While the characters never cross paths, the idea that 4*Town is popular in bothTurning Red(where they actually appear and perform a concert) andInside Out 2shows that Riley and Priya live in the same world, or at least there is a popular boy band with the same name in both of their worlds. Since there are several crossover toys in the Pixar movies, everything likely shares a universe.
13A Cheeky Onward Reference
Joy Struggles With French
One of the new Emotions accompanying Anxiety inInside Out 2is Ennui, the French-accented representation of teenage boredom and apathy. She can’t even be bothered to get up to use the console, and operates it from her phone. As Joy is introduced to her, she attempts to pronounce her name, andone of the incorrect attempts is simply “onward,“which is a reference to Pixar’s 2020 fantasy adventureOnward.
Onwardwas the last Pixar movie to get a theatrical release for years as the pandemic and the rise of Disney+ caused Disney to choose to move Pixar movies to the streamer instead. However, after missing the chance to see some great animated movies on the big screen (Soul, Turning Red, Luca), Pixar returned to theaters withLightyearin 2022 and has dominated the box office once again. While it was just a mispronunciation, hearing a callout toOnwardwas nice.
12A Preschool TV Parody
An Amalgam Of Popular Shows Show Up
While trapped in the back of Riley’s mind after Anxiety suppresses them, the original Emotions encounter a collection of similarly-trapped entities from Riley’s past. One is the two-dimensional character Bloofy, from a preschool show from Riley’s youth. Bloofy breaks the fourth wall, much like real preschool shows such asDora the ExplorerandBlue’s Clues, and is accompanied by a sentient fanny pack named Pouchy, who provides materials and solutions to problems like Dora’s Backpack or Mickey Mouse Clubhouse’s Toodles.
Bloofy is an obvious reference to all of those shows, and his name and appearance are also reminiscent of Disney’s Goofy. While Pixar is its own original franchise of movies, there is a way to see how classic kids shows likeBlue’s CluesandDora the Explorermight have influenced these brilliant storytellers. Pixar is known for Easter eggs of its own work, and it’s nice to see them paying tribute to some shows outside the studio.
