‘Puberty is messy’ reads a sign in this follow-up to what may be Pixar’s most imaginative-ever effort. With the bar for this sequel so high, Inside Out 2 opts to build on what made the first film a winner, yet throws in plenty of new ideas as its protagonist strays into some tricky emotional terrain. Once again, we’re following the trials and tribulations of young Riley (now voiced by Kensington Tallman) through the personified emotions which govern her actions: Joy (Amy Poehler), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Fear (Tony Hale replacing Bill Hader), Disgust (Liza Lapira taking over from Mindy Kaling) and Anger (Lewis Black).

Riley has just turned 13, and things are about to get rough as new emotions are thrown into the mix: Anxiety (Maya Hawke), Envy (Ayo Edebiri), Embarrassment (Paul Walter Hauser) and Ennui (Adèle Exarchopoulos). When Anxiety seizes charge, suppressing the pre-existing emotions, Riley’s sense of self is thrown into jeopardy and she’s reborn as a ruthless rulebreaker desperate to win over some new ice-hockey pals, and casting her old friends aside in the process. It’s up to Joy and co to save the day.

Bringing things in at a trim 96-minutes, Inside Out 2 (helmed this time round by Kelsey Mann) relentlessly impresses. New additions to the ensemble are cleverly conceived and cast (Ennui is a particularly nice touch) and other highlights include the opening up of gaping sar-chasms, the vault which hides Riley’s most shameful secrets, and the mashing up of animation styles, à la Wreck-It Ralph.

Acknowledging there are no quick fixes to the challenges of growing up, Inside Out 2’s story arc is not wildly dissimilar to the original and it suffers from a slightly uninspired ending. However, it boasts more invention in any given sequence than most family films manage in their entire durations, and makes a beautiful companion to one of animated cinema’s finest achievements.

Inside Out 2 is in cinemas from Friday 14 June.