Incredibles 2 (2018)

Incredibles 2 (2018)

7/10

Starring the voices of

Craig T. Nelson

Holly Hunter

Sarah Vowell

Huck Milner

Samuel L. Jackson

Directed by Brad Bird

It’s been fourteen years since we last saw the Parr family suit up to save the world and their family life. Back in 2004, they showed us how strong they are together when up against any menacing force.

Now, after the last incident in The Incredibles (2004), which left us wondering what The Underminer was all about, this sequel picks up right from that point.

Brad Bird delivers a stunner of a sequel, even though it’s not as superb as the first The Incredibles (2004). He pulls off a deep family comedy with enough action to keep you entertained. He also goes one step further in developing each member of the Parr family (except Dash). The script works, as it keeps you entertained when Bob takes on the family side of things and Helen is out there being the hero the world needs.

Incredibles 2 is Disney/Pixar’s twentieth feature animated movie, and it’s quite long compared to other Pixar movies. As mentioned, the movie follows up on the events from the last film, with the Parr family now going up against The Underminer. In doing so, they cause a lot of havoc.

This brings back the voices of those calling for supers to be barred from using their powers. After mishandling the aftermath of the situation, the Parrs have to get their acts together, as the government will no longer be taking care of their relocation.

Forced to accept that they’ll have to get jobs and sort things out, Frozone shows up telling them he was approached by a man who wants to change things. This new ally wants Elastigirl to be the new face of the superhero world, as he aims to rebrand them. Bob, not so cool with the idea, now has to stay home with the kids while Helen is out there saving the world (I’m sure you saw all this in the trailer).

Her world-saving and job give the family enough money to get on with their lives, although her heroics aren’t as interesting as watching Bob being at home.

We see Jack-Jack show off his Swiss Army knife of powers. He can change form, turn into a monster, set his whole body ablaze, travel through dimensions, hear from another dimension, multiply, shoot beams from his eyes, and much more. The movie’s villain, however, is a bit of a letdown—Screenslaver. I preferred the villain from the last movie.

The movie’s animation is just as amazing as I expected, and I felt some great nostalgia hearing some of the voices I knew. The movie may not be on par with The Incredibles (2004), as that film had more focus on the thrill than the comedy. Here, the movie leans more on comedy than thrill.

Dash felt more like just a hang-around character Bird didn’t know what to do with. Unlike the others, he had less to say and very little screen time. His character, at one point, felt like a hindrance to the fun, in my view. Even with that, the movie is a great follow-up, and I’ll be looking forward to seeing how the Parr family squares up against their next foe—now that they can.