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Incredibles 2 Review
Incredibles 2 (Pictured) - RISING SON – In Disney•Pixar’s “Incredibles 2,” Bob (voice of Craig T. Nelson) is left to navigate the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life, giving him an opportunity to bond with his younger son, Jack-Jack, whose superpowers are emerging—much to Dad’s surprise. Directed by Brad Bird and produced by John Walker and Nicole Grindle, “Incredibles 2” busts into theaters on June 15, 2018. ©2018 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.
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Directed By: Brad Bird
Written By: Brad Bird
Runtime: 118 minutes
MPAA Rating: Rated PG for action sequences and some brief mild language
Craig T. Nelson – Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible
Holly Hunter – Helen Parr/Elastigirl
Samuel L. Jackson – Lucius Best/Frozone
Huck Milner – Dashiell “Dash” Parr
Sarah Vowell – Violett Parr
Catherine Keener – Evelyn Deavor
Bob Odenkirk – Winston Deavor
Bill Wise – The Screenslaver
Jonathan Banks – Rick Dicker
Brad Bird – Edna Mode
Sophia Bush – Voyd
Paul Eiding – Reflux
Phil LaMarr – Krushauer/Helectrix
Michael Bird – Tony Rydinger
Eli Fucile – Jack-Jack Parr
John Ratzenberger – The Underminer
Honey – Kimberly Adair Clark
If there ever was a Pixar sequel fans have been begging for over the years, it’s one for 2004’s highly beloved The Incredibles. In hindsight, Brad Bird’s seminal Oscar winner seems prophetic. Sure, superhero films were becoming big business when The Incredibles was first released, but they are even more commonplace now. It’s been nearly 14 years since the first movie, and the Parr family is finally back for another adventure in Incredibles 2. The wait was definitely worth it.
While it was 14 years in real life, Incredibles 2 picks up only seconds after the original ended, with the Parr family springing into action against The Underminer. Unfortunately, one thrilling action sequence later, the Parr family, or the Incredibles, are left with worse fortunes than before. Despite their heroic actions saving the city from Syndrome’s robot, superhero activity is still illegal. It seems the fight with The Underminer raised the public perception against heroes even more.
However, the fight with Underminer gained the attention of a wealthy backer, a billionaire technology tycoon named Winston Deavor. A dedicated fanboy of superheroes, Deavor is seeking to make superheroes legal again through his corporate backing and advocacy by filming heroes such as Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible (Nelson), his wife Helen/Elastigirl (Helen) and Frozone/Lucius Best (Jackson). Much to Bob’s chagrin, Deavor and his sister Evelyn Deavor (Keener), the brains of the operation, opt to use Elastigirl as the face to spearhead their new endeavor.
With the Parrs’ home in ashes due to Syndrome, and few other prospects coming the family’s way, Elastigirl accepts the gig to be a corporate hero. Meanwhile, her family gets to move into one of Deavor’s state-of-the-art, palatial mansions, and Bob has to take on the reluctant role of stay-at-home dad. It’s a role he’s not too comfortable with, since he has to deal with his son Dash’s (Milner) struggles with math homework and Violett’s (Vowell) boy problems.
Meanwhile, infant son Jack-Jack is manifesting some not so mundane new super powers at an alarming rate, which puts Bob at his wit’s end. Soon after she starts working for Deavor, Elastigirl is matched up against a mysterious new super-villain named Screenslaver, who can hypnotize and control people through video screens. But is Screenslaver just a run-of-the-mill bad guy, or is there something more sinister at play?
Brad Bird clearly has not lost a step in his return to feature animation. It’s great to see these characters again in a new story. The way superheroes are thematically presented as an oppressed class of people here is interesting. After Elastigirl joins DevTech, she meets other heroes and people with powers who have basically been forced to live in exile or in hiding for most of their lives. These are people who only have a calling where they want to do what’s right just for the sake of doing so, but the law says no.
Additionally, Bird excellently lays out the message for Incredibles 2 in a way that’s not too overt or pretentious and comes off as a natural extension to the world building for the Incredibles Universe. Bird’s writing really shines because it’s not dumbed down for the audience as an animated property, and his slick direction follows suit. That’s not to say there isn’t any slapstick here. Most of the scenes revolving around Jack-Jack are strictly slapstick, but they are also among some of the funniest scenes in the film, including Bird’s own return voicing shameless scene-stealer Edna Mode.
The biggest drawback with Bird’s script is that a certain plot twist is telegraphed too early. It makes a certain reveal that happens more than midway through the film quite predictable. The hand was shown too early. Keen-eyed viewers will, more than likely, recognize this setup when they see it. The reveal doesn’t really hurt the movie, but just makes the ultimate reveal a bit too obvious.
Pixar’s animation team certainly brings its A-game here. The film is filled with some exhilarating action sequences. The Parr family and other heroes get to showcase many more of their superpowers than ever before. This is highlighted during a citywide monorail chase for Elastigirl. Also, the full breadth and width of Frozone’s abilities are shown in an exceptional display. The new hero recruits provide for some innovative super-powered set pieces.
Michael Giacchino makes a welcome return as the composer here, bringing back some of the awesome cues from the 2004 film and creating a great 1960s-esque score. The Incredibles was really Giacchino’s first major foray into features, so it’s great that he’s back to do the music for the sequel. Giacchino composes a sound that’s at times more like a James Bond movie than a superhero film, but that style totally works for Incredibles 2.
Regardless of some slight flaws, Incredibles 2 has definitely set the bar for a film franchise about a family of superheroes. If Marvel Studios ever gets the rights back for Fantastic Four, it will certainly be an interesting challenge to see if they can at least somewhat match the quality level of The Incredibles and its sequel. Maybe the House of Ideas should consider giving Brad Bird a call when the time finally comes.
