Review of Incredibles 2 (2018) by Chris T — 23 Jun 2018

The movie industry today operates with lots of dependence on sequels, reboots, and franchises, sometimes with success and sometimes with failure. I have mixed feelings about this trend: some of my favorite films are completely independent of sequels or prequels, but others are entries into large franchises, like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. On the flip side, some of my least favorite films (i.e. Transformers: Age of Extinction) are unnecessary entries into dead franchises or lazily-assembled sequels/reboots to successful films. So, I was a little cautious when the first trailer for Incredibles 2 hit theaters. I was worried that it would suffer from many of the things that plague bad sequels, and I wondered if we really needed the return of the Parr family. However, the 14-year anticipation leading up to this long-desired sequel and the obvious dedication of the man in the director's chair, Brad Bird, led me to realize that Incredibles 2 is a great, welcome, and long-due sequel to the 2004 classic The Incredibles, and finally watching it in theaters solidified that realization.

Incredibles 2 features the return of the same voices from The Incredibles, with some exceptions. Craig T. Nelson is back as Mr. Incredible/Robert Parr, Holly Hunter returns as Elastigirl/Helen Parr, Sarah Vowell continues to voice Violet Parr, Samuel L. Jackson returns as Frozone, and Brad Bird (yes, the director) once again voices Edna Mode. Dashiell "Dash" Parr is the only one to be voiced by a replacement actor: Huck Milner, and there are one or two supporting characters that are also voiced differently. Otherwise, all of the great talent from The Incredibles is back, adding to the nostalgia that Incredibles 2 is obviously trying to instill in audiences.

Now, given that I'm a week late to seeing this film, there are probably several things I'll say that you've probably already heard by now. And I'll start with the most obvious point: Incredibles 2 isn't quite as good as The Incredibles. But is it good? Hell yes. Incredibles 2 does all of the things that its predecessor did correctly. To start, it nails the superhero family dynamic squarely on the head. Good films that revolve around a family are good partly because they accurately depict the interactions between parents, between siblings, and between parents and their children. Incredibles 2 is no exception. There is a dinner scene near the beginning of the film that is reminiscent of a scene from The Incredibles that does this very well, and there are plenty of instances of bickering and misunderstandings between various members of the Parr family that acted as stark reminders of my own family (who I watched the film with). And it blends this expertly with the superhero/superpower dynamic. It even has a leg-up on this front over the first film in the form of Mr. Incredible's attempts at being a dad, especially in regard to dealing with Jack-Jack and his newly discovered powers. These scenes were perhaps the funniest in the film: props to Brad Bird and his writing chops.

The way the film depicts the Parr family isn't its only noticeable triumph. The action in the film is... wait for it... INCREDIBLY exciting and boosted by the film's beautiful animation. Honestly, some of the scenes in Avengers: Infinity War could find tough competition with the action in Incredibles 2. One strange thing I noticed, however, was that all of the film's big, bombastic set pieces all involved stopping some sort of large vehicle, like the Underminer's giant drill vehicle in the opening scene. This isn't a major flaw of course but was a little thing that I picked up on near the end that distracted me. Anyway, the film also features humor that can appeal both to kids and to adults: there are plenty of jokes that will appeal to people of all ages, but there are a few slid into the script that only the observant adults in the crowd will get a kick out of, and I appreciated that. Oh, and Edna Mode is back and acting as wonderfully snobby as ever, and her scenes are fantastic.

Now, one thing I've seen a lot of people complain about when talking about Incredibles 2 is the weak villain, especially when compared to Syndrome in The Incredibles. I can agree that the villain, called the Screenslaver, isn't as good, and the reveal of their identity is obvious from five miles away, but I thought that the character's personal motivation was compelling and reason for doing what they were doing - showing the general populace that their dependence on screens is dangerous - was rather interesting and relevant to modern, technology-driven audiences. The film also has a surprisingly tense scene involving Elastigirl and the Screenslaver which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I supposed my only other reason for not awarding Incredibles 2 a perfect score is that the film introduces a small cast of supporting characters that, to me, seemed overly cartoony and did not fit the tone of the film. Thankfully, they don't get too much screen time and I was able to enjoy their presence more by the end of the film, but I thought I would mention it. There are also a couple moments of sloppy/rushed writing that aren't great. But, these are very minor things that don't affect the quality of Incredibles 2 much at all.

Incredibles 2 lived up to my expectations and was definitely worth the long 14-year wait. The film is another fun, family-friendly, beautifully animated story of the Parr family's adventures as superheroes. No, it's not as good as 2004's The Incredibles, but it is pretty close. I can't wait for this one to come out on Blu-Ray, and I'll use the opportunity to buy both this film and its predecessor to add to my movie collection. If you are a fan of the original, or if you just like to enjoy yourself, or if you just need something to do, I highly recommend seeing this film. Incredibles 2 gets 4 out of 5 stars.