Review of Incredibles 2 (2018) by Philip D — 24 Aug 2018

The Incredibles 2 is everything a sequel should be. It builds on the foundations laid by the first film, then expands upon it without forgetting what made the first film work.

It's a reconstruction of classic superhero tropes, updating the aesthetics with more nuanced characters and values for the 21st century. To do this, it plays with the typical expectations of gender roles and family archetypes, treating them more like real people than singular traits to display.

The stay-at-home dad struggles with the task at first, but he isn't bad at it just because he's a man. He struggles because of personal pride, learning to accept his limits and seek help when he needs to. And there's no shame in that.

It also highlights the particular destruction of public property that comes with fighting villains, bringing into question the legitimacy of super heroes in the first place. The film makes the characters earn their happy ending, so it doesn't feel predetermined when they achieve it.

My primary criticism comes from the primary antagonist being fairly standard as behind-the-scenes puppet masters go. There was some attempt at a misdirect, but not all that much. Given how interesting Syndrome was, this antagonist felt flat by comparison.

Dash, too, felt pretty one note. His archetype needed far more expansion to the level of Violet. But on that note, I did love the initiative the kids took, especially with a wildcard like Jack-jack. It's rare for a film to put them on equal footing with the adults, bringing a heart to the film that defines Pixar's mastery of family cinema.

I give the Incredibles 2 an 8/10.