Review of Incredibles 2 (2018) by Arikagan — 15 Jun 2018

It's a sequel 14 years in the making. It's one of the highest-anticipated sequels of all time and is now the best animated pre-seller of all time...and for good reason. 'Incredibles 2' takes place directly after the first film and sees our heroes taking on the Underminer, the villain teased at the end of the first film. To help make superheroes legal again, Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) takes on a job that will help do so. This leaves Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) at home to take of his kids Violet (Sarah Vowell), Dash (Huck Milner) and Jack-Jack (Eli Fucile) with the help of best friend Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) and superhero costume designer Edna Mode (Brad Bird).

The story and script doesn't quite live up to its predecessor but is still passable and works well. I liked the idea of the film centering more around Elastigirl as opposed to Mr. Incredible because, especially in today's age, it's important to see a female at the helm of a film, television show, etc. The main villain, Screenslaver, is an interesting villain with character tropes that people have seen before. As a villain, he doesn't compare to Syndrome, and the reveal of Screenslaver's identity isn't too surprising, either. The film is pretty predictable as opposed to the first, and as the film progresses, it's pretty clear what will happen next. I think the story lacks more so than the script. The story works well, but the script couldn't completely work around it. There are several callbacks to the first film, which is enjoyable, but it's also just a reminder as to how long it's been since the first film was out. Although I feel 'Incredibles 2' works as a standalone film, it's also too different from the first film in many different ways.

There are SEVERAL new characters that it's almost hard to keep track of them all. The cast performances were as great as the first film, but I actually had a harder time enjoying seeing my favorite Pixar character Dash on-screen than I did watching the first film. I don't know if it's the actor or script, but there are several scenes where he's pretty irritating, the same going for Violet. The real star of the kids was Jack-Jack, who is like Baby Groot in this film. Most of the times I laughed during the film was seeing him use his new powers. I'd say the real standout this time was Craig T. Nelson as Mr. Incredible. Nelson has a distinct voice, and his delivery is spot-on.

The animation once again is incredible. Seeing new character abilities helped the animation process, and it's just as good as the first film's if not better.

Michael Giacchino's score brings back the theme from the first film with a twist. It's still incredible and just as memorable. The score still sets the tone for the film and matches the character personalities. It's even more intense than the first film's at certain points as well.

There aren't that many different changes to the costumes, but we see the return of Mr. Incredible's old suit and a more modern design of Elastigirl's old suit. Add several more superhero costumes that are silly-looking, and you have some pretty decent costume design.

I really liked this film but not as much as the first. It's super rare that a sequel is ever better than the first, but I hoped this film would have been an exception. Considering the film is the longest Pixar film to date and 2 minutes longer than the first film, 'Incredibles 2' had pretty good pacing. Although there most likely won't be a third one as the writer/director Brad Bird hasn't even thought of it, I wouldn't be opposed and would definitely see it.