Review of Incredibles 2 (2018) by Chris O — 17 Jun 2018

A very nice, heartwarming sequel with the characters we remember and love.

Everyone's favorite family of superheroes is back in "Incredibles 2"--but this time Helen (voice of Holly Hunter) is in the spotlight, leaving Bob (voice of Craig T. Nelson) at home with Violet (voice of Sarah Vowell) and Dash (voice of Huck Milner) to navigate the day-to-day heroics of "normal" life. It's a tough transistion for everyone, made tougher by the fact that the family is still unaware of baby Jack-Jack's emerging superpowers. When a new villain hatches a brilliant and dangerous plot, the family and Frozone (voice of Samuel L. Jackson) must find a way to work together again--which is easier said than done, even when they're all Incredible.

It's been 14 years since the very first "Incredibles", which was subjectively one of Disney's best films to date. Brad Bird was adamant on not making a sequel unless there was a story to tell and years later, he finally felt there was a story to tell. How'd that pay off for us, the audience? I think for the most part, pretty well.

One thing that made this great was seeing all the characters we know and love shine on the big screen, with their personalities shining and attitudes humoring. Honestly, I live in a smaller town called Camas, WA when I'm not in Chicago for school, so most movie premieres aren't full. However, this premiere night was full and the audience was really into the film. Everyone was cheering, having fun, and it made the experience this nice piece of nostalgia.

Overall, I did enjoy the story for the most part. The story feels darker than the last, yet a little more entertaining. I think Brad Bird was trying to send a message about being glued to our technology and if he was, I wasn't necessarily buying it. Instead, I felt it was a story centered on the family as they try and find their way in life. Each member is trying to find where they belong while also trying to adjust to new circumstances. I think it's a fun and deep story, just not nearly as thorough and entertaining as the first film.

Disney films are always guaranteed to have beautiful, splendid animation. For as long as I can remember, their animation has always been great and honestly, it just keeps getting better. The amount of detail in the characters and the environment is breathtaking. The animation is so fluid and smooth and honestly, Disney (in my opinion) still offers the best animation in the business.

In the end, I felt that "Incredibles 2" was a solid sequel, even if it wasn't perfect. I wasn't completely invested in the story and even though the villain was cool, it felt like a pretty by the books story. It's not Disney's best, but it's a solid sequel to a beloved film.