If you were to ask me five years ago, which film was more deserving a sequel than any other, my first answer would automatically be The Incredibles. The 2004 Pixar film by Brad Bird, told the story of hot-shot hero, Mr. Incredible, who after a string of incidents with the public, leads to the banning of superheroes in the public eye; desperate to reclaim those glory days, he ends up working with a company secretly run by a character from his past. Not only does The Incredibles stand as one of Pixar’s most defining films, but I’d dare even call it one of the best superhero films to come out of the new millennium; in fact, it’s one of those movies that actually gets better as I grow older. As a kid, you go in for the fun superhero action, but as an adult, you really get sucked into this surprisingly dark story about a retired celebrity (or superhero in this case) and their family falling to pieces.
Even after Pixar had been bought by Disney to become a movie-a-year studio, plans for a sequel were never put into play, despite fans holding petitions and even the cast voicing their demands; the hype and pressure for any other Disney product that could even match this is Kingdom Hearts III. This had a lot of expectation riding on this, so now here’s the big question: Is it good? The answer: yes.
Picking up immediately where the last film left off, the Incredibles face off with the Underminer, only to be casted aside just like always, due to the superhero ban still being in law. In an attempt to finally do away with that law, Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk) and his sister, Evelyn (Cathrine Keener), telecommunications moguls and former family donors, want to recruit Elastigirl to be an advocate for superheroes, leaving Bob to take care of the family.
One of the major aspects I was looking forward the most to were the characters, something that’s always been one of Brad Bird’s strongest elements, even back when he worked on The Simpsons during their golden days; he isn’t afraid to show you the darker parts that fill the lives of such colorful and lively characters, in extraordinary worlds as such. While most of the cast from the original returns, including Craig T. Nelson (Mr. Incredible), Holly Hunter (Elastigirl), Sarah Vowell (Violet), Samuel L. Jackson (Frozone), and obviously Brad Bird (Edna Mode), the two that couldn't return were Spencer Fox as Dash, and Bud Luckey as Agent Dicker; Fox had to be replaced by Huck Milner due to his age and voice change, and Luckey had retired, years before his sad passing back in February, so Jonathan Banks had to step in. Luckily, everyone in the cast does a fantastic job voicing everybody. Nelson and Hunter feels as though a day hasn’t gone by since they voiced the first movie, as you’ve got them in a film tackling both the themes of spouses trading places and the struggles of parenting, all while technically in a bit of a Civil Rights act for a minority group wanting acceptance back into society, which was first set during the first movie. While we don’t see much of the kids interacting outside of their family, with the exception of Violet, it does make up for it by showcasing the baby, Jack-Jack, with his new powers like they hinted at in the first movie; and trust me, this baby steals the show every time he’s onscreen.
The animation is jaw-dropping to say the least; even for Pixar standards, I was completely blown away by the fluent, yet grounded, feel that these characters had in their movements. Despite being superheroes, Brad Bird still manages to keep them all grounded and move as if he was directing a live action movie. I also love how much like the first film, it’s combines a family drama and a superhero flick, with the style and gadgets of a old school Bond film; despite it being animated, both Incredibles movies are pretty interesting period pieces on the more futuristic 1960’s. The action scenes are also spectacular, a massive improvement from the first movie; most of that attributes to Elastigirl taking the lead this time. The animation with her fights was a favorite of mine, and to see that utilized more here, you get some really kick ass sequences that bring out your inner Keanu Reeves...wow. My favorite sequence in the whole movie is a toss up between the Elasti-cycle train chase and the hunt for the Screenslaver. The inclusion of the Elasti-cycle might have looked a little gimmicky, but the way they have Elastigirl ride it, how she separates it and swings one part up a few levels, it was such a hypnotizing sequence. Speaking of which, the first fight with the Screenslaver was definitely a highlight, mostly because it points out another thing I love about Brad Bird’s movies, and that’s his use of lighting. Incredibles 2 in particular, has its lighting and shadow stand out so damn well, again capturing the look and feel of a 60’s technicolor film and Marvel Comics.
Debate between movies has been discussed, and most people do agree this movie isn’t as strong as the first, because of the villains. Syndrome in the first movie was not only a great villain, but he was a great character overall; he was made as a representation of how fandom can bring someone to insanity, if they obsess over it so much, even if it means destroying the very thing he loved so dear. In other words, Syndrome is that obsessive Star Wars fan that won’t shut up, given power. But while I do think Syndrome is the superior villain, the Screenslaver deserves a good amount of credit as well, having motivation fueled by the fact that people’s dependency for others doing things for them, and how we are becoming less interactive with the world watching screens all day, it does make for some compelling reasoning, especially when you find out the person’s identity. Not saying who it is, even if I know almost all of you have seen the movie by now, but I have a feeling Brad Bird may be looking at another Screenplay Oscar nod.
So overall, is The Incredibles 2 worth seeing? Yes, it is. This is the sequel we all wanted, and it did not disappoint. While it doesn’t have as strong a villain, it makes up for it with its characters, the dialogue, the themes of parenting and dependency, and the animation are all worth it. I know it may seem unlikely since Pixar says it was going to try and focus on more original stuff again, but I do hope they plan a third one; this deserves to be a trilogy WAY more than Cars even getting a sequel at all. Brad Bird has given us, yet again, an animated masterpiece.
Rating: A
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