Incredibles 2 Plot Summary: When Elastigirl (voice of Holly Hunter) becomes the face of a program to make supers legal once again, Mr. Incredible (voice of Craig T. Nelson) must resort to the caretaker of the kids. As both become heavily involved in their roles, a new villain by the name of Screen Slaver surfaces.
14 years is a long time to wait for something. In 2004, The Incredibles was released. It was Pixar’s foray into a the superhero film genre when the genre wasn’t what it is today, with the MCU running wild and the DCEU trying to play catch up. The film, directed by Brad Bird (the man behind the cult classic The Iron Giant), was a winner for the then undefeated animation studio, who had cranked out hit after hit since their debut with Toy Story.
When The Incredibles ended, we got a cliffhanger. So it would naturally be assumed that a follow-up would happen in the next two to three years. Nope. Okay, maybe 4-5 years. Nope. 14 years later (finally), Pixar answered the call of many fans who had been clamoring for a sequel: Incredibles 2 is here.
One would wonder how in a world where superhero films are coming at such a breakneck speed if this film would be lost in the pile. Thankfully, Brad Bird utilizes the strengths of the first (along with novel concepts) to keep it separated enough from the flooding of the market. The family dynamic is at play once again here (which is still a fresh idea in these types of films) but instead of placing the focus on Mr. Incredible like the first movie did, the star of the show is Elastigirl/Helen, and she’s every bit as intriguing as her husband, perhaps even more so. Her powers allow her to be more “flexible (literally and physically)” and she’s got a sweet new motorcycle that looks super sweet as she’s dodging traffic and saving the common folk, plus it allows her to showcase her
abilities.
Meanwhile, Mr. Incredible/Bob is off being Mr. Mom (begrudgingly), which brings in the major comedy aspects of the film, and Jack-Jack is front and center of it all, stealing every scene he’s in. Dash (voice of Huck Milner) remains the same except deals with school stuff (the math joke will never not be funny to me), and Violet (voice of Sarah Vowell) tackles boy trouble which Bob lends a hand with, which leads hilarious results at a local diner.
The movie plays a nice balance between Helen’s story and Bob’s and even brings new characters into the mix. Frozone (voice of Samuel L. Jackson) is actually in this movie a lot more too, which is fantastic, as I’m a fan. While everyone who is new and old mix well into the proceedings, there is a villain problem here, as a) they are undeveloped and b)you can predict who they are in the movie semi early.
Aside from that, the movie is a ton of fun, gorgeous to look at, and has a phenomenal soundtrack accompanying all the adventures. It truly was a joy to see these characters once again, and when the movie began right where the first left off, the smile was so wide on my face, I couldn’t contain my excitement. While some might wonder if a sequel might taint the success and quality of the original film, especially so many years later, you can rest easy; even though it didn’t match the quality of the first, it still was a wonderful enough follow-up that made the 14 year wait well worth it. I loved it and I’m so glad we finally got a worthy second movie with this fantastic family.
And if it takes another 14 years for Incredibles 3 (I’ll be almost 50 years old at that point), then I will be there opening weekend yet again. No question.
Rating: 9/10
The short film, Bao, which played before Incredibles 2, tells the story of a woman who mothers a dumpling. It’s very unique, creative, albeit a bit bizarre. Still, the animation is wonderful (the food looks amazing!) and while it is one of Pixar’s more “out there” shorts, it is able to weave an interesting and adorable story.
Incredibles 2 is currently playing in theaters
Comments are closed.