Review: Incredibles 2

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

PLOT: After being arrested following a particularly chaotic battle, the Parr family find themselves banned from any future heroics under the threat of lengthy prison terms. Yet, they can’t resist the lure of a superhero fanatic CEO with a plan to have the legal status of all superheroes reinstated, with Elastigirl being key to his plan.

REVIEW: Usually, I’d say that fourteen years is too long of a wait for sequels, but THE INCREDIBLES, by virtue of being animated, doesn’t fall prey to the usual pitfalls of a lengthy delay. You don’t have to worry about the actors aging out of their parts, and if anything the genre that it initially sent-up – superheroes – is more dominant than ever in pop culture. As a result, INCREDIBLES 2 is a rarity, a long-delayed sequel that – if anything – is even more relevant now than it would have been a decade ago.

It helps tremendously that writer-director Brad Bird clearly waited until he had something worthwhile to say about the genre, and with a new spin on the formula, INCREDIBLES 2 is strikingly in tune with the times. There’s been a lot of talk of diversity in superhero films lately, and in its own sly way, this is nodded at, with a plot twist causing a role reversal for Elastigirl and Mr. Incredible. Thanks to Bob Odenkirk’s savvy new CEO, who knows Mr. Incredible’s brawn and penchant for carnage gets him in trouble; the more finessed Elastigirl is chosen to be the face of his campaign, launching her into a battle with a new foe, The Screenslaver, who looks to hijack all screens in a bid to eliminate superheroes.

So, while Holly Hunter gets to have fun voicing the new, action-driven Elastigirl, Mr. Incredible has to play Mr. Mom, something Bird is able to milk for all it’s worth thanks to the usual excellent voice acting from Craig T. Nelson. An iconic presence himself, its fun to see him as Mr. Incredible embrace his softer side, struggling with complicated homework and his daughter’s love life, with also winding up sleep deprived thanks to Baby Jack Jack’s incredible new array of powers (including interdimensional travel – with one sequence a funny riff on Nelson’s own part in POLTERGEIST).

Both stories are given equal importance, and of course, Mr. Incredible isn’t domesticated for too long, with plenty of action for the whole family to get involved in. While some of the impact is lessened due to their being so many carnage-filled superhero movies, Bird’s style distinguishes this from the genre, particularly the way he doubles-down on the 007 references. Michael Giacchino’s score is among his best, being an extended riff on John Barry’s classic Bond-score for THUNDERBALL, with the climactic action scene from that film, set on a speeding boat, getting a nice nod in the climax here. The colors, as always, border on psychedelic, making this a must-see on IMAX screens. In a nice bit of restraint, INCREDIBLES 2 is not in 3D.

While it took a long time to get a sequel, I can’t imagine anyone not thinking this wasn’t worth the wait. THE INCREDIBLES 2 brings back everything you loved about the first film (including an extended turn for Samuel L. Jackson’s Frozone) and adds to it, with great new voice casting (the amazing Catherine Keener, Odenkirk, and even his “Better Call Saul” co-star Jonathan Banks) and a good story. I had a blast with it, and it’s easily the best Pixar sequel outside of the TOY STORY series.

Incredibles 2

AMAZING

9

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