Incredibles 2 review

INCREDIBLES 2:

PIXAR’S SUPERHERO FAMILY RETURNS IN A SEQUEL THAT’S A SUPERPOWERED BLAST OF FUN AND WELL WORTH THE WAIT!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: **** out of 4

DISNEY/PIXAR

Frozone, Dash, Elastigirl, Mr. Incredible, Jack-Jack, Violet, and Edna are back in action in Incredibles 2

            Pixar Animation Studios reunites with director, Brad Bird (The Iron Giant, Ratatouille, Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol) to bring the long-awaited follow-up to the 2004 critical and commercial smash hit, The Incredibles. The first film received praise from both critics and audiences, made it into the ten highest-grossing movies of 2004, and was groundbreaking as the first Pixar feature to focus entirely on human characters.

Kids who grew up around the time the first movie came out (Including myself) waited eagerly for fourteen years for Incredibles 2, which is one of the things I appreciate about Pixar, they take their time on sequels and it adds more to the anticipation of its release. It was probably more painful waiting for this than for Toy Story 3 or Finding Dory at least for me.

Now Incredibles 2 is a reality, it’s been released, so how does it hold up? Fourteen years of anticipation very well spent. This is a blast whether a child or adult, like its predecessor the film is filled with an adrenaline rush of super-powered action, family dilemmas, a colorful cast of characters, and clever humor without ever feeling like a rehash.

The movie does what all good sequels do, continue the story and put the characters we know and love in new situations and see how they overcome them. This is a movie that has a battle between a superpowered baby and a raccoon that’s probably more epic than ANYTHING in Infinity War, how is this not the best summer blockbuster of 2018.

Three months after Syndrome’s defeat, the film follows the Parr family, Bob/Mr. Incredible (voiced by Craig T. Nelson-Poltergeist, Blades of Glory, The Proposal), Helen/Elastigirl (voiced by Holly Hunter-O’ Brother Where Art Thou?, Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, The Big Sick), Violet (voiced by Sarah Vowell-Six Degrees, The Daily Show with John Stewart, A.C.O.D.), Dash (voiced by newcomer, Huck Milner replacing Spencer Fox from the first film), and Jack-Jack, continuing to operate under their superhero identities, the Incredibles. After unsuccessfully preventing the villain, Underminer (voiced by John Ratzenberger-Toy Story trilogy, Monsters Inc., Cars trilogy) from robbing the Metroville bank, the city blames the Incredibles for the level of destruction caused by the incident (Yeah, and Superman gets a free pass for the destruction in Man of Steel) and go back into hiding.

Government agent, Rick Dicker (voiced by Jonathan Banks-Airplane!, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) informs the Parr family that his department is shutting down the Super Relocation program, forcing supers all over the world to permanently adhere to their secret identities. Dicker relocates them for the last time to a motel where Bob, Helen, and their family friend, Lucius Best/Frozone (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson-Jurassic Park, Pulp Fiction, Marvel Cinematic Universe) are contacted by superhero fan, owner of DEVTECH, and telecommunications tycoon, Winston Deavor (voiced by Bob Odenkirk-How I Met Your Mother, Breaking Bad, The Post) who proposes a publicity stunt to regain the general public’s support of superheroes.

Deavor chooses Elastigirl to undertake the stunt by openly fighting crime in New Urbrem, leaving Bob alone at home with the kids. Pretty much Bob goes from being Mr. Incredible to Mr. Mom as he helps Dash with his homework, gives Violet emotional support with her boyfriend, and taking care of Jack-Jack who may have a few surprises of his own.

However, a mysterious new villain emerges known as the Screenslaver (voiced by Bill Wise-Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, Sonic the Hedgehog: The Movie, Boyhood) with a dastardly plot to brainwash all the world’s civilians. The Incredibles suit up once again to save the world and bring supers back into the sunlight.

The film also features the voices of Bird as ecstatic superhero costume designer, Edna Mode, Catherine Keener (Being John Malkovich, Capote, Get Out) as Evelyn Deavor, Sophia Bush (Phineas and Ferb, Chicago P.D., Marshall) as Voyd, Phil LaMarr (Futurama, Samurai Jack, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy) as Krushauer and Helectrix, Paul Eiding (The Transformers: The Movie, Ben 10, Superman VS The Elite) as Reflux, Isabella Rossellini (Blue Velvet, The Simpsons, Joy) as The Ambassador, and Barry Bostwick (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Spin City, Phineas and Ferb) as the Mayor.

Overall, Incredibles 2 is the kind of popcorn entertainment that weekend matinees are made for, it’s energized, action-packed, and funny all at the same time. I’m not sure if it surpasses the first film in my opinion, but it definitely lives up to it and allows more screen-time for the family this time around.

Don’t get me wrong I love the first Incredibles movie, but most of the movie focuses on Mr. Incredible and not much of the family until the second and third acts. Here we have more focus on the family, Elastigirl’s crime fighting, Violet having boy issues, Dash struggling in school, and Jack-Jack…having powers and causing chaos around the house.

The animation is gorgeous, and they’ve really improved since the first movie, especially on characters’ facial expressions, hair, and the action sequences. I’m going on record by saying the action in this movie is some of the best I’ve seen in ANY superhero movie, CG cartoons achieved more than the countless Marvel movies, that’s the power of animation.

Besides the animation and action, the humor in this movie is absolutely hilarious, the writing is humorous, most of the jokes hit bulls-eye, and the visual gags in this movie are absolutely brilliant. Most notably the Jack-Jack and raccoon fight, from the animation, energy, facial expressions, and execution, it’s a comedic animation milestone and had me laughing hysterically in the theater.

Oh My God, I loved this movie, Incredibles 2 is a blast for the entire family and delivers the most fun you’ll have at the movies this summer. I’m serious, I sat through Avengers: Infinity War, Deadpool 2, and Solo: A Star Wars Story, and this animated movie for kids is the best summer blockbuster I’ve seen so far this year, it’s an “Incredible” sequel to an “Incredible” movie.