MPAA Rating: PG/Genre: Computer Animated Superhero/Voices of: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huckleberry Milner, Eli Fucile, Samuel L. Jackson, Bob Odenkirk, Catherine Keener, Bill Wise, Brad Bird, Jonathan Banks, Michael Bird, Sophia Bush, Phil LaMarr, Isabella Rossellini, John Ratzenberger, Barry Bostwick, Jere Burns, Adam Rodriguez, Kimberly Adair Clark, Adam Gates, Usher/Runtime: 118 minutes
I think it is a safe statement to make dear reader that if you plan on making a sequel to a slice of cinema that was a home run with both critics as well as the general movie going public, you’d really be engaging in quite the creative gamble to wait over a decade of real time in order to do so. I say this because either you run the risk of a key part of the first film’s success not being able to come back thus raising more than a few questions as to if it’s still worth pursuing or you build up the hype to such a level that when the long belated sequel finally comes out it’s a disappointment, but only because it’s not able to match up to all that previously pent-up hype from movie goers worldwide. The reason I bring this up to you dear reader is because the slice of cinema I am reviewing for you today, 2018’s Incredibles 2, is a perfect example of this kind of cinematic gamble. I mean make no mistake dear reader: back in 2004 when the first Incredibles came out audiences loved it and the fact that they teased us with a sequel only made us that much more excited to see what future adventures awaited the Parr family and their fellow superhero Frozone. Then months turned to a year, a year became 5 years, 5 years became a decade, and so on. Yet in that ensuing decade-plus we also saw the audience for the first film expand incredibly to say nothing of remarkable changes in the technology utilized to bring movies to life to say nothing of even the cast plus the filmmaker for the first film having to (as we all do) undergo that same passage of time in their own ways as well respectively. As a result of these distinct elements, it was more than a wee bit difficult for me to initially figure out my exact thoughts when at long last the first trailer for Incredibles 2 made its way onto my computer screen. To be sure, the trailer definitely made it look like it was going to be about as fun as its predecessor and with 99.8% of the cast from the first film coming back at that. At the same time though, it wasn’t that easy to shake out of my head the possibility that, for as engaging as it looked, maybe the time for this movie to see the light of day had come and gone about 10 years prior. Thankfully upon seeing it I can say that this worry of mine is no longer present. To be sure, there are a few flaws scattered about here and there, but with the aid of (for lack of a better word) incredible work on both sides of the camera Incredibles 2 is actually one of the best examples I have seen for what a long in the works sequel can look like when actually made with the same heart and passion as its predecessor to say nothing of a fun time for you and your little superheroes to have together.
The plot is as follows: Now in what has to be one of the gutsiest creative decisions I have seen from a sequel in some time, Incredibles 2 gets its superheroic narrative underway by dropping us off right where its predecessor wrapped up. As a result, we finally get to witness the long-awaited smackdown between the villainous drill-loving, mole-aspiring Underminer and our titular family unit comprised of super-strong patriarch Bob/Mr. Incredible, matriarch Helen/Elastigirl, and their children Dash, Violet, and Jack-Jack respectively. Together, with the aid of cool as ice family friend Frozone, we see that the Incredibles are able to put a stop to the Underminer and most of his dastardly machinations. Unfortunately in the process however, we see that once more superheroes are put under the microscope due to the fairly significant amount of collateral damage created as a result of the conflict. The same issue incidentally that saw superpowered people not able to operate to begin with according to the lore set up by the first film. Thus with the aid of their loyal government handler Rick Dicker, we see that the Parrs get ready to go back underground once more only to find that plan being put to the wayside courtesy of a sibling pair by the names of Winston and Evelyn Deavor. This pair we learn have devised a plan to try and help superheroes get a chance to legally engage in their superheroics once more through trying to showcase the good they do rather than the fallout they leave behind. To that end, we see the pair have made the choice to make Elastigirl their campaign mascot in a sense and as a result is swiftly sent back out into the field. Meanwhile with Helen now the family provider, we see that this results in Bob becoming a stay-at-home dad. A task that manages to drive him up the wall pretty quickly. Not just because he has to deal with Violet’s teenage angst in regards to a boy she has a thing for nor is it because the way Dash is learning math in school doesn’t fit with how he was taught. Rather, it’s also because of the discovery that Jack-Jack has a seemingly limitless number of superpowers to his name and no way to keep them under control thus making him less a baby and more like chaos incarnate. Thus with Helen engaging in heroics and Bob engaging in both helping the kids whilst keeping whatever amount of sanity he possibly can hold onto, we see that it isn’t long before a new supervillain comes on the scene. One that goes by the moniker of Screenslaver and which will cause Helen, Bob, the kids, and Frozone with some new superhero friends along for the ride to have to come together in order to figure out who this new enemy is, what dastardly schemes they have afoot, and try to save the day in a way that not only doesn’t cause a whole lot of collateral damage, but maybe just maybe will show the world why superheroes are still needed…..
Now right off the bat, it is worth pointing out that while this film came to theaters in a more distinct landscape in the land of movie magic than the original did due to the influx of superhero cinema being a lot more present on the marquee, this doesn’t by any stretch of the imagination keep this movie from regaling us with a narrative that feels as novel as its predecessor. To be sure, of all the characters Marvel and DC have given us, I can safely say that they haven’t given us a group quite like the Parr family and this film as a result is able to take complete advantage of that. As a result, here is a slice of superhero cinema that doesn’t just deal with superheroic derring-do or saving the day. Rather, it also deals with such real-world situations as a father having to adjust to being a stay at home dad, teenager angst, a mother becoming the family provider in a sense…..and a baby learning how to control the multitude of superpowers at its disposal (you know the usual). To be sure, the movie does have a few hiccups with its story since there are some components that you will be able to see coming from a mile away. With that said though, this slice of cinema’s script is both delightfully engaging and gleefully delivered with action beats that are genuinely incredible. I mean not only is the opening skirmish one of the finest action beats I have seen in an animated film in the past decade, but the film also gives us some truly wonderful work in regards to what Elastigirl is able to do when out in the field. Indeed, due in large part to the fact that the previous 3 attempts at Marvel’s Fantastic Four have been mehh at best and unspeakable at worst, movie goers haven’t gotten the chance to see stretch powers done right. Thankfully, this slice of cinema manages to rectify this through a series of action beats that show Elastigirl use her powers in ways that are heroic, novel, quite shrewd, and that manage to be reinforced beautifully by a riveting and lively musical accompaniment from iconic composer Michael Giacchino. Yet although this film might be a riveting continuation in many respects, there is an area where it manages to delightfully stay true to its predecessor and that is in terms of the animation style. To be sure, computer conjured up animation has definitely made some significant leaps and bounds since 2004, but rather than adopt some of those more modern techniques for this film, this slice of cinema instead possesses a fantastic consistency and loyalty to its predecessor in regard to the designs of the characters and their respective environments that makes this feel less like it was made in 2018 and more like it was made a few months or even a year after the first film. As a result, you could watch both this film and its predecessor in a double feature and not ever once feel like you aren’t getting to see a truly remarkable universe unfold around you.
Of course, the other big component that helps this slice of superhero cinema work on the level that it is ultimately able to achieve would have to be the work done by the phenomenal cast of talent assembled to bring their respective vocal talents to the characters on screen. This starts with the returning Holly Hunter who is phenomenal in the role of family matriarch Helen/Elastigirl. Indeed I think Hunter does a wonderful job at not only showcasing Elastigirl’s heart and passion, but also her ever-growing enthusiasm at being back out in the field engaging in the kind of heroics she never thought she’d get the chance to do again let alone ever. Equally as good as the returning Hunter however is the also returning Nelson in the role of family patriarch Bob/Mr. Incredible. Yes his character is put on the sidelines for the majority of this outing, but this manages to give Nelson a chance to flex his comedic muscles more and put them to good use in showcasing Bob’s hilariously increasing in terms of exasperation efforts to stay home and take care of the kids with the scene involving Dash’s math HW and his attempts to catch Jack-Jack teleporting through the house being two highlights of this in action. Yet when the film gives him the chance to put on the super suit, there is no denying that Nelson is able to give Mr. Incredible a sense of pride and feeling that by putting that on he’s doing not only what he does best, but the thing that (besides his family) he loves the most. Suffice it to say it’s a wonderful performance and one that should inspire people to cast Nelson in more comedies because the man has some delightful chops for it. Now in terms of the new people in the cast there are two people that I definitely think are worthy of mention. The first is Bob Odenkirk in the role of Winston Deavor and he is wonderful. Indeed, Odenkirk has long been a terrific talent in my book and here he not only does a great job at conveying Winston’s passion and enthusiasm for superheroes, but he also is quite effective at presenting him as very much a decent guy who just wants people to remember the good that heroes do rather than solely focus on the fallout from their endeavors. The other one is Catherine Keener as Winston’s sister Evelyn and, much like Odenkirk, I found Keener to be perfect casting in this role, but I don’t think I’ll go into specifics on why. Let’s just say there’s more to this character than meets the eye. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in wonderful efforts from the also returning Samuel L. Jackson who is still spot-on as Bob’s best friend/fellow superhero Frozone, director Brad Bird who is still just as hilarious as superhero fashion designer Edna Mode, and new kids on the block like Sophia Bush, Phil LaMarr, Isabella Rossellini, and even Barry Bostwick (Brad from Rocky Horror!!) among others it’s clear that there might be some issues with this film, but the work done by this cast of talent is genuinely heroic in all the best ways!
All in all and at the end of the day, is Incredibles 2 a perfect slice of cinema? Honestly no, but that’s ok. I say that because while it might be not perfect, this is still one heck of a great time to be had to say nothing of a genuinely worthy continuation to one of the more iconic animated films from the early-mid 2000s. Indeed the work done behind the camera is nothing short of spectacular at keeping you immersed in the world of the film as if no time has passed since the first one came out to say nothing of fairly continuously both on the edge of your seat and/or laughing in equal measure and the work done in front of the camera by both returning cast members as well as new kids on the block manages to be top-tier in every sense of the word no matter how big or small their role may be. More than anything though, this slice of superhero cinema is one that manages to tell us something incredibly insightful. That being that, when you really stop to think about it, superheroes have caused audiences and studios to become quite complacent due to another 5 or more being on the horizon at any given time. Yet, rather than cutting them out of our lives entirely, might I suggest a different approach? That being why don’t we make superhero movies that not only utilize the acts of dering-do engaged in by the characters to aid us in being able to view ourselves through a more positive point of view, but also teach us something about ourselves to say nothing of the world around us in the process? To be sure, it might not be the easiest task in the world, but if it was done right to say nothing of made with the amount of skill and care that this incredible slice of cinema was on both sides of the camera then I think such films might be ones that would be worth watching and treasuring. Not just at their initial time of release, but for years to come. Make of that what thou will. On a scale of 1-5 I give Incredibles 2 “2018” a solid 4 out of 5.
