Incredibles 2 is the latest film from Pixar, and it’s the must-see movie this weekend.
After the events of the first film, Elastigirl is hired to be the frontwoman for a movement to get superheroes legalized again. While she’s out fighting the good fight, Mr. Incredible has to take a backseat and learn to be a stay-at-home dad.
The first Incredibles is arguably the best Pixar film, which is saying a lot. It has heart, humor, depth, and it’s a better superhero flick than most put out by either Marvel or DC.
Incredibles 2 – while not as good as its predecessor – also has these qualities.
Everything you loved about the first film is here. The classic aesthetic, the brilliant score by Michael Giacchino, the chemistry among all of the characters…
Oh man, the chemistry. These movies do not work any better than when the Parr family is together on screen. The family dynamic is what makes the Incredibles series special, and seeing Mr. Incredible at home with the kids far exceeds following Elastigirl on her adventure (though that’s fun too). It feels real and allows you to connect with this fictional family of supers. Watching them interact is still so relatable and funny, and when they fight together, you’ll get chills.
That’s something the first Incredibles did incredibly well – it really played with the heroes’ powers in fun and innovative ways. This film gives us even more of that. The Parr family continues to work together like a well-oiled machine, like only a close family can, and we get even more supers for them to play off of. But even when heroes are flying solo, director Brad Bird finds original ways to use their powers that requires real thought, and in some cases real science. It’s that little extra bit of care and attention that sets these films apart.
And on top of all the fun, Bird inserts a very powerful message inside his film as well. Whereas the first film was all about celebrating what makes you special, this sequel is more about trust. It’s about helping others, and both trusting and allowing others to help you, instead of everyone just looking out for themselves. It very much plays off of the fear and paranoia plaguing our society today. There’s even a line early on in the film about how the government doesn’t trust people who do good just because it’s the right thing to do. It makes them nervous. It’s very relevant, and a good lesson for both kids and adults in the audience.
However – now that I’ve sung the film’s praises for over 400 words – the voice acting in Incredibles 2 does take a step down from the last film. It’s not bad; most of it is actually pretty good. But there are a few scenes where the actors just don’t seem to jive together like last time. In fact, a few times it feels as though the lines were recorded separately and just mixed together. Which very well could have been the case, and is a common practice in animation. It doesn’t always flow properly here though, and can be a little distracting.
Overall, Incredibles 2 did not disappoint after 14 years of waiting. Though it doesn’t quite match the first film, it’s still a very worthy successor and a very rewatchable flick.
(Oh, and side note: Jack-Jack absolutely steals the show in this one. So if you were wondering if they could add the baby into the mix without weighing down the other characters, AND without making it feel like a contrived marketing ploy because babies are cute, they can, they do, and it’s glorious.)
