dir. and written by Brad Bird
Going into the long-awaited sequel to The Incredibles, I had some idea what to expect: fun action scenes, a funny script, and quirky family dynamics with a superhero flavour. The first Incredibles, released over 10 years ago now, is one of Pixar's best films, an exciting, funny, and inventive take on the superhero genre which remains delightful and refreshing even as its graphics have aged. Incredibles 2 is many of those things, and retains the humorous family dynamics and the exciting, creative setpieces, albeit with a somewhat darker tone in places. This is still a film which takes advantage of it superheroes' abilities far better than most films in the genre, and it's still refreshing to see superheroes placed in this context.
The difference is that Incredibles 2 is weirdly overstuffed and idea-driven, juggling at least three main thematic threads which it adheres very closely to, even stating in blunt dialogue on more than one occasion. These three main threads are disparate enough that they directly compete with one another whenever they come into contact, and none is quite as fleshed out as they could have been, but what's particularly commendable about this movie is that it weaves these ideas into the story in intriguing and often hilarious ways, very rarely feeling like it stops dead to sermonize. If recent Pixar sequels like Finding Dory have felt too similar to their predecessors, Incredibles 2 stands out by doing something different.
Incredibles 2 starts immediately after its predecessor, showing how the family's failure to stop the Underminer means they've failed to rehabilitate the reputation of "supers" (in-universe lingo for superheroes), and how it has forced them to relocate. When parents Helen (Elastigirl) and Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) come into contact with a wealthy superhero sympathizer, Helen (voiced by Holly Hunter) finds herself a new opportunity to partake in superhero activities, this time fighting against the nefarious Screenslaver, a supervillain who can mind control people who look at any sort of digital monitor or television. Meanwhile, Bob (voiced by Craig T. Nelson) stays home and learns how difficult it is to take care of a family, as Jack-Jack (Eli Fucile) is discovered to have random superpowers, while Violet (Sarah Vowell) struggles with relationship issues as a result of her own powers. Also involved are the family's older son Dash (Huck Milner), family friend and fellow superhero Lucius Best a.k.a. Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson), superhero-sympathizing CEO Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk), and his inventor sister Evelyn (Catherine Keener).
For the most part, Helen's and Bob's stories intersect only briefly, having very little overlap either in subject matter or in themes. Helen's story revolves around the reputation of superheroes, the concept of perspective in the media, and society's obsession with television, whereas Bob's is mainly about the stresses of parenting, the inversion of gender roles, and the implications of raising a family with superpowers. Within these two isolated plot bubbles, these themes more or less fit together, but when the two inevitably collide, the family-oriented ideas and the media-oriented ideas constantly compete for screen time against each other, each appearing to distract from the other one, which is a problem when both are occurring at the same time within the same space.
Furthermore, the sheer abundance of ideas leads to issues with rhythm, as while the individual ideas comfortably coexist, actual scenes don't always flow into each other, and the pace is generally much slower than the first film. At least one quirky scene involving baby Jack-Jack contributes so little to the main story that it feels somewhat like a random short film inserted between more important scenes, and in general Incredibles 2 never quite manages to pick up momentum like the first film did, as the family plot is largely episodic whereas Elastigirl's side of the story is diminished to a handful of major beats, as the main Screenslaver plot generally distracts from the context of rehabilitating superheroes' image and vice versa.
Indeed, some of the core ideas here could also serve to be fleshed out a little more. The Screenslaver, for instance, is an obviously evocative concept which could easily serve as a metaphor for modern society's fixation on computers, televisions, and smartphones, but as it's weakened here by a period setting which seems totally bereft of smartphones or even sophisticated computers, instead pushing that premise through simple TVs as some sort of muddled media commentary. Simpler concepts, like the whole thread about Mr. Incredible struggling with being a stay-at-home dad, come across more clearly, as does the film's suggestion that we should be less distrustful of extraordinary people. Like Bird's Tomorrowland, Incredibles 2 hates nothing more than cynicism, and while there are reasonable concerns to have about the film's vocal and uncritical embrace of superheroes, that this film so heartily champions humanity's ability to do good is certainly uplifting.
For all of that criticism, however, the delight of Incredibles 2 is in its thoughtful and unique relationship with superhero tropes. Often, the film is more concerned with the way its family fits together than with superhero spectacle, and while it does have action scenes to spare, significant stretches of screentime are simply dedicated to the family drama and baby hijinks back at the house, as well as to the more mundane affairs of Elastigirl's heroism, including meeting fans and speaking at banquets. Like the first film, the low-key context provides a fresh angle on the genre, whereas the superhero elements in turn freshen up the otherwise mundane family drama. It helps that the movie is generally hilarious, and every scene has its fair share of clever comic beats, taking full advantage of the Incredibles' specific powers to enhance the comedy, but also demonstrating some witty, straightforward situational comedy based on these characters' lovable personalities.
Visually, the film showcases how Pixar's skills have evolved over the past decade, as in comparison to its predecessor, it's significantly more detailed in both textures and models, and while the original was already incredibly smooth in motion, this sequel is just that little bit better. The action scenes remain tremendously exciting, with tense setpieces, a strong sense of momentum, and an endlessly inventive deployment of superpowers; even in this current world of superhero movie oversaturation, the sheer creativity in how these superpowers are used is head and shoulders above nearly everything else in the genre. You'll never see an Incredibles movie descend into a simple fistfight. Instead, both of these films design their action sequences around the hero's powers, allowing for a constant procession of fun visual ideas without ever feeling contrived.
Most of all, it's just nice to see Pixar doing something new with a sequel, as the family drama which was so simple in the first film is significantly expanded upon in this sequel, and the more traditional superhero plotline is darker and more thematically elaborate than its predecessor. If that comes with some drawbacks, it at least provides Incredibles 2 with its own identity, and as stuffed with ideas as this sequel is, those are rarely so distracting as to really undermine the movie. It's not totally original - it's hardly the only recent superhero movie about superheroes fighting for their right to exist - but it's also far from a rehash of the first film. Far more than something like Finding Dory, Incredibles 2 finds its own place in the Pixar canon, and showcases a creativity which matches its predecessor even if several other elements don't.
Pixar's previous film, Coco, was preceded by a short which was reportedly so bad that it had been removed by the time I saw the feature. Thankfully, with their latest effort, titled Bao (directed by Domee Shi), they're back on track, with a moving portrait of motherhood through the metaphorical context of an anthropomorphic dumpling. Aspects of this metaphor are admittedly off-putting - only the child is a dumpling, and this leads to a couple strange moments revolving around him being eaten - but there's plenty of visual charm in the story here, and the central metaphor is effective and emotionally evocative, especially when the final moments lend clarity to the central metaphor. The entire short plays out without dialogue, and while this does make some of the context unclear, it also significantly enhances the already abundant visual charm.
Both Incredibles 2 and Bao represent some of Pixar's strongest recent work, and if the former doesn't quite reach the emotional power of Inside Out, it nonetheless is just as entertaining and creative, and suggests that future sequels from the studio have the capacity to be on par with their original efforts. It's a standout effort in an overcrowded genre, both demonstrating Brad Bird's talents as an action director and the boundless potential of these characters and this universe, and although the wait between these movies has been long, this sequel is good enough to make me hope that we don't have to wait nearly as long for the next one.
8/10
+ Consistently funny.
+ Exciting, creative action scenes which take great advantage of the superheroes' individual powers.
+ The familial take on the superhero genre remains as fresh now as it was in 2004.
+ Intriguingly idea-driven.
- Significantly less narrative momentum than the first movie.
- Varied ideas generally don't fit together very well.
- Could have benefited from being more critical of superheroes.
Thank you to my Patreon supporters:
Todd Throndson
VioletWisp
Your donations are greatly appreciated.
Support me on Patreon!
Indeed, some of the core ideas here could also serve to be fleshed out a little more. The Screenslaver, for instance, is an obviously evocative concept which could easily serve as a metaphor for modern society's fixation on computers, televisions, and smartphones, but as it's weakened here by a period setting which seems totally bereft of smartphones or even sophisticated computers, instead pushing that premise through simple TVs as some sort of muddled media commentary. Simpler concepts, like the whole thread about Mr. Incredible struggling with being a stay-at-home dad, come across more clearly, as does the film's suggestion that we should be less distrustful of extraordinary people. Like Bird's Tomorrowland, Incredibles 2 hates nothing more than cynicism, and while there are reasonable concerns to have about the film's vocal and uncritical embrace of superheroes, that this film so heartily champions humanity's ability to do good is certainly uplifting.
For all of that criticism, however, the delight of Incredibles 2 is in its thoughtful and unique relationship with superhero tropes. Often, the film is more concerned with the way its family fits together than with superhero spectacle, and while it does have action scenes to spare, significant stretches of screentime are simply dedicated to the family drama and baby hijinks back at the house, as well as to the more mundane affairs of Elastigirl's heroism, including meeting fans and speaking at banquets. Like the first film, the low-key context provides a fresh angle on the genre, whereas the superhero elements in turn freshen up the otherwise mundane family drama. It helps that the movie is generally hilarious, and every scene has its fair share of clever comic beats, taking full advantage of the Incredibles' specific powers to enhance the comedy, but also demonstrating some witty, straightforward situational comedy based on these characters' lovable personalities.
Visually, the film showcases how Pixar's skills have evolved over the past decade, as in comparison to its predecessor, it's significantly more detailed in both textures and models, and while the original was already incredibly smooth in motion, this sequel is just that little bit better. The action scenes remain tremendously exciting, with tense setpieces, a strong sense of momentum, and an endlessly inventive deployment of superpowers; even in this current world of superhero movie oversaturation, the sheer creativity in how these superpowers are used is head and shoulders above nearly everything else in the genre. You'll never see an Incredibles movie descend into a simple fistfight. Instead, both of these films design their action sequences around the hero's powers, allowing for a constant procession of fun visual ideas without ever feeling contrived.
Most of all, it's just nice to see Pixar doing something new with a sequel, as the family drama which was so simple in the first film is significantly expanded upon in this sequel, and the more traditional superhero plotline is darker and more thematically elaborate than its predecessor. If that comes with some drawbacks, it at least provides Incredibles 2 with its own identity, and as stuffed with ideas as this sequel is, those are rarely so distracting as to really undermine the movie. It's not totally original - it's hardly the only recent superhero movie about superheroes fighting for their right to exist - but it's also far from a rehash of the first film. Far more than something like Finding Dory, Incredibles 2 finds its own place in the Pixar canon, and showcases a creativity which matches its predecessor even if several other elements don't.
Pixar's previous film, Coco, was preceded by a short which was reportedly so bad that it had been removed by the time I saw the feature. Thankfully, with their latest effort, titled Bao (directed by Domee Shi), they're back on track, with a moving portrait of motherhood through the metaphorical context of an anthropomorphic dumpling. Aspects of this metaphor are admittedly off-putting - only the child is a dumpling, and this leads to a couple strange moments revolving around him being eaten - but there's plenty of visual charm in the story here, and the central metaphor is effective and emotionally evocative, especially when the final moments lend clarity to the central metaphor. The entire short plays out without dialogue, and while this does make some of the context unclear, it also significantly enhances the already abundant visual charm.
Both Incredibles 2 and Bao represent some of Pixar's strongest recent work, and if the former doesn't quite reach the emotional power of Inside Out, it nonetheless is just as entertaining and creative, and suggests that future sequels from the studio have the capacity to be on par with their original efforts. It's a standout effort in an overcrowded genre, both demonstrating Brad Bird's talents as an action director and the boundless potential of these characters and this universe, and although the wait between these movies has been long, this sequel is good enough to make me hope that we don't have to wait nearly as long for the next one.
8/10
+ Consistently funny.
+ Exciting, creative action scenes which take great advantage of the superheroes' individual powers.
+ The familial take on the superhero genre remains as fresh now as it was in 2004.
+ Intriguingly idea-driven.
- Significantly less narrative momentum than the first movie.
- Varied ideas generally don't fit together very well.
- Could have benefited from being more critical of superheroes.
Thank you to my Patreon supporters:
Todd Throndson
VioletWisp
Your donations are greatly appreciated.
Support me on Patreon!
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