So Pixar’s Incredibles 2 came out… and the history of Pixar and random, possibly unnecessary sequels is rocky. Yes, Toy Story 3 can rip your heart out… but Cars sequels make you want to cry. So its been 14 years since The Incredibles and the writer/director of that had gone on to live action films… the last one was the failed Tomorrowland film. So he (and Disney/Pixar) went back to the well and gave us this sequel.
And, hey, welcome back. Incredibles 2 is a pretty good film. It’s not as good as the original and it is pretty predictable in both plot and jokes, but it’s still fun and funny and has a brain in its head. Its aimed as much as to adults (debates about the ethics of doing illegal things for the greater good, casual drinking) as it is to kids. A great balance.
The movie picks up just where the first movie ended – with the appearance of the Underminer – and the Parr family goes back into action but run smack into the fact their superhero gig is still illegal. They are approached by a super rich industrialist brother and sister with the idea of re-introducing Elastigirl as a less destructive hero who they can market, especially with superhero cams on their uniforms. So she’s back in the game while Mr. Incredible stays home with the kids (where he learns baby Jack Jack has superpowers).
So it’s a Dad stays home while mom goes to work story and has the usual clueless dad jokes. But you could equally argue that it shows Mom as a superhero and Dad (or the parent watching the kids) as a superhero in his own right. Sure.
Like I said, some of this is funny even if some of the Dad-can’t-handle-the-kids jokes are old hat. The action scenes are fun and the creative uses of the various hero powers (and some fun new heroes) are neat.
That said, the story structure does get a little messy with seemingly random subplots that don’t go anywhere and too many of them to boot. The film isn’t tight… it’s shaggy. That doesn’t mean it’s bad… it’s really quite good… but it isn’t at the level of the original film.
So, yeah, go see it if you at all liked the original film or like superhero or animated films in general. The animation is typically amazing and once again Pixar knocks it out of the park. The voice acting is great – Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sam Jackson, and Sarah Vowell are all back and they are welcome. A very solid, very good sequel.
Score: 84