It’s been 14 years since The Incredibles came flying into our lives, but the first family of Supers is back with a sequel that hopes to save us all from summer boredom.
The film picks up at the exact moment where the original left off — a helpful advantage of animated characters not aging — with the Parr family attempting to stop The Underminer from taking over the city. But the main story revolves around a telecommunications mogul (Bob Odenkirk) and his sister (Catherine Keener) teaming up with Bob/Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) and Helen/Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) in an attempt to make superheroes legal again.
Role Reversals Keep Things Fresh
In order to regain the public’s support, the siblings send Elastigirl out on crime-fighting sprees that they then plan to publicize. But this leaves Bob at home with the children, a job he highly underestimated in terms of difficulty. The stay-at-home dad scenes deliver plenty of fish-out-of-water laughs, while Helen’s dangerous missions shine an important spotlight on the strength of women.
The female empowerment moments couldn’t have come at a better time, as Hollywood is currently dealing with the #MeToo movement and shining a spotlight on gender inequality. But the perfect timing is actually just a coincidence, as animating an entire film takes so long that it’s not really possible for creators to respond to current events.
Writer-director Brad Bird said that he actually started imagining what it would be like to swap the roles of the patriarch and matriarch before the original film was even finished. The idea was a smart one though, as the reversal helps to freshen up the film, which would have otherwise felt too similar to the first.
Jack-Jack Steals The Show
Jack-Jack, the youngest member of the Parr family, was a fan-favorite in the original movie but is even more fun this time around. That’s because a large portion of the film focuses on the baby’s superpowers, of which he has way more than his family could have ever imagined.
These powers are first fully on display in a hilarious scene with a raccoon (that we won’t spoil here) that provides endless laughs. But things get even better when he’s paired with original Incredibles scene-stealer, Edna Mode, voiced by Bird.
Both of these tiny characters produce huge laughs, making their time onscreen together some of the best moments of the whole movie.
Is Incredibles 2 Good?
The Incredibles was a groundbreaking animated movie when it premiered in 2004, so in that respect, it’s difficult for the sequel to compare. The film is unable to feel as original as the first, especially in a new world inundated by superhero flicks. But the difference is, this film focuses on family, and the dichotomy between watching them live their mundane daily lives and witnessing them use their superpowers helps it to stand out from the pack.
The animation and cinematography are also incredible, making the many action scenes mesmerizing to watch. So, although Incredibles 2 isn’t succeeding on the level that Toy Story 2 did — delivering what fans expected from the original while creating something arguably even better — it is still absolutely worth watching.
From the fresh takes on gender roles to the many laughs the film churns out, Incredibles 2 is fun for the whole family. The sequel hits U.S. theaters on June 15 and will arrive in the U.K. on July 13.
