Incredibles 2: Film Review

Who says kids movies are only made for kids? Ever since 2004, many kids who are now adults have waited 14 years for a sequel to one of the best movies to come out that year, and while we are in a time where Pixar sequels are very hit or miss, the case for their latest, Incredibles 2, could justify that reason. But can a long-awaited sequel to the Best Animated Feature winning classic really worth all these years to finally appear that both kids and adults can love?

What’s the Story?: The Parr family are trying to get the balance of family life and heroes after the first film. In order to make a big comeback for superheroes to come out to the world again, they want Helen, a.k.a. Elastigirl (voiced by Holly Hunter), as the new face in hopes to make them legal again, while Bob, a.k.a. Mr. Incredible (voiced by Craig T. Nelson), is in charge of taking care of their three kids at home.

The original Incredibles is one of my favorite Pixar movies of all-time, and many would agree with that it’s one of the studio’s best work. Seeing it with my family at Downtown Disney while on vacation in Orlando when I was eight was so exciting. And so, it became one of those movies where we wanted a follow-up for a long, long time. It’s still unusual on we haven’t gotten an Incredibles 2 but we had two sequels to Cars, a prequel to Monsters Inc., and whatever Brave was. Though I was worried about a highly anticipated sequel to come out a decade after it came out because we’ve had that before and it didn’t work (Independence Day: Resurgence. Yuck!), or the fact it basically takes place immediately after the first film ended and not taking place years later. But that doesn’t matter at all since writer/director Brad Brad has done it once again with Incredibles 2 as blew beyond expectations.

Every frame of action that’s animated was so spectacular and very impressed with how well-made it turned out to be. It’s amazing that the animators can create exciting and fun action sequences that are on par with the live-action superhero movies that have come out in the past few years from the stopping the Underminer to Elastigirl trying to stop a runaway monorail from going backward. It’s even more colorful than the previous movie. Something that I’ve just now noticed that Bird a talent when it comes to directing action, which explains why he was hired to do 2011’s Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol.

I found the family dynamic even more fleshed out in this more than the original. It has a message about how parents can be heroes themselves when having to deal with their own family and their problems that come with it. With Helen in the spotlight, Bob is leading an almost problematic situation at home whether it’s helping Dash (voiced by Huckleberry Milner) with his math homework or Violet (voiced by Sarah Vowell) adolescent problems with her crush. And I feel like all of them had a chance to shine.

The returning voice cast never disappointed me in the slightest with Hunter and Nelson doing their best, respectively. There are some newcomers to the franchise like Bob Odenkirk as Winston Deavor, the head of a telecommunications company called DevTech who wants superheroes to make a comeback; Catherine Keener as Winston’s tech-genius sister Evelyn; and Sophia Bush as the voice of the Kristen Stewart-type Voyd, a heroine who can create portals (pretty great power). We also got to see a lot more of Frozone (voiced again by Samuel L. Jackson), which I’m glad because his scenes in the first film are always a standout. We even have MVP fashion designer Edna Mode (still can’t believe Bird voices her) return with her signature style of hilarity and this cute relationship with her and Jack-Jack.

Speaking of Jack-Jack, that adorable baby was the film’s scene stealer. We found that he has a multitude of superpowers at the end of the first movie, and it’s explored more in the most hilarious fashion. Just as he’s having a fight with a raccoon, that was the hardest I laughed at this year so far. And it’s still able to recapture the same amount of humor. Just like the Jack-Jack scenes, so many moments made me laugh-out-loud because of the unpredictability.

And, of course, Michael Giacchino comes back to provide another fantastic jazz-fused musical score. The theme itself is one of the best I’ve heard ever in my life.

If there were any problems, I didn’t find this film’s villain, The Screenslaver, who hypnotizes people through screens, really to be that threatening and it was a little predictable when you found out who’s behind the mask. That’s hard to say because you can’t compare Syndrome. And there were some scenes where it involves LSD strobe lights and it could cause trouble seeing.

Though I wouldn’t consider this a problem, something that I caught on with both Incredibles film is that it’s one of the few Pixar movies that doesn’t leave an emotional impact. That’s never to say it’s a bad thing, but it kind of feels strange that I didn’t at least cry when something impactful happens.

After waiting this long for an animated movie to come out with fans, Incredibles 2 delivered a fun experience that might just be the best summer blockbuster of 2017. The fact that Bird and his team took the time to not rush it out makes sense to deliver another fast-paced adventure for everybody. I mean, this is coming out at a time where we’re getting about six superhero movies a year, and this honestly makes out to be one of the best superhero sequels ever made. A clear sign that this might be an early contender for Best Animated Feature for the Oscars. It’s Pixar, nine out of ten chances it’s probably gonna win. To conclude, here’s what Incredibles 2 is: 1) It’s the best Pixar sequel since Toy Story 3, 2) Might be better than the original, 3) One of the best films so far this year

Pixar Short “Bao” Thoughts: Most might find this confusing, but Bao might have a strange story behind it, but it turned out to be one of the best animated shorts I’ve seen in a long time that has an understanding message about motherhood and the outcomes of an empty nest that unexpectedly made me emotional. Domee Shi, the first woman to direct a Pixar short, made a memorable short that hits the right spots.

Incredibles 2 doesn’t disappoint as this Pixar sequel delivers not just on a fun experience, but with its humor, action, and perfect family dynamic that was definitely worth the wait. Grade: A-