Incredibles 2 (2018)

As I have become an adult, the first Incredibles movie has grown on me quite a lot. I began to realize how deep-seated its themes are and how many mature issues it tackles for an animated film; there is something special about how animated films like this can allow one’s guard to drop and communicate some heavy messages to the non-children in the room. A sequel has seemed like a pipe dream for so long that I was almost in disbelief when the announcement was made that Incredibles 2 was entering production and would be released in 2018.

I think it is safe to assume that few people were nervous about this film ruining its predecessor; Pixar has done a highly serviceable job with its most beloved properties’ long-awaited sequels (Toy Story 3 and Finding Dory being prime examples), and the return of nearly every component involved in the original eased my mind that much more. I wanted to see the return of that impeccable family dynamic that was often more enticing than the action sequences itself but taken in a new direction that allowed us to see each character in more difficult situations than the first film.

After seeing this film once, I can relax quite easily: Incredibles 2 is a confident stride into some new territory for this franchise (assuming that this isn’t the last sequel) that also brings back most of the best elements of the original. It also targets itself more squarely at people like me who fell in love with that first film as a child and grew more deeply invested in its themes as we aged with it.

That being said, there is one area of this film that cannot match The Incredibles. The sequel’s villain Screenslaver is far less interesting and too predictable to compare favorably to Syndrome. From the first or second encounter with the character, I had already gotten a pretty good idea of who the mysterious figure was and their motivations for their actions. The reveal was handled well, but Screenslaver tends too closely to the lesser clichés of movie villains: the long expositional monologue in particular felt nearly identical to the lesser Bond and Marvel villains in those franchises’ respective filmographies.

The one thing of which I cannot accuse this film, though, is a poor aesthetic. The entire film looks spectacular – especially with Brad Bird’s jaw-dropping action sequences that remind me of his work in the Mission: Impossible franchise – but one sequence in the film’s midsection in which Elastigirl traces Screenslaver’s signal back to an apartment complex is jaw-dropping, reminding me in both tone and construction of David Fincher’s Seven, which is a feel that very few animated film ever approach. Every frame of Incredibles 2 is gorgeous and shows Pixar’s attention to detail at its strongest while also not marring the now 14-year-old animation of its predecessor (which may be the reason why it doesn’t top Coco as Pixar’s best-looking film).

What I enjoyed the most about this film was its treatment of its themes. One of the two central storylines is about Bob (Mr. Incredible) having to become a stay-at-home dad as Helen (Elastigirl) is picked over him for bringing superheroes back into the public’s good graces. He struggles with this deeply at first because he, like so many husbands and fathers, feels a deep-seated need to provide for his family and to be the superhuman-like figure towards which they could aspire. One could argue that this angle is one of female empowerment, but as someone who will most likely be placed into Bob’s situation in the future due to their line of work I related to his struggle. The way that Bob goes about accomplishing this challenge in front of him is not unlike how he attacks his second shot at the Omnidroid in the first film; he realizes his deficiencies, and he puts in hours of work to serve his family as best as he can. It was freeing to see an image of a domestic dad that did not play exclusively for laughs but rather showed the heroism behind being an image of provider different than that of the norms of the nuclear family. At times, the film tries to speak on other hot topics like following seemingly unjust laws, the incompetency of politicians, and a sensationalist news media; these other messages can distract from the film’s principal themes about family to the point where they seem like hastily tacked-on additions, albeit subtle ones.

Despite some predictability in its plot and antagonist, Incredibles 2 is quite the thrilling adventure. It has a big heart just like every Pixar film and speaks in a special way to stay-at-home dads who feel out of place in a world that try as it might cannot rid itself of the nuclear family stereotypes. Nothing about it smears the first film’s legacy, and the fact that the two films feel so seamless is a testament to the work of Brad Bird behind the camera. It may try to say a bit too much at times, but this animated film will please everyone watching it in spades.

My recommendation: Go see it; you’re practically guaranteed to like it.

My rating: 87/100