A new superhero movie seems to hit theaters every month, but one of the latest is neither
by Marvel or DC.
“Incredibles 2” is a sequel to “The Incredibles” from 2004 – 14 years
ago, which is a while, as sequels go. Brad Bird returns to write and direct the sequel,
along with many crew and cast members. As in the original, it follows the Parrs, a
normal family with superpowers.
“Incredibles 2” does have to live up to some high standards. The first one is a very
beloved movie with a passionate fan base, like most Disney or Pixar movies. It’s
considered to be a great film of both Pixar and the superhero genre. In fact, the “Screen
Junkies” YouTube channel has jokingly referred to “The Incredibles” as the only good
“Fantastic Four” movie.
You probably should watch “The Incredibles” before the second one; because it so
closely follows the original, it would probably be confusing to go straight to the sequel.
But you only have to be a little familiar with it to understand “Incredibles 2” – it’s OK if
you haven’t seen it since you were in fourth grade.
Despite being released over a decade later, “The Incredibles 2” takes place right after
the first one. It begins with the Parr family fighting the Underminer, who appears in the
last minute of “The Incredibles.”
The story is about the Parrs as they try to revoke the law banning superheroes.
Elastigirl, the mom, teams up a pair of sibling business tycoons, voiced by Bob Odenkirk
and Catherine Keener, who want to repair the image of superheroes in the media. But this
means that Mr. Incredible, the dad, has to stay home and watch the kids, who each
have their own issues.
They do all of this while having to deal with a new super villain trying to sabotage
superheroes called the Screenslaver, who has the ability to control people through
technology and, of course, screens – not that far-fetched when you think about it.
The fight scenes in the sequel are awesome. It might be better than before because
there are groups of people with superpowers battling each other. These fights are what I
love to see in comics and they don’t appear in most superhero movies.
The family dynamics are still there, being both funny and also honest. They argue with
each other, but still love each other, making the Parrs feel like a real family – that just
happens to have superpowers.
While the Screenslaver is not as memorable a villain as Syndrome, I did appreciate
that the Screenslaver had a stronger motive and provided some good criticism about
the nature of superheroes.
Like the original, “The Incredibles 2” is an animated family film with some adult themes.
Real life topics such as the news and what is the law are addressed. There are even
direct references to politicians, the effects of mass media and the fact that rich
people don’t get the same punishment as regular criminals. This may be pushing the
envelope for a kid’s film. But, then again, the original involved superheroes being
murdered.
Besides, this might be a good place for your kids to learn about these real world
subjects. To be fair, nothing necessarily untrue is said about these topics.
This movie should come with a brief warning and it does. Nothing too serious, but when
the Screenslaver is hypnotizing people, there is a bright flash across the screen. This may cause you to feel dizzy or nauseous.
The only major flaw with the movie is a plot twist revealed later on felt predictable,
especially since it was similar to a plot twist from the original.
I have some mixed feelings about the Parr family in this movie. The sequel didn’t seem
to really change that much. The characters are relatively the same as they were in the
original. On one hand, that reduces the impact of the film, making them feel less
compelling. But on the other hand, maybe it’s for the best the Parrs didn’t change that
much. They were a compelling family to begin with.
“Incredibles 2” is not as good as the original, but it’s still a really good movie. The movie is an enjoyable follow up: It’s entertaining, funny, and action packed with some heart
underneath.
Honestly, a good sequel doesn’t have to be better than the original and “Incredibles 2” is
a good example.