It’s been fourteen long years, but Writer-Director Brad Bird has finally returned to deliver Pixar’s The Incredibles 2. Was the sequel worth the wait or has too much time passed for it to be relevant?
The story picks up right where the first film left off, with the Incredibles facing off with the Underminer (John Ratzenberger). After that fight leaves a wake of destruction, Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson), Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), and Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) are approached by Winston (Bob Odenkirk) and Evelyn Deavor (Katherine Keener), a pair of siblings that want to re-launch “supers” back into the world. Their choice for primary ambassador is Elastigirl. That leaves Mr. Incredible to watch the home front and take care of Violet (Sarah Vowell), Dash (Huck Milner), and Baby Jack-Jack (Eli Fucile), who is just beginning to display super powers. Meanwhile, Elastigirl has to deal with a new villain, Screenslaver (Bill Wise), who uses hypnotism to make others carry out his nefarious deeds. Will the Incredibles find success both out in the world and back at home?
The Incredibles 2 is, simply put, one of the year’s best films and ranks among Pixar’s greatest sequels. It’s a fun movie that is absolutely hilarious and has heart-stopping action that rivals any set pieces in its live action cousins’ films. It was so enjoyable to see the Parr family again and go on their adventures. I could stand to have a new Incredibles film every few years if Bird were willing to crank them out. The retro aesthetic of the film is also fantastic and adds a lot to the overall feel of the world. It was also great that this was Elastigirl’s story much like the first film was Mr. Incredible’s. The friendship that develops between Elastigirl and Evelyn is nice as fans of superhero films don’t really get to see many female friendships since those stories are mostly male-dominated.
The best part of the film is all the non-hero moments and that’s a testament to the actors playing the roles. Nelson and Hunter are a great team and have great chemistry together. Vowell and Milner are also really good in their roles—Milner takes over for Spencer Fox, who aged out of the role. I also really loved having Jackson back as Frozone and would have liked to have seen even more of him in this film. Brad Bird once again voices Edna Mode when she makes her cameo and Odenkirk and Keener are really great as the brother and sister duo. There is also a group of heroes that show up later in the film, featuring voice work from Sophia Bush, Phil LaMarr, and Paul Eiding.
If you loved the original Incredibles, you will equally love The Incredibles 2. I still give the edge to the first film, but it’s really close. I had so much fun at this film and you will too. If you’re a comics fan, it will also make you yearn even more for a proper Fantastic Four film. This one is a Must See.
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