‘The Incredibles 2’ Movie Review: Better the Second Time Around

After about 14 years, we finally know what happens to the Parr family after the cliffhanger-ish ending of 2004’s The Incredibles. It has been a grueling wait for most of us who have seen the first movie as kids, but the wait is well worth it. The Incredibles 2 successfully outlives the hype and makes the viewing experience a mix of awe and nostalgia. It’s where we see how much the Disney/Pixar crew has grown and evolved to be one of the best animation powerhouses in the industry.

A lot has changed since the first Incredibles film, and it’s a rare feat for these massive franchises to hit it with their sequels. Thankfully, director Brad Bird’s creativity, as well as the excellent voice acting by the character make The Incredibles 2 another lasting film that one can always look back and enjoy for the next few years.

There are some spoilers in this film review, so beware.

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Character Development

The Incredibles 2  picks up from the ending of the first movie. The Parr family goes head to head with The Underminer (John Ratzenberger) as the villain destroys the city to rob a bank. As the action ensues, both Helen/Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) and Bob/Mr. Inredible (Craig T. Nelson) task their kids Violet (Sarah Vowell) and Dash (Huck Milner) to look after Jack-Jack (Eli Fucile).

The chaos spreads as the Underminer digs through the city’s foundations and almost destroys the city hall. Violet and Dash struggle to stay put and watch, prompting them to help their parents out. In the end, the Parr family saves the day—but with a few consequences coming along with the victory. Tony Rydinger (Michael Bird), Violet’s crush, sees her with her mask off during the fiasco with the Underminer—making Bob contact his superhero agent Rick Dicker (Jonathan Banks) to erase the boy’s memory of Violet. The city also sees the destruction as sloppy superhero work, thanks to Mr. Incredible’s doing. The whole ordeal ends with all supers being banned, and the Parr family left with only a motel room to call their home.

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The first act effectively ties the previous movie into the sequel, and it’s actually where The Incredibles 2 gets its traction from. One thing that’s evident throughout the entire film, however, is how Elastigirl once again stands as the main hero. True, the Parr family are fantastic in their own ways, but it’s Elastigirl who definitely waves their banner all throughout.

The way Ealstigirl and Mr. Incredible’s own narratives were written made it easy to like both characters separately. Bob is the stay-at-home dad who’s tasked to care for their three kids, while Elastigirl embarks on a mission to re-establish the greatness of superheroes thanks to businessman Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk) and his sister Evelyn (Catherine Keener).

The kids, on the other hand, make the Parr family more likable. Violet still suffers from the same awkwardness after finding out that Bob had Tony’s memory of her wiped out. Dash, on the other hand, is still the same as in the first film—still failing at school and struggling to control his hyperactive powers. But the secondary star of The Incredibles 2 is Jack-Jack, who finally manifests a plethora of superpowers. The baby super has a lot of screentime in the movie, but it fared well because it could also set up the future plotlines of the Incredibles franchise. One thing about Jack-Jack is how he’s probably a mashup of many powers into one, making him the most powerful of all the Parrs once he learns to control them.

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Of course, the two underrated but greatly-written characters will always be Lucius/Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) and Edna Mode (Bird). They had a limited amount of screentime here, but their appearances actually helped move the story forward. Edna bonds with Jack-Jack after seeing his powers in action and creates a suit that Bob can control it with. Frozone acts as a trusty sidekick to Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl but doesn’t lose the time to shine in his own spotlight.

Then we have the newcomers, the Deavor siblings, a few new superhero faces—Voyd (Sophia Bush), Krushauer & Helectrix (Phil LaMarr), and Reflux (Paul Eiding)—and the cryptic “tech hypnosis” villain Screenslaver (Bill Wise). At first glance, it’s hard to figure out who the villain of The Incredibles 2 will be, but it slowly fleshes out after the Deavors engage in shady crime-fighting situations while putting Elastigirl front and center. I won’t describe how the villain’s true intentions are revealed, but it’s definitely a twist that one would see coming as Elastigirl puts two and two together. The new supers also made things a bit more colorful with regards to the movie’s narrative, but they were a bit underused, like a backdrop in a theater play that’s always seen but rarely paid attention to.

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Excellent Techincal Elements

Since 14 years have passed from the first Incredibles movie, it’s safe to assume that the animation would be significantly best its predecessor. In fact, the animation crew did the job so well that one couldn’t unsee the baffling amount of detail and render in every scene. The physical elements in the movie are better, explosions are more realistic, and the character models are closer to real-life features than it was before. From the Parr family’s dinner and breakfast scenes to the train chase with Elastigirl, the detail put into to every fabric of the film made things easy on the eyes and a more pleasurable animated movie to watch. This is another peak for Pixar.

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The fight scenes are significantly better than its predecessor, especially the one between Elastigirl and Screenslaver. It’s animated into a well-thought-out sequence that conclusively shows the physical authenticity of The Incredibles 2’s spectacular animation. One could easily spot the difference of the first film’s animation to the sequel’s. Movements and frame cutting is smoother and more comfortable, whereas The Incredibles had a bit of a glitch-like way of making its characters interact.

As for the writing, Bird successfully makes the sequel another unforgettable Disney/Pixar classic. The transition from one act to another might be a little slow at times, but you’ll hardly even notice it as you’re invested in the film’s upgraded aesthetic and superior storyline. Although this time, even though the Parr family’s enemy isn’t a real super, it still raises the moral and emotional stakes that define the very core of the Parr family’s ideals. They will always be superheroes, no matter what governments and regulations dictate.

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‘The Incredibles 2’ Overall Verdict

This sequel was a long time coming. Give the extended period that the animators and Bird put into the development of The Incredibles 2, it successfully cements itself as one of Pixar’s best. I can actually see this film in the running for a major award once the Oscar season begins later this year. That said, the movie is an animated classic in its own right, with characters that were built up properly for all audiences to love and adore. The Incredibles 2 makes it a point to help viewers remember their childhood, as well as appreciate the kind of superhero movie that doesn’t rely much on extra-terrestrial foes, demented villains, and grandiose schemes foiled by the most mundane of superhero elements.

It’s a genuine superhero film, adding in the awe and bafflement that one feels when seeing these heroes fight for justice and stand up for what’s right. With today’s oversaturation of comic book characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DC Extended Universe, The Incredibles sequel offers a breath of fresh air and allows one to enjoy the simplest depiction of how it is to be a superhero. The Incredibles 2 deserves all the praise for being an animated film that doesn’t dwell on the superficial—making it a better watch the second time around.