Incredibles 2

“After fourteen years of waiting” has been the most overused phrase in many critical reviews for this film. I was not waiting for a sequel to The Incredibles; I thought it was perfect and did not need any additions. Its noir elements and 50’s aesthetic gave it a unique texture compared to today’s super-hero-flicks, and I was hoping it would stay that way—an example from the past. Brad Bird is a wonderful director and storyteller (The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, Ratatouille), but I was worried he took this job to pay for the scar of Tomorrowland’s failure. From the trailers, I thought this film was just going to satisfy its audience, pandering by having its jokes only as throwbacks instead of offering something new. I am glad to say the trailers do it no justice, and Brad Bird drives his skill and passion for stories into the spotlight once again.

What this film knocks out of the park is its characters. Every scene with Mr. Incredible and his children are hilarious, relatable, and filled with emotion and passion. The progression and failure of his attempts to keep the family together is split into three different situations for each child, and they interrupt one another expertly for the story to understandably crash down on him. His actions have consequences; his victories are celebrated, but then he has to summon more strength for the next challenge. Through all of this, he also has to ensure that he is stable enough to support his wife and assure her that she is making the right choice. The storm of conflicts attacking this one character is done elegantly and adds the greatest aspect to this film.

Other noteworthy characters, such as Frozone, Edna Mode, and the kids are given more time to shine. Frozone is Samuel L. Jackson, and every moment he gives a smooth-jazz tone that adds more to the 50s era atmosphere. Edna Mode is the exact same, brilliantly voiced by the writer-director himself, and has a hilarious reason to place herself into the narrative. Near the end of the film, there is a tonal shift where Violet and Dash are separated into their own story with Jack Jack. Not only do they have to baby sit their little brother, something clearly shown by the first act as the worst challenge imaginable, but they have to save the day as well. The film’s approach to their attempts of stealth and survival mirrors the scenes from the first film of them fighting the henchmen in the jungle, and how these events unfold through their successes and failures affects the entire story with an innocent twist at several classic clichés.

There is only one problem with this film, and it drags the entire story down with it: the antagonist. The new villain has true intentions, a reasonable backstory, and fleshed out character to his or her actions, but how the story tries to hide this person’s identity is sloppy and too short to have any merit. This antagonist was fine, but no where near the flare and emotional connection as Syndrome. This person has no vendetta against Mr. Incredible or Elastigirl directly, they simply hate supers in general, which severs any strong reaction when they are fighting the main characters—it could be any super thwarting the plan, and it would have the same emotional weight to the antagonist. This problem drags the rest of the film because it fails to make Elastigirl’s conflicts, the main story arc of the entire film, better than the rest of the subplots. My energy was highest with Mr. Incredible, and it instantly dipped when it began showing Elastigirl—which is the exact opposite of what Disney wants the audience to feel. Her story is well done, and the underlying themes of how cameras and the all-seeing eyes of the media-public finds its ways to be relevant through a stylized world, but she never seems to struggle through most of the film. This is an important difference from The Incredibles, where Mr. Incredible must face the consequences of his past actions by himself for a majority of the story.

Overall, I would summarize this film as “less like James Bond and more like Big Hero 6.” What I love about The Incredibles is that it is a classic spy film with explosions, secret agents, high tech gadgets, a 50s era atmosphere, and a personal villain, but instead of a misogynistic tuxedo it is a symbolic and family-man superhero. The feeling of Mr. Incredible trying to gain what he lost in his glory and the struggle of realizing he is not strong enough to win alone is a fantastic story. The sequel does not resonate with this quality. Its story is well done and the humor between the characters is great, but what lies beneath veers more towards what Big Hero 6 had: using one’s personal skills and working together to create a better world for everyone, which is a more optimistic and fantasy feel than James Bond. If you are a fan of the predecessor, you will love this film. If you love Pixar’s animation, or the artistic eye of a mid-century-modern film, or the tropes of the superhero genre, you will love this film. It has everything to be considered a great film, but whether it holds up to the excellence of its predecessor is up to personal debate.

Story Rating: 6/10

Character Rating: 8/10