Incredibles 2 (2018) review

In 2004, Pixar released what many consider to be one of their greatest films to date, The Incredibles. The film notably served as the first Pixar film that wasn’t directed by one of the studio’s primary group of filmmakers. However, director Brad Bird isn’t that far off from being a member of Pixar’s core creative team, as he was one of the many iconic animators who attended the California Institute of the Arts in the 1970’s alongside the likes of Pixar mainstays like Pete Docter and Andrew Stanton. With The Incredibles, Bird gave audiences a delightfully entertaining homage to the Silver Age of comics that starred a family of superheroes whose powers were tied directly to classic familial archetypes, like the father who’s expected to be strong for his family or the mother who gets pulled in all directions. Upon its release, the film grossed over $633 million worldwide and won two Oscars for Best Sound Editing and Best Animated Feature. Critics and audiences lauded it for its animation (which was touted as having broken new grounds for creating human characters), thrilling action sequences, and a layered plot that delved into subjects that one wouldn’t normally expect to see in a film geared towards younger audiences (e.g. going through a mid-life crisis, potential inter-martial affairs, etc.). And it ended on a big cliffhanger that effectively made it one of the few Pixar films (arguably the only one, even…) where a sequel was almost universally demanded by fans. Well, it may have taken 14 years, but Brad Bird is back once again with the continuing adventures of everyone’s favorite superhero family in Incredibles 2. And fear not, folks, as that long gap in time between the releases of these two films does not prevent this sequel from being one of the most satisfying follow-ups in recent memory, sure to delight both those who grew up with the original and those who didn’t grow up with it but now get to experience its majesty for the first time.

Incredibles 2 opens right where the first film left off, with retired crime-fighters Bob Parr AKA Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) and his wife Helen AKA Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) having returned to their old lives of being superheroes. Not only that, but they’re now joined by their two oldest kids as well; Violet (Sarah Vowell), who can turn invisible and project force fields, and Dash (Huck Milner, replacing Spencer Fox from the first film), a speedster. However, due to the government laws that had forced Bob, Helen, and their fellow superheroes to go into retirement 15 years ago still being in effect, the family is forced to once again return to their normal lives. To make matters worse, Bob and Helen learn from their government ally Rick Dicker (Jonathan Banks, replacing Bud Luckey from the first film) that the ‘Superhero Relocation Program’ that has been keeping their secret identities secure is set to be discontinued, putting the family’s entire future in jeopardy. That is, until Bob, Helen, and family friend Lucius Best AKA Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) are approached with an offer by Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk), the owner of one of the top telecommunication companies in the world, DEVTECH. Having been a fan of superheroes ever since he was a kid, Winston and his sister Evelyn (Catherine Keener) propose a plan to use their influences in the media to help revitalize the public’s perception of superheroes. The Deavors end up selecting Helen to lead their operation as they consider her to be the ‘least-destructive’ of the three. Despite this, Bob offers to watch the kids so that Helen can do her thing and hopefully allow them all to return to doing what they do best. Thus, Mr. Incredible finds himself facing his most difficult challenge yet… being a stay-at-home dad who must deal with everything from Violet’s dating struggles to figuring out the powers of the family’s infant son, Jack-Jack. Meanwhile, Helen finds herself dealing with a new tech-savvy villain known as the Screenslaver who threatens to undermine the whole operation with his ability to brainwash people using hypnotic imagery.

The superhero genre has obviously evolved quite a bit since the release of the first Incredibles, primarily thanks to the global powerhouse that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thus, Brad Bird has noted that this was one of the biggest challenges in developing the sequel because he didn’t want to follow a lot of the genre’s common narrative tropes. Thus, he instead focused on the key aspect that made the first film the classic that it is, the family dynamic. Oh sure, like its predecessor, there’s plenty of fun action sequences in this film and it isn’t afraid to explore some of the various facets of its world of superheroes. But at its core, this is still a film about a family who struggles to deal with the consequences of having superpowers in a world that isn’t that accepting of those who have them. Some may argue that the plot is mostly just a role reversal of the first film, this time having Elastigirl being the one who goes out to fight crime instead of Mr. Incredible, but it’s a lot more than that. The first film was about Mr. Incredible overcoming the mid-life crisis that he found himself in as a former superhero who’s forced to go into hiding and become an average citizen in a frustrating dead-end job. As for the sequel, it’s about how Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl are both forced to make sacrifices to ensure their family’s future. Elastigirl’s crime-fighting requires her to leave her family for an extended amount of time while Mr. Incredible is forced to stand back and let his wife go out and revel in all the superhero glory when it’s clear that she’s quite arguably better at it than him. Because of this, the film ends up boasting a strong amount of emotional depth that is on par with what we got out of the original.

All of this is paired nicely with the film’s excellent animation, which truly does showcase how far computer animation has evolved since 2004. Like the first film, the animation in this film does an excellent job in capturing that vibrant comic-book style, with some scenes even managing to give off a nice 2-D vibe. As for the characters, the majority of the first film’s cast return to reprise their roles in this film, save for Jonathan Banks taking over for the late Bud Luckey as Rick Dicker and Huck Milner taking over for Spencer Fox in the role of Dash a la Hayden Rolence taking over for Alexander Gould as Nemo in Finding Dory. These two do a nice job in taking over their respective roles and all the returning players slip back into their parts with ease. As noted earlier, the film does a fantastic job of balancing out Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl’s roles in the story while still making the latter the central character this time around, something that Holly Hunter very much revels in. But Craig T. Nelson also gets a lot of great material to work with as well, with Mr. Incredible getting a lot of the film’s best humorous moments due to his increasing exasperation over all the crazy shenanigans that he gets into while trying to take care of the family, like struggling to understand the new ways to learn math. And of course, there are all the memorable supporting roles, from the always-reliable Samuel L. Jackson as the suave Frozone to director Brad Bird himself as the Parrs’ legendary costume designer Edna Mode to newcomers like Bob Odenkirk and Catherine Keener as the Deavors. 

The concept of Pixar doing sequels to their various animated classics has been a heavily contentious topic amongst the studio’s fanbase. While sequels in general always tend to get a bad reputation from many film buffs, it seems as if Pixar’s sequels face even more scrutiny from those who feel that the studio is ‘above all that’. Sure, the Toy Story sequels managed to be just as critically-acclaimed as the original 1995 film that started it all for the company, but the same can’t exactly be said for follow-ups to films like Cars and Monsters Inc. Heck, even the upcoming Toy Story 4 has been attracting tons of skepticism from those who felt that the series had reached its proper conclusion with 2010’s Toy Story 3. In short, as I said before, The Incredibles seemed to be the only Pixar film that most fans genuinely wanted a sequel to given how it ended on a major cliffhanger (a cliffhanger that, rest assured, does get a satisfying conclusion in this new film). Thankfully, Incredibles 2 does manage to live up to all the hype surrounding it by being yet another fun animated superhero adventure that never loses sight of the strong family dynamic that defined its predecessor. This, in turn, allows the film to stand out amongst all the superhero films that have come out since the original Incredibles in 2004. It’s clear that Brad Bird took his time to ensure that the sequel would be up to par with its predecessor, and he more than delivers in that regard. I won’t go as far as to compare these two films just yet seeing how I’ve only seen the sequel once compared to the countless times I’ve seen the first film, but I’d say that they’re evenly matched. Either way, for fans of the original film, you’ll be more than satisfied with this long-awaited follow-up while younger audiences get to experience everything that made the first Incredibles a modern masterpiece.

Rating: 5/5!

The Films of Pixar



At this point, Pixar is a company that needs no introduction. Once, it was just a small part of the Computer Division of Lucasfilm, helping create visuals for films like ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan’ and ‘Young Sherlock Holmes’. Now, they are known as the company behind some of the best computer animated films of all time. Since 1995, they have made 13 animated films, which have grossed a cumulative total of over seven billion dollars worldwide. Pixar has earned 27 Academy Awards, seven of which for the Best Animated Film of the Year, along with many other awards (Golden Globes, Annie Awards, etc…). This weekend sees the release of their 14^th animated feature, Monsters University, a prequel to their 2001 film ‘Monster’s Inc’. Will it be another roaring success for Pixar? We’ll just have to wait and see when it comes out. But for now, it’s time to look back at the premier filmography of what is probably the best computer animation studio around today.

I apologize in advance if, at times, I start to repeat myself during this retrospective, but come on, it’s Pixar. What else can you say about them?

TOY STORY (1995)



Toy Story was the first feature-length computer animated film ever made. Obviously, there was a lot that Pixar had to do to get this film made. In fact, at one point, the production of the film was actually shut down because of a disastrous first cut of the film which was filled with, according to director (and head of Pixar) John Lasseter, ‘the most unhappy, mean characters that I’ve ever seen’. Even Tom Hanks, who voiced the main character Woody, once proclaimed that the original interpretation of the character was a ‘jerk’. Why was this happening? Well, Disney wanted the film to appeal to both children and adults and then-chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg suggested that Pixar should make the film edgier. Obviously, this didn’t go far and after major rewrites (even Joss Whedon came in to help rewrite the film), the final product that we know today was finally complete.

Even after 18 years, ‘Toy Story’ still stands as one of the best computer animated films of all time. The visuals are still very good even after all this time but the main thing that holds the film together is the writing. As Disney had hoped, the film does appeal to both children and adults but instead of being edgy, the writing is both witty and sophisticated which works much better. The main characters Woody and Buzz (both excellently voiced by Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, respectively) are both very likable and Hanks and Allen work together very well. The rest of the voice cast (which includes Jim Varney, Don Rickles, and Wallace Shawn) is great as well. The bottom line is that if you haven’t seen ‘Toy Story’ yet, this is a must-see animated film that is great for the whole family.

Rating: 5/5!

A BUG’S LIFE (1998)



For now, let’s ignore the whole controversy surrounding 1998’s two ant-themed animated films, Dreamworks’ first computer animated film ‘Antz’ and Pixar’s second film, ‘A Bug’s Life’. Did Jeffrey Katzenberg steal the idea from Pixar? Who knows? But now let’s talk about Pixar’s second film which, as a whole, isn’t really as good as ‘Toy Story’ but it’s still an enjoyable animated film. Compared to ‘Antz’, which had more edge to it, ‘A Bug’s Life’ is more kid-friendly in tone. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing; it’s just that I kind of prefer ‘Antz’ over this film. The main characters are a little bland, but the supporting characters make up for that shortcoming, namely the circus bugs that the main character Flik enlists to help his colony deal with the grasshoppers that oppress them. It’s not really one of my favorites, but it’s still a solid film from Pixar.

Rating: 4/5

TOY STORY 2 (1999)



Believe it or not, ‘Toy Story 2’ was originally supposed to be just a direct-to-video film, but just like how ‘Toy Story’ was re-done after its first cut, Pixar decided to make a full-length theatrical release instead and what a film this is. It’s hard for a sequel to top the original, but ‘Toy Story 2’ is one of those rare sequels that is not only as good as the original, but possibly better. It’s my personal favorite Pixar film for a few reasons; namely due to the broadened scope and new cast of characters. The writing is still fantastic, and the filmmakers do a great job at further continuing the story by bringing up the question of what will Woody do when Andy grows up and will most likely forget about him (which is developed further in Toy Story 3). The backstory for the character of Jessie is also a highlight of the film, and a guaranteed tear-jerker. ‘Toy Story 2’ is one of the best sequels of all time, and I have to say that I actually prefer it to the original.

Rating: 5/5!

MONSTERS’ INC (2001)



It’s the film that led to the upcoming ‘Monsters University’ and, as you might have guessed, it’s another great film from Pixar. It’s a nice creative take on the whole ‘monsters in the closet’ idea and Pixar does a great job at setting up the monster universe and its characters. The two main characters, Mike and Sulley, are both very likable and both Billy Crystal and John Goodman (Mike and Sulley, respectively) do great jobs in the roles. The two also have great chemistry together, and Crystal does pretty much steal the show here. It’s a heartwarming comedy and another great Pixar film.

Rating: 4.5/5

FINDING NEMO (2003)



I don’t think I need to go into this film that much because it’s already been done to death but I’ll give my thoughts on it anyway. Finding Nemo is one of the best Pixar films ever; it’s pretty much a masterpiece in terms of computer animated films. The story is based around a touching father-son message and both the characters of Marlin and his son Nemo are very likable. You can see where both are coming from; Marlin is afraid of losing Nemo after his wife and their other kids are eaten by a barracuda (also, on another note, that opening… um… DAMN! Talk about a way to open up a movie, especially a family film, no less) and Nemo is annoyed by how overprotective his father is. Ellen DeGeneres is also great and hilarious in the role of Dory, a fish with short-term memory loss. Finally, this is one of Pixar’s best films in terms of visuals, which are just beautiful. Not only is this one of Pixar’s best films, but it’s one of the best animated films ever.

Rating: 5/5!

THE INCREDIBLES (2004)



Speaking of the best animated films ever, let’s look at ‘The Incredibles’. It’s interesting that, with this film, it was the first Pixar film to be made by someone who was not directly affiliated with Pixar. However, because director Brad Bird was friends with John Lasseter (the two attended the same college, California Institute of the Arts), I’d go as far as say he’s pretty much part of the ‘Pixar team’. As for the first of the two films he has currently made for Pixar, it’s a loving homage to superheroes and it’s also a nice satire on suburban life, with the main characters being a family who just so happen to have superpowers. It’s also one of the funniest Pixar films (‘Honey, where’s my super-suit?’).  It’s pretty much a masterpiece and it’s another one of Pixar’s finest. On a final note, it’s also the only Pixar film right now that is truly worthy of a sequel. The ending of the film pretty much sets it all up. That probably won’t happen for a while (Bird’s currently busy working on his newest film, ‘Tomorrowland’) but I certainly look forward to an ‘Incredibles 2’.

Rating: 5/5!

CARS (2006)



The two ‘Cars’ movies have probably received the weakest ratings of any Pixar film to date (the second one getting even worse reviews than its predecessor) but in regards to the first film, I actually do really like it. It’s not really Pixar’s best film, but I do think it’s a solid animated film, even if it’s not really up to par with some of Pixar’s best work. It goes at a much slower pace than other Pixar films and admittedly the film may be a bit too long but I never found the film to be boring. Sure, the story is a little cliché, but the characters make up for it. All in all, the first ‘Cars’ is not really for everyone, but it’s still pretty entertaining.

Rating: 4/5

RATATOUILLE (2007)

 



Brad Bird returns to Pixar with ‘Ratatouille’, and once again Bird delivers another fantastic animated film. First off, the visuals of Paris are fantastic; they’re almost like works of art. In fact, that’s the best way I can describe the film. It’s pretty much a work of art. Granted, some of the dialogue is a little cheesy (no pun intended) but the film is very entertaining, as Bird’s talents at storytelling are once again evident in this great Pixar film.

Rating: 4.5/5

WALL-E (2008)



I think this film’s kind of hard to sell to people because the first half of the film contains little to no dialogue; the two main characters are robots who don’t speak much. However, the atmosphere is incredible and the main characters of Wall-E and EVE are both very likable. The film succeeds at connecting with the audience even though the main characters barely say anything. Then, the second half of the film takes them into outer space. Along with some of Pixar’s most breath-taking visuals, there’s a bit of satire on the idea of consumerism and the economic message that the film promotes (pretty much the following; don’t pollute) is executed well enough that it doesn’t keep hitting you over the head. I won’t say it’s really one of my favorites, but it’s still a well-made animated film.

Rating: 4.5/5

UP (2009)

I have to admit that I was not really interested in this film at first, most likely because I didn’t think a movie focused around an old man sounded that exciting to me. Thankfully, I was proven very wrong by another Pixar masterpiece. This film sells you just by the first ten minutes alone, which follows the main character Carl’s marriage to his wife Ellie, all without any dialogue and yet the music and emotions in this scene make it one of the best sequences ever put on film (not just in animated films). But that’s just the first ten minutes. Thankfully, the rest of the movie is also very creative, funny, and charming which makes this another must-see from Pixar.

Rating: 5/5!

TOY STORY 3 (2010)



After 11 years, the Toy Story crew returns for what is hopefully the final Toy Story film (there’s rumors of a fourth film circulating right now, but while it is possible, I believe that they should end the film series right here), and it’s a fitting conclusion to this series. It’s not afraid to take a dark turn, namely the scene near the end where the toys almost meet their own end. The writing is once again excellent, bringing the story arc of Andy’s toys to a close as they wonder about the future now that Andy is grown up and heading off to college. Of course, by the end, I will admit it… this is a film where, young and old, I guarantee you’ll be fighting back tears. It’s probably not the best Toy Story film, but even after a whole decade since the last installment, it ends the series on a high note and it’s a rare threequel that actually to be as good as its predecessors.

Rating: 4.5/5

CARS 2 (2011)



AKA the first major Pixar film to receive mixed to negative reviews. Is it Pixar’s worst film to date? It probably is, but as someone who was a fan of the first Cars film, I don’t think it’s that bad. However, was the first ‘Cars’ film in need of a sequel? It really wasn’t, and while the whole world-traveling idea seems cool, it’s not really the main focus of the film. Instead, the focus is on spies with the character of Mater getting caught up in international espionage. This film focuses on that plotline so much that Mater is pretty much the main character, and the other main character Lightning McQueen is now just a side character. Obviously, the film still looks great visually but the writing is not really as good as some of Pixar’s other films. I can’t say that it’s a bad film, but Pixar has obviously done much better.

Rating: 3/5

BRAVE (2012)



In a way, ‘Brave’ did get Pixar back on the right track after ‘Cars 2’. The film received better reviews and it even won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. However, the reviews weren’t still up to par with Pixar’s classics and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who didn’t really agree with the Academy picking this film for the best animated film of the year when there were much better films in that category (Wreck-it Ralph, Paranorman, etc…) that year. But that doesn’t mean that this is a bad film. It’s just that this is just an okay Pixar film and it could have been a whole lot better. The first half is actually really good, as the filmmakers do a fantastic job setting up this universe and also taking a much darker route than some of the studio’s other films. But sadly the film starts to fall apart in the second half, where the film descends into typical kids’ film material. The trailers are actually quite mis-promoting. While it seemed like the film would follow the main character of Merida as she tried to ‘change her fate’, in reality the film is about Merida trying to save her mom after accidentally getting her turned into a bear. For the record, the whole mother-daughter aspect of the film is quite touching and well-done, but unfortunately this film just isn’t up to par with Pixar’s other masterpieces.

Rating: 3.5/5

And now, here are my overall rankings of the 13 Pixar films that have currently been released. For the record, if one of your favorite films is lower on this list, remember… this is Pixar we’re talking about. Aside from some less-than stellar efforts, pretty much every film they have made is a masterpiece.

Rankings:

13. Cars 2

12. Brave

11. A Bug’s Life

10. Cars

9. Wall-E

8. Ratatouille

7. Monsters’ Inc

6. Toy Story 3

5. Up

4. Finding Nemo

3. Toy Story

2. The Incredibles

1. Toy Story 2