Incredibles 2 more than exceeds high expectations
Seeing 2004’s The Incredibles was one of my favorite movie experiences. I knew nothing about the film going in, expected to be underwhelmed by a kid’s movie, and was blindsided by how great it was.
In general, I feel like the current Hollywood advertising strategies are detrimental to the overall enjoyment of a film. The constant hype machines—from ComicCon panels to YouTube fanboys to event trailers that are endlessly discussed online—ruin our ability to engage with a film on our own terms.
The best movies are the ones that unfold before your eyes, unspoiled by expectation. That’s largely impossible now, unless you’re willing to actively avoid all media for months at a time. It’s another causality of the communication age.
At any rate, when Pixar announced the sequel to The Incredibles, the hype machine went into full swing. The original film is one of the best Pixar films to date and the one most suited to have its own franchise. Why there are so many Cars movies (and spinoff Planes movies) is a mystery to me.
Part of me was hoping, for once, that the world of the Incredibles would be contained to one film, perfectly formed, and expertly crafted. The other part of me wanted lots of them. And so, 14 years later, after much demand, Incredibles 2 debuted in theaters and is mostly a success.
The film begins immediately after the first film, with the family battling their first (or second) supervillain together. While it doesn’t go as well as they might hope, it does attract the attention of a communications billionaire who wants nothing more than to restore superheroes to their rightful glory as legal vigilantes helping the downtrodden of the world.
After the Underminer incident, the superhero relocation program is shut down, leaving the Parr family homeless in a hotel. However, family friend FroZone (Samuel L. Jackson) approaches with an opportunity. Said communications billionaire Winston Deavor wants to meet about his plan. Deavor wants the public to see heroes for what they are and he has to technology to do it.
The problem with superheroes is that everyone sees the aftermath rather than the action. Instead of focusing on the cost of hero work, he wants to focus on what it produces—saved lives. They have to start small, he says. Mr. Incredible might be too incredible (and destructive) for such delicate work. Elastigirl is perfect, however. This leads to Helen leaving Bob at home with the kids while she fights crime the old-fashioned way—in tights.
Incredibles 2 is a wonderful successor to the original film. Voice acting is tight, the writing is strong, and the jokes are kid-friendly and clever. One of the best things about Pixar is their dedication to storytelling and craft. They don’t do easy—they do complicated and relatable.
It would be simpler for the filmmakers to slap a few pop culture references into their dialogue, have the characters dance to a pop song from a current artist, and call it a day. Studios make plenty of money from this format. Instead, Pixar made sure that the original director (Brad Bird) and cast return to continue a story that had more to say.
Bird has made some of the best animated films around with just The Iron Giant, Ratatouille, and The Incredibles. Incredibles 2 is more of the same. This isn’t to say that the film is wholly original. If anything, it cribs from itself, particularly in terms of character motivations.
The stakes in this film don’t seem as high as the previous and it could be argued that Incredibles 2 is just singing the hits. I wouldn’t argue that though. I enjoyed the film as much as I have any other superhero film this year. In fact, I might have enjoyed it more.
There aren’t a lot of great family films in theaters. Hollywood studios are more likely to see children’s films are marketing gimmicks rather than true art. It’s more important that the picture tie in with corporate sponsored advertising and toys than tell an engaging story. Incredibles 2 might have some of that (it is a sequel, after all) but it fits well with the tone set by the original film and is a fun continuation regardless.
Pixar knows how to make good movies.