The Incredibles 2 opens with a clip from the cast and crew of the film acknowledging that movies take a long time to make and this superhero sequel is no exception. It has been an astounding 14 years since the beloved Pixar movie left us on the edge of our seats, waiting to see the family of heroes take on the dastardly Underminer.
The sequel had a lot to live up to with that wait as its core audience from 2004 has grown up substantially and may be harder to please in a world of almost monthly superhero movies, does The Incredibles 2 manage to live up to the hype or does it succumb to the odds put against it? The answer is a mixed bag.
It would’ve been very difficult to expect Pixar to deliver yet another Incredibles film with the same quality of the first especially after seeing some of the other sequels they’ve made recently and the fact they waited so long to do so, creating high expectations. The Incredibles is one of the best superhero movies ever made due to how it gushes with style through visuals and music, tells a heartfelt story of family, and at the time, told a story about a superhero out of his prime and thrown to the side by the public.
It’s a high bar to reach and The Incredibles 2 sadly doesn’t come close to reaching it, even with Elastigirl’s intense flexibility. I left the movie theater feeling really odd, I didn’t regret watching it but I also felt… unfulfilled. This hole that Pixar created in my heart when I was just a small kid is left feeling wider than ever.
In The Incredibles 2, the story picks up literally no less than half a second after the first one ended. We see the full fight against The Underminer but ultimately, the heroes cause too much destruction and the politicians spin it to continue to ensure that Supers do not have a place in this world. Now living out of a motel due to their house being smashed by Syndrome’s jet, the Parr family is stuck trying to decide what to do with their lives.
Do they chase after the thrills of being Supers despite being outlawed or do they go back to their boring lives, sitting in office jobs, eating dinner under a dim light every night? An opportunity arises and thrusts Elastigirl back into the limelight while Mr. Incredible stays in their luxurious new home to tend to his kids thinking about how being a single parent can’t be that hard.
Ultimately, the film is half-role reversal/retread of the first film and half-original, sadly, all of it falls quite flat. It’s not bad or incoherent, it’s just shockingly average and by the numbers. The twist can be seen coming from a mile away, the stakes are quite possibly lower than the first film, and it just feels very half-baked. It makes me realize that director Brad Bird may have simply caught lightning in a bottle with the first film and desperately wanted to do it again but he just can’t muster the strength to do it.
The Incredibles 2 at its core is about heroes rising to the occasion in positions they’re not used to. Elastigirl must be the strong hero front and center to convince the public that the world needs Supers. Mr. Incredible has to father three children in a way he hasn’t ever before, helping Dash with homework, understanding Jack-Jack’s newfound powers, and trying to mend a broken teenage relationship for Violet. Then, of course, the kids have to eventually to help save the day when things inevitably so south.
There are lots of parallels to the original and some of them are much more obvious than others, for those who saw Star Wars: The Force Awakens and thought it was just A New Hope all over again, you may feel like you’ve seen The Incredibles 2 before. It felt very familiar but not in a way that eases you into a new story like The Force Awakens. There’s a lack of originality and when they do something original, it doesn’t feel up to snuff.
Where The Incredibles 2 shines is in its action sequences. From moment one, we see that Brad Bird hasn’t lost his sense of creativity when it comes to delivering awesome set-pieces. During the Underminer sequence at the start, there’s a giant drill plowing through the city and The Incredibles must stop it before it hits the capital. While they attempt to dismantle the drill, they’re playing an improvised game of hot potato with Jack-Jack.
Not knowing he has any powers yet, they carry him around through the action, trying to pass him off to other family members so they can get a taste of the action and leave someone else to babysit him. It’s a great sequence that quickly refamiliarizes us with this dysfunctional family and showcases everyone in their prime.
There’s not a single action scene that flops, it’s always engaging and thrilling, being the one saving grace from making The Incredibles 2 feel totally bland. The Incredibles clash with other Supers who make for increasingly great challenges, using their powers to outwit the family and keep them on their toes. It’s totally fresh and gives some of the best action sequences in the genre.
Sadly, that’s where all of the style of The Incredibles 2 goes. The music feels less triumphant now, the familiar stings are still there but some are missing and the new ones just serve as background noise with a lack of identity. When I hear the music in the first film, it gives me goosebumps and matches the exhilarating feelings being portrayed on screen. Here it’s just noise that could be found in just about any other superhero movie.
That 70s spy/espionage feeling is gone and while the animation is top notch, it’s not enough to make it feel super distinct like the original. On top of that, all of the best jokes are either in the trailer or so sparse that they lack consistency. The humor is there and was enough to give me some chuckles but none of it stood out as classic Pixar comedy.
The Verdict:
Perhaps it’s just the new era of Pixar or something but The Incredibles 2 just feels like a watered-down version of the original. Stripped of its humor, most of its style, and an engaging story with heart and meaning, The Incredibles 2 falls short of being the incredible sequel we wanted it to be.
Can it be enjoyed? Yes, I don’t regret seeing it but I also have no urge to revisit it. There’s nothing bad about this superhero ensemble piece but there’s nothing about it that leaves me demanding a sequel like the first one did in 2004.
