In a Nutshell
After a 14 year wait Mr Incredible, Elastigirl, Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack are back for a long overdue sequel.
[imdb]http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3606756/[/imdb]
Review
I’ve done my waiting! 14 years of it! In Azkaban…” ahem… despite the Harry Potter reference, it is definitely a feeling all Disney fans are familiar with whilst (un)patiently waiting for sequels to much loved Pixar films, such as Toy Story 3, Monster University, and Finding Dory.
The Incredibles is definitely no exception with a 14-year wait for The Incredibles 2 release in the UK on Friday 16th July 2018. So, while sitting in Cityside Movie House early on a Saturday morning, surrounded by families with children who weren’t even born in 2004 and parents more excited than they are, was the wait worth it?
Continuing where we left off in 2004, we’re in the 60s, superheroes are still illegal yet Mr Incredible (Craig T Nelson) and Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) along with their kids, Violet (Sarah Vowell), Dash (Huck Milner) and the “powerless” baby Jack-Jack (Eli Fucile) are in the thick of battle with the Metroville’s latest threat: The Underminer (John Ratzenburger). Joined by their old friend Frozone (Samuel L Jackson), they battle their way to victory, but they sadly lose the war to political jobsworths, leaving the family to live in a motel.
However, in steps millionaire tech extraordinaire Winston Deaver (Bob Odenkirk), offering them the opportunity to join him on a mission to legalise superheroes once again alongside his mysterious genius sister Evelyn (Catherine Keener) through various PR stunts devised by their company DEVTECH. The catch? Elastigirl is their campaign face. This leaves Bob with the unfamiliar mission to raise teenage angst-ridden Violet, hyperactive Dash and of course, baby Jack-Jack alone while Helen basks in the limelight, for now.
A Real Life Super Family
Surprisingly, the domestic scenes of Bob dealing with the challenges of raising three kids steal the show, particularly when Jack-Jack’s arsenal of powers show themselves in a range of hilarious and unpredictable ways resulting in a showdown with a rather furry nemesis. However, this film definitely highlights the dynamics of a modern family, such as Helen worrying about missing Jack-Jack’s first power as she becomes the “breadwinner”, and Bob worried about failing as a parent as he struggles with each new domestic crisis.
Combining fantastic action and comedy with heartfelt family moments is something Pixar has always excelled at and has definitely succeeded in showcasing here which is something many families will relate to.
As Elastigirl and the Deaver’s begin to win the favour of the public and politicians for the reinstatement of superheroes, so enters the films major villain: The Screenslaver (Bill Wise). Despite his rather promising beginnings through his use of screens to hypnotise his victims (and his rather creepy mask), he, unfortunately, is the weakest aspect to the film, with his true purpose being very obvious from his first appearance. Despite this, Screenslaver doesn’t detract from the story but helps keep things trundling along before the movies excellent conclusion.
Amongst the domestic troubles and action, new faces emerge in the form of Voyd (Sophia Bush), Krushauer (Phil LaMarr), and Reflux (Paul Eiding) to name a few of the new superheroes to emerge due to the success of Elastigirl’s and the Deaver’s plan. There is also the familiar face (and voice) of the much-loved Edna Mode (Brad Bird) in this movie providing excellent advice at just the right moment dahling.
A Worthy Sequel
Despite The Incredibles 2 semi-falling into the Pixar trap of sequel repeat (the sequel following a similar track to that of the first movie with some additional tweaks), Brad Bird has returned to direct/write a film which is definitely on par with, and occasionally even better than that of its predecessor.
The score by Michael Giacchino provides an excellent atmosphere for the film’s extended action scenes as well as the right touch of emotion for the film’s quieter family scenes. It would be remiss of course to mention just how gorgeous the animation is with Pixar excelling itself on the fine details.
So was it worth the 14-year wait? Oh definitely!
Verdict
The Incredibles return with enough action to rival a Marvel movie, along with the laughter and heart-warming sentiments we all love from Pixar. This will definitely become a firm favourite for any animation fan.
