So, after fourteen years, Incredibles 2 just starts right where it left off. After the heroics against the first film’s villain, Syndrome, they’re met with an impeccably timed attack from The Underminer, a mole-like, hard-hat wearing baddie driving a gigantic drill who’s taking an unbelievably inefficient route to rob a bank. Why Incredibles 2 felt the dire need to tie up that loose end seems strange. The Underminer never shows up again, seemingly content with his haul, unlike every other super villain I’ve ever seen, and while The Incredible family (with the help super bestie Frozone, voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) did their best to save the city, the damage was done. The Underminer’s drill did quite a number on the architectural infrastructure, with most of the governmental blame being thrown on the good guys. It’s all a plan to get our superheroes back to the same position they were in at the start of 2004’s The Incredibles. That is, forced to abandon their crime fighting ways.
Most of our principal characters are the same: Bob aka Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) is the aw-shucks strong man, Helen aka Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) is the super stretchy rubber mom, and their three children are the angsty teen Violet (Sarah Vowell) who can build force fields and turn invisible, the younger Dash (Huck Milner) who can run at supersonic speed, and baby Jack Jack who’s powers are still unknown but possibly unlimited and extraordinary. The Incredibles’ latest stint of living underground is short-lived with the arrival of Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk), an enthusiastic venture capitalist who loves supers (he even has his own origin story!) and wants to be the reason that heroes get back in the public’s good graces. His plan? Elastigirl. Bypassing the popularity and the ego of Mr. Incredible, the numbers show that Elastigirl can rescue people at a lower body count – basically, she’s the easier product to sell.
Along with his less kempt sister, Elelyn (Catherine Keener), Winston plans a publicity scheme using body cameras and other cutting edge technologies to better tell Elastigirl’s story. Of course, this requires Bob to stay home with the three children, setting up Kramer vs. Kramer-style tensions as he deals with Violet’s moody adolescence, Dash’s complicated math homework (why would you change math?!), and Jack Jack’s burgeoning super powers which are not exclusive to turning his entire body on fire and shooting green lasers out of his eyes. Winston’s plan seems to work as Helen’s bouts of crime fighting creates goodwill within the media, but it soon becomes clear that a larger scheme is afoot. I wish I could say that the film’s second act turn is a surprise, but unfortunately it’s close to the only conclusion you can draw at that point in the film. That the movie takes such a long time revealing its true villain is one of the many ways it’s inferior to the first film.
Now, that is a pretty high standard to hold a movie to. The Incredibles is not only one of the best Pixar Animation films, but one of the very best Disney releases that I have ever seen. Its understanding of adult crises and childhood insecurity, mixed with astonishing animation and action set pieces, made it one of the best films of that decade. Brad Bird, the writer-director of both movies, is one of our best feature animated film directors, but Incredibles 2 kind of feels like his worst effort. Its characters are charming, its style is flashy and impressive, but there is a whole lot of heart missing from this movie. It feels so much like a pipeline sequel, which is the exact opposite of what The Incredibles made you feel. Often, Incredibles 2 is quite delightful, it captures nostalgia for the previous film in surprising ways, and has Bird’s patented low-stakes humor, like being laughed into a warm hug.
Expecting equality with the 2004 film is unfair, and it isn’t what I went in with, but I also would have liked the screenplay to Incredibles 2 to be, in any way, unique or interesting. Its plot points felt recycled and too easy to spot. This is the version of Incredibles you’d find on Canal Street. Bird has been teetering in the live action world for most of this decade, the last animated feature he made being 2007’s Ratatouille, which was an exquisite, delectable delight. Incredibles 2 is simply fine. A quality entertainment which proves the old adage that simply listening to Holly Hunter’s voice is a thrill ride of its own. I’d hope they made Incredibles 2 so they would not have to make a third one. It’s hard to tell these days how that will pan out. Otherwise, this is a solid return of a terrific (and terrifically missed) family of characters, a group too pleasant to waste on mediocrity.
Just want to quickly shout out Bao, the animated short that precedes Incredibles 2 at all screenings. This short is astonishing and heartbreaking and contains absolutely every good thing that Pixar has to offer, so don’t get to the theater late cause you’ll risk missing one of the best movies I’ve seen this year.
Written and Directed by Brad Bird