Incredibles 2 Review

A film like the "Incredibles 2" shouldn't work as well as it does, being a belated sequel to a beloved Pixar classic, especially with the flood of superhero films pumped out by Disney's Marvel. But it does- it is fast-paced, witty, and far too much fun to be labeled just another "superhero" movie. Perhaps if Marvel didn't slap together a new film every few months they would be as good as this.

Since we last saw the family, the Incredibles are still kicking butt and saving the world, or until they fail to capture The Underminer (John Ratzenberger). Superheroes are outlawed, Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), known as Helen Parr outside the tight underwear, is approached by generic movie-trope eccentric millionaire Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk). Having lost his father due to an absence of superheroes (an odd and dark sidestory for a film opening Father's Day weekend), he approaches the family with idea of reworking their advertising, showcasing the lives they save and downplaying the destruction caused while doing so. It's a fairly funny notion, the thought of revamping the promotional aspect in a product designed to make money, but that's something that'll zoom over kids heads and probably most adults, considering they bought tickets.

While Elastigirl is out working on her kind's public image, Mr. Incredible is left raising the 3 kids, a storyline straight out of a 90's sitcom script, where the mom gets a job and the dad needs to take care of the homestead. But it's more clever than that description, with Mr. Incredible struggles to understand his daughter's preadolescence boy-troubles, his son's "new math," and his infant's infinite energy (as well as his ever-growing list of superpowers). If it sounds like you turned on your TV to a rerun of "Full House," then you're right, but it doesn't play out that way. There's momentum to every joke, particularly with the youngest "Incredible" Jak Jak doing typical baby stuff, like waking up in the middle of the night, but only to fight a racoon with fire, lasers and the ability to go through walls. It's a nostalgic trip down family-focused humor, but with all the visual pizazz you expect from Pixar, and is a pleasant distinction from the Marvel and DC superhero flicks that litter the theaters multiple times a year, with their inappropriate sex jokes, dour atmospheres, and cluttered action.

The action here is cleaner than you would expect, making great use of every hero's unique ability, from stretchy arms to the ability to create voids for things to travel through. It's your standard box of "superpowers," not one made me go "oh, haven't seen that one before," and if I had to find any criticism, it'd be that. Great criticism right?!

As the credits roll, it becomes obvious why the script is so clean- there is just one credited writer, director Brad Bird himself, also the only author of the first film, so every action by the characters makes sense, and most every joke lands with at least a smile. Only the gags are rarely "set-up" then "joke," they are natural evolutions of the Incredible family and friends told through whimsical wit instead of a corporate money factory (not that this isn't made by a corporation, for money- and I'm sure there's a factory somewhere along the way).