By Mark Saldana
Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars)
After fourteen years and several other films, Disney/Pixar and director Brad Bird have finally brought an Incredibles sequel to theaters and I am glad to say that it is definitely worth the wait. The filmmakers have brought their audiences more of the same excitement and comedy which made the first film a favorite among movie goers. That said; the film does play it safely by treading some familiar ground, but is different enough for it to overcome sequelitis. Both The Incredibles and now The Incredibles 2 prove that Marvel is not the only hot ticket at the cinema.
Immediately after the events of the first film, the superheroic Parr family must deal with the aftermath of their exploits and still contend with a public who fears and mistrusts them. Once again with their hands tied by a world who refuses to allow them to work, the Parrs do have one solid opportunity to prove their worth. Technological tycoon Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk) offers to help the Incredibles by launching a public relations campaign around Elasticgirl (Holly Hunter). Deavor and his tech genius sister Evelyn (Catherine Keener) assist Elasticgirl with her crime fighting while promoting her in a positive light.
This unfortunately leaves her husband Bob (Craig T. Nelson) tasked with the family’s childcare and household chores. This proves to be a challenge to Mr. Incredible who must deal with the teen girl troubles of Violet (Sarah Vowell), the stressful hyperactivity of Dash (Huck Milner), and the craziness that ensues when Jack Jack starts using his variety of powers. Meanwhile, a new supervillain named the Screenslaver poses a huge threat to Elasticgirl and makes for another obstacle for the superheroes to overcome.
Written and directed by Brad Bird, The Incredibles 2 is a sequel that I feel is just as good as the first film. Bird and his crew do offer more thrilling and intense action sequences and plenty of hilarious gags to keep audience members all of ages entertained. The movie, however, does have the same issue the first one has with its villain. Though the identity of The Screenslaver isn’t as obvious as the identity of Syndrome is in the first movie, it didn’t take me too much longer to figure it out. Also, the plot of Incredibles 2 is basically a mirror image of its predecessor though it is enriched by a more extensive subplot. All in all, the movie still makes for a fantastic time for everyone and is guaranteed to please most fans of the franchise.
Once again the voicecast is outstanding with all of the returning players excelling in their voicework. Samuel L. Jackson’s character Frozone also seems to get more screentime which is great, as he is a really fun character. New additions Bob Odenkirk and Catherine Keener perform wonderfully in their roles. Odenkirk brings his gift of enthusiastic gab to Winston Deavor, while Keener exudes her natural talent for sardonic and droll vocal delivery as Evelyn Deavor. Everyone in the film performs their roles with much zeal which makes all of these characters so enjoyable.
And its that heart and near giddiness which make the Incredibles films so much fun and lovable. In a way, I am glad that the filmmakers took some time to make this sequel, because rushed follow-ups usually fall short and often disappoint. Even though Incredibles 2 doesn’t outshine its first installment, I am still content with a movie of equal quality and I believe most fans will feel the same way.