The Incredibles 2 (2018): ‘The Parent Super Heroes’ – A Film Review

Introduction

2004’s The Incredibles was like a pet project for Brad Bird but also came at a time that Super Hero movies were on the up. With so many films breaking ground, like X-Men and Spider-Man starting to pave the way for the many maturing Comic Book films to come. Perhaps The Incredibles was amongst the first to recognise this trend and offer a parody (or comedic take) on the genre. Brad Bird was then new to Disney’s Pixar and it was The Incredibles which cemented his future involvement with the team. The Incredibles became one of Pixar’s biggest films along with Toy Story and Finding Nemo. 14 years later and Super Hero movies are bigger than ever and persisting, it would seem that The Incredibles helped usher in more alternative or comedic takes on the genre and it came in at a point where Comic Book films became much bigger – with Batman Begins and Spider-man 2. Brad Bird was said to comment that he was interested in a sequel but wanted to work on a story that would be just as good if not better than The Incredibles. Now, seems to be the day.

Target Audience

The Incredibles 2 very much sits in the realms of family films with a lot of the humour and character motivations being simplified for this target audience. Therefore, the film can be quite predictable and basic, although it’s themes and characters remain quite endearing. Whilst The Incredibles had a sense of being a bit more ‘for everyone’, this sequel follows the trend set by most Disney sequels, to some degree, and doesn’t quite follow the example Pixar has set with films like Toy Story 2. This only affects character depth and the complexity of the narrative; and isn’t necessarily a huge problem for people, though it can remain distracting for older audiences. In essence the film is a lot more about parenting and family than it is about the dominance of screens or the need for heroes – although all are applicable.

Entertainment at Heart

Incredibles 2 keeps a charming amount colour to the proceedings, with slick animation helping the look of the film. Character designs are memorable and simple, whilst voice acting enables a decent amount of personality. This all makes for a film that is both easy to watch and enjoyable from start to finish. There aren’t many moments where the film drags and there are many moments, particularly with Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl, that are given a lot of charm and understanding. These moments are thematically effective and are likely to give the film its sense of heart.

Conclusion

Incredibles 2 ran the risk of being so far after the original that it didn’t feel relevant anymore but, with the continual popularity of Super Hero Movies, remains to be. Though in being Brad Bird’s “equal or better to the original”, it isn’t exactly that. Most of this is because The Incredibles was a tough act to follow and Incredibles 2 remains a fun watch for families everywhere. With its themes showing a lot of heart and devotion, The Incredibles 2 can power you through any moments that feel to be lacking – even the simple moments.

Synopsis

After supers are forced to go into hiding, the Incredible family need to consider a normal life, but when a company that supports supers approaches Mrs. Incredible or Elastigirl to be the shining example of what supers can do, Mr. Incredible needs to look after the family.

Ratings

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A Note on My Reviews

Please read ‘On Reviews‘ for a guide to how I write film reviews. Any spoilers are appropriately marked and, though I personally prefer to know little about a film before seeing it, there is a synopsis below the review for any who wish to see one.

Films Mentioned

Batman Begins (d. Christopher Nolan USA/UK 2005)

Finding Nemo (d. Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich USA 2003)

The Incredibles (d. Brad Bird USA 2004)

The Incredibles 2 (d. Brad Bird USA 2018)

Spider-Man (d. Sam Raimi USA 2002)

Spider-man 2 (d. Sam Raimi USA 2004)

Toy Story (d. John Lasseter USA 1995)

Toy Story 2 (d. John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich USA 1999)

X-Men (d. Bryan Singer USA 2000)