It’s hard to believe it’s been a whopping 14 years since “The Incredibles” opened. Not only has the movie, which had an almost mythic importance when it was released (since it marked the union of renowned filmmaker Brad Bird with the powerhouse animation studio Pixar), only grown in stature since (it appears on every “Best Animated Films Ever” listicle) but Disney, in their uncanny commitment to franchise longevity, has kept the characters alive via merchandise, theme park attractions, and home video releases. Still – 14 years is a long time, especially if you consider the fact that Bird hasn’t made an animated film since 2007’s “Ratatouille” (a project he took over after the initial director was fired) and the glut of superhero movies that have flooded the marketplace during those in-between years. So, for all the excitement building towards “Incredibles 2,” there is just as much uneasiness and doubt.
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Well, as it turns out, the sequel is an impeccable follow-up, building on (and sometimes improving upon) what came before it, while offering something genuinely new and exciting in the process. It’s not only the best animated-film of the year, it’s one of the best films of the year, period. And it’s a blast.
“Incredibles 2” picks off where the last film left off. As the first film concluded, beleaguered father/newly reinvested superhero Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson), his wife Helen/Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), and their children Dash (Spencer Fox in the first film, now Huck Milner), Violet (Sarah Vowell) and infant son Jack-Jack, are leaving a track meet when they encounter a mole man-ish supervillain called The Underminer (John Ratzenberger). While the first film teased this as a kind of “here-we-go-again” stinger, the sequel jumps into the action sequence wholeheartedly, with the family chasing his digging tank under the city. This is Bird we’re talking about, a filmmaker who has a knack for making the most joyful, thrilling, obstacle-packed set pieces this side of heyday-era Robert Zemeckis, so the sequence is, of course, a triumph. And beyond just finishing a scene that started 14 years ago, it also does something important for the narrative, since it’s the first time the family of superheroes has worked together in public.
This is a huge deal and the backlash is immediate. Thankfully, the family (along with icy Frozone, played by Samuel L. Jackson) is approached by a charming telecommunications giant (Bob Odenkirk) and his sister (Catherine Keener), who have very personal reasons for wanting the superheroes to return. But instead of tasking Mr. Incredible to lead the charm offensive, they want Elastigirl. This means that, for the first time in their lives, it’s Bob who will stay at home while Helen does the adventuring.
In less accomplished hands, this could come across as a bad decision, leading to a succession of tired, hoary, frazzled-dad-learns-the-hardships-of-single-parenting gags. And while there is much humor to be milked out of the scenario, it’s ultimately in service of character and theme. Bob’s trials at home mirror Helen’s outside of the house, with both coming to an understanding about each other (and their family as a whole).
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Of course, this wouldn’t be a superhero movie without a villain’s nefarious plot, but considering how completely the marketing has stayed away from this topic, it would be uncouth to go into it here. This much is comfortably worth revealing: it has to do with new legislation that would re-legalize supers (led by a politician played by Isabella Rossellini) and the appearance of a mysterious figure known as The Screenslaver, who hypnotizes people while wearing a spooky glowing mask.
And it would be one thing if Bird were simply going through the motions, just swapping Helen for Bob (who in the first movie was similarly called away) and gussying it up with all the technological advancements 14 years of development and experimentation will give you. “Incredibles 2” takes place in a world that will be familiar to fans of the first; all of the buildings are midcentury modern (the Parrs’ new house is a stunner) and everything swings to the orchestral bounce of composer Michael Giacchino.
But the filmmaker is clearly not interested in repeating the first movie, nor is he content with delivering visuals that are bigger for bigness’ sake. Things are more sophisticated this time around and the action sequences crackle with cleverness and verve (there’s a sequence where Elastigirl rescues a runaway hover train, her new motorcycle splitting up to serve her stretching powers, that is jaw-dropping). If anything, the action is more intimate and character-based, including a moment where Jack-Jack battles a raccoon outside the family home while using all of his nascent powers that is howlingly funny.
On the technological front, the biggest advancement seems to be in the models of the characters, who retain their signature look but have controls that now deliver a wider, more expressive emotional range. All that technology, and (in classic Pixar fashion) the cutting-edge tech is used to make you feel more deeply. (It should be noted that the short that plays ahead of the feature, “Bao,” is one of the most heart-wrenching shorts the studio has ever produced. And one of its most gently surreal.)
Bird seems to understand that, in a marketplace so overstuffed with superheroes that a character as seemingly frivolous as Ant-Man has a sequel opening just weeks after his own, what makes “Incredibles 2” special are the characters and the fact that they’re a family. Violet is depressed because a boy jilted her, Dash is having trouble keeping up with math, and Jack-Jack, displaying an impressive array of powers, makes life even more difficult for the already stretched-thin Bob. These are situations that are relatable, with characters that we care about. With Helen’s serendipitously sketched storyline perfect for the #MeToo era. She’s a woman who finally feels empowered, making great strides not only for herself but for everyone. (It’s this inclusiveness and sensitivity that should finally put all of Bird’s critics, who erroneously make him out to be an Ayn Rand-ian objectivist, to bed.) The uniqueness of these characters and the ways in which we care about them make “Incredibles 2” the best superhero movie of the summer. It would have been a relief if, 14 years later, “Incredibles 2” had simply met expectations. Instead, it exceeds them. [A]