Worth the Incredibly long wait
It’s been 14 years since we had last seen the Incredibles! I know, it sounds like a long time, almost too long… but go double check, I’ll be here. See, told you. I struggle right now to think of a movie that was waiting over a decade to release a sequel where people still seem to care, and I honestly can’t think of one. That’s what makes this movie special, the original has been out almost half my life and we still know it, love it and in my case (and probably yours) rewatch it. But can a movie that’s been coming for so long, maintain its audience and gather a new one, while also staying consistent to what made the original special?
It turns out that the answer is a big ol’ yes. Not only does it meet my expectations but it’s pushed past them, even further. The story takes place immediately after the first, starting at the exact ending. Which I (after some long internal debate) decided was a good thing. We already liked the characters 14 years ago, why wouldn’t we like them now and more importantly, why wouldn’t the new audience? The setting is something I still enjoy with the technology still being retro but in what seems to be a modern setting or at least sensibility. It gives off this fun and almost nostalgic aesthetic while giving a modern take on a super/family story, and that’s really what it is at the heart of it all; a story about family.
The story is not too complicated and maybe in some ways a little too similar to the first, but the sequel’s plot involves a man who wants to bring “supers” back and make them legal. This time the mother is chosen and now the dad has to stay home which brings about more complications at home as the father has been working the last 10 to 15 years and doesn’t really know how to be a real father. As you can imagine, it’s full of endearing crossroads and humorous revelations that help the father triumph. The other main issue plaguing the family is something that has been teased for a while now and that is the developing powers of the young baby Jack-Jack. For me, I felt it could be 50/50 on if I would find the overall plot point funny or bothersome and thankfully enough, it was done well enough that I enjoyed it and the movie was never over saturated with this character’s appearance.
The other way that time has helped this movie is in its visuals. That’s not to say the last movie didn’t look good, it did! But this movie just pushed past every expectation I had. I watched the original the night before and enjoyed it greatly but as I watched the second, I noticed major differences between the both. The main thing I noticed was the level of detail and nuance they were capable of, the gradient of colour on Mr Incredibles face when he hasn’t had any sleep, the colour of the sunsets and the fact that everything not just in the foreground but the background was so well defined it felt solid and real. The other major difference was the animation, but specifically the facial animation, this combined with the stellar voice acting gave the film opportunity to express so much emotion.
The film was predictable but I didn’t mind, kids will love it and I loved it anyways. Everything that the creators set out to do was on point and I think this goes in the win column for Pixar sequels along with Finding Dory and Monsters University. Out of the three, I would say that I enjoy this one the most, but only barely and mainly because I love superheroes. That being said, you don’t need to love superheroes to love this film, it’s great on its own merit. Brad Bird is a talented writer and director and he deserves your viewership. Also, while I’m recommending things, please watch and experience the Pixar short at the start of this movie named “Bao”. It was great and it got me all teared up.