Friday, April 5, 2019

Incredibles 2 (2018)



Movie Name/Year: Incredibles 2 (2018)
Tagline: It's been too long, dahlings.
Genre: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy
Length: 118 minutes
Rating: PG
Production Companies: Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios
Producers: John Lasseter, Nicole Paradis Grindle, John Walker
Director: Brad Bird
Writer: Brad Bird
Actors: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner, Samuel L. Jackson, Bob Odenkirk, Catherine Keener, Brad Bird, Sophia Bush, Phil LaMarr, Paul Eiding, Barry Bostwick, Jonathan Banks, John Ratzenberger

Blurb from Netflix: When Elastigirl gets recruited for a high-profile crime-fighting mission, Mr. Incredible takes on his toughest assignment ever: full-time parenting.


Cat’s Point of View:
Writer and director Brad Bird (Ratatouille, Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol, Tomorrowland) really hit one out of the ballpark with Incredibles 2 – and not because it was breaking records as soon as its trailer released. I can definitively say that this animated feature definitely didn’t fall prey to the sequel curse. It’s safe to say that this movie stands on par (no, I’m not punning… this time) with the original movie, if not exceeding it in quality.

I have serious respect for Bird, as he stuck to his guns in waiting until he had the right story to bring forth this next chapter in the Incredibles’ story; rather than simply churning out something potentially sub-par while it was a hot commodity. . (Yes, that one was intentional. Ha.) The 14 year time lapse was worth the wait. Though, I’m always down to see what Bird has up his sleeve. He had me hooked on his storytelling ability as soon as I saw The Iron Giant (1999), which remains one of my (many) all-time favorite movies.


I was also super happy that, in spite of the passage of time, there were very few substitutions in character voices. Hearing Craig T. Nelson (Soul Surfer, Get Hard, Book Club), Holly Hunter (Nine Lives, Top of the Lake, Manglehorn), Samuel L. Jackson (The Hitman's Bodyguard, Unicorn Store, Glass), as well as a few others reprise their roles helped it seem like no time at all had passed since the first Incredibles’ (2004) credits rolled. I don’t think the movie would have been as impactful if those core characters had been replaced.

The story for this sequel was very solid. I loved the role reversal with Bob navigating the world of a stay-at-home-parent complete with angsty kids, crazy homework, and sleep deprivation while Helen was off doing Super things. I’m glad that Bird kept that juxtaposition as the core of the story. Why? Because that’s the reality of this day and age. Mr. Mom (1983) might have been forever ago, but stay-at-home dads are more the norm these days than ever before with an increasing number of mom’s in the workplace. My husband has been the at-home parent quite a bit for our daughter, while I’ve been dangling off the corporate ladder.


I also really enjoyed tying in the other supers and the kids’ involvement with this story as well. After the first movie, we all knew that they weren’t going to be on the sidelines really, right? There’s also even more of a foundation in ‘realism,’ in spite of the fictional setting, because the film shows cause and effect very well – as well as the downside of collateral damage that tends to follow superheroes around. I mean, seriously – the damage that happens in movies like Man of Steel (2013) and Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018) is just mind-boggling. (OK, I know the last one is robots and not super-powered people, but still!)

I’ve got to admit, though, that Jack-Jack is my favorite part of the movie. Hands down. His scenes are always interesting and usually hilarious as the movie explores the extraordinary munchkin and his superpowers.


All told, the movie is funny and heart-felt. There is a whole rollercoaster of emotions to ride through as you experience the tribulations of the Parr family. I am looking forward to watching this movie again and again.

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 94%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 85%
Metascore – 80/100
Metacritic User Score – 7.9/10
IMDB Score – 7.7/10

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 5/5

P.S. There are some scenes with bright flashing lights that have caused seizure warnings to be necessary - be mindful of any medical conditions that could be affected by this when watching this movie.

Also P.S. There are some animations that play through the credits, but they don't depict extra scenes.


Movie Trailer:

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