It may have taken 14 years to get a sequel, but boy has Disney and Pixar delivered something worth the wait!
Taking off where the first Incredibles finished, we find the Parr family facing the evil Underminer in the Incredibles 2. The family is arrested after the unsuccessful endeavour and forced to go back into hiding. That is, until they receive an irresistible invitation to help make super heroes legal once more. All they have to do is overcome a new villain who wants nothing more than to keep all the heroes in the shadows.
The Incredibles 2 is a superb sequel that proves franchises can create a story just as enticing as the first. Disney and Pixar have succeeded in keeping the story fresh and humorous, all the while focusing on the family values we all loved from the original film.
This time around, every family member of the Incredibles was freer to use their powers. The freedom allowed for more hilarity, especially with the family’s use of their powers in everyday life. But, of course, it’s while fighting the bad guys that the heroes really get to push their powers to the limit. Especially Jack-Jack.
Now, at the end of the first film, I was under the impression that the family knew that Jack-Jack had powers. However, this isn’t the case. It takes a very funny raccoon for Mr Incredible to actually find out.
These scenes could have easily been written predictably with forced moments of laughter, but Disney/ Pixar have managed to make Jack-Jack genuinely funny. Before watching the film, he was actually the character I was most concerned about. But he quickly revealed himself to be the top source of humour.
The powers certainly make this film visually spectacular (including the new heroes), but it’s the family that makes the story so captivating. Bob and Helen Parr have been in the superhero business for years, and now with Violet becoming older, the audience is given a glimpse into the process of keeping secret identities and the downfalls that come with it. A troublesome process that tests Bob in his role as father.
In fact, there are many everyday moments that test this family, but the translation into the world of supers makes it a very funny watch.
The film is also a pleasure to watch because of it’s incredible (look, I couldn’t avoid the word) animation and music. Back in 2004, the first Incredibles won Pixar an Academy Award for Best Sound Editing, and with this in mind, the visuals and music for the sequel did not disappoint. The accompanying score emulates that of classic hero entertainment, matched perfectly by its stylised animation.
The Incredibles 2 has succeeded to reach and surpass expectations. It stirred the audience with its humour and wowed them with its impeccable animation. Definitely a film for all ages, I cannot recommend it more.
Review by Brittany Howarth
