It’s been 14 years since we’ve seen The Incredibles and it became a classic in the Pixar canon, so does this follow up warrant a sequel and justify the long wait? Absolutely.
The main forces from the original have returned in spectacular fashion: Writer/director Brad Bird has crafted a sequel that will not disappoint fans of the first one by presenting a movie that succeeds at being a great second chapter and a terrific standalone effort. Notwithstanding, the voice cast is back and firing on all cylinders: Craig T. Nelson as Mr. Incredible, Holly Hunter as Elastigirl, and their kids Sara Vowell’s Violet with the powers of invisibility and Huck Milner as Dash who still travels at supersonic speed. Oh, and let’s not forget Jack-Jack who has some hilarious moments that I won’t reveal.
Here in this movie, The Incredibles are having to revoke their status as superheroes due to all the damage their heroic efforts caused. That is, until a top-secret organization wants to recruit them in order to clean up their image. Bob Odenkirk is the leader of the org and Catherine Keener voices his sister who also runs the operation.
They choose Elastigirl due to her superpowers being the least damaging to go on a series of missions and that leaves Mr. Incredible to become Mr. Mom. He tells Elastigirl that he can handle being a stay-at-home dad especially with Violet discovering boys for the first time, Dash having some serious math problems, and Jack-Jack being as high-functioning as ever. Hey, wait. It’s been 14 years since the first one. Shouldn’t Jack-Jack be a teenager now?
The one mission Elastigirl goes on is to catch a dangerous criminal named the Screenslaver (Bill Wise), who loves to control other people’s computers by hypnotizing them. He’s not a bad villain, but he’s a far cry from Jason Lee’s Syndrome.
However, that is only a minor quibble as this sequel soars on almost every level. The animation is borderline superb filled with exhilarating action including a couple of key moments that are genuinely thrilling and could rival most live-action superhero movies. The cast is also a blast by delivering voiceover work that’s funny, charming, and lively. But wait, there’s more…
The first Incredibles was a film that celebrated the dynamic of a family of superheroes sticking together and themes are even stronger and equally as well-thought out this go-around. Plus, the plot goes deeper into places that oftentimes surprisingly functions as a masterstroke of storytelling for an animated film.
Now, let’s just hope and pray The Incredibles 3 remains just as, well, incredible.
Grade: A-
(Rated PG for action sequences some brief mild language.)
