Nominated For: Best Animated Feature.
Incredibles 2 chronicles the continuing exploits of the super-powered Parr family as they face new challenges in wake of the public's pessimistic perception of superheroes. When public relations strategist and pro-superhero advocate Winston Deavor approaches the supers, Elastigirl is enlisted to sway public opinion by wearing a body camera that will record her heroic endeavors. Meanwhile, Mr. Incredible faces his greatest responsibility yet as he's left to take care of their kids alone. However, a new evil emerges in the form of a cybercriminal who aims to hypnotize the world through television and computer screens, so it's then up to the supers to thwart this villain's evil agenda.
The wait for Incredibles 2 has been a lengthy one... Fourteen years, as a matter of fact, which is the longest period of time between Pixar's franchise-specific sequels thus far (Finding Dory comes in second with a thirteen year gap between it and Finding Nemo). Therefore, it should come at no surprise that I've eagerly awaited this superhero sequel since first seeing The Incredibles. Many have questioned why it could have possibly taken this long, and the answer is fairly simple. For one, animation is a long tedious process which involves hundreds of people. In addition, writer-director Brad Bird said he would only return once he found a story he deemed to be worth telling. I'm sure Bird had many ideas bubbling in his mind over the years, but he only realized the right story more recently. Another question I've seen posed is why the characters weren't aged up with the audience ala Toy Story 3 or How To Train Your Dragon 2? Bird's response cites that the characters and their powers are meant to reflect the traditional family roles at those precise ages, and the dynamite dynamic from the original would be lost if he were to age them up.
Incredibles 2 also represents Bird's long-awaited return to animation after giving live-action a shot with Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol and Tomorrowland. Bird's back and he takes the traditional sequel route of beefing up components audiences loved about the first. I'm glad he took the story in a new, natural direction rather than rehashing the original, but some story elements didn't fully work for me. One huge disadvantage Incredibles 2 faces compared to its predecessor is that its being released in a time where superhero films are a dime a dozen. As a result, specific plot elements come across as genre tropes and the plot is pretty predictable. None of this is to say I was drastically disappointed in Incredibles 2, rather I was a little underwhelmed in certain areas due to my own sky-high expectations.
My primary point of contention though would have to be the film's antagonist. Compared to Syndrome, Screenslaver's a fairly lackluster villain with a tired plot we've seen a million times before and the motivation behind the scheme isn't very compelling either. Really, this villain is just generic cannon fodder that you'll probably forget about in a matter of days.
With that being said, when Incredibles 2 works, it REALLY works. The family drama is better than ever and it delivers the superhero spectacle audiences have come to expect by now. The animation is substantially improved over the original with more detailed character models and fleshed out environments, and it can all be credited to the progression of technology and the extraordinary animators working over at Pixar. Underneath it all, Michael Giachinno follows up his iconic orchestrations from the first film with another superb score that's perfectly in-tune to the events at hand.
While I was certainly entertained by Elastigirl's action sequences and Mr. Incredible's efforts at parenting on his own, these plot-lines feel loosely connected and a bit disjointed whenever the film goes back-and-forth between the two. I suppose that may be by design, but it's not till the third act that it all comes together and the other family members unfortunately feel sidelined till then as a result. It's also worth noting that this whole subplot feels especially relevant to the whole hoorah around the Me Too movement by challenging the traditional gender dynamic among parents. You can take it or leave it, but I personally didn't mind and found it to be a refreshing change of pace for the story at hand.
As for the cast, Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, and Huck Milner each are able to successfully channel the charismatic characteristics each family member is known for. Once again, you buy the family dynamic because of their unbeatable chemistry. Oh, and it probably should be noted that Milner stands in for Spencer Fox because Fox simply aged out of the role. On the flip-side, newcomers to the super-ensemble include Catherine Keener, Bob Odenkirk, Sophia Bush, Phil LaMarr, Isabella Rossellini, and Jonathan Banks who each did an admirable job filling out the ensemble. Banks sadly had to step in the role of Rick Dicker for Bud Luckey who unfortunately passed away earlier this year. While there's no post credits scene, there's a title card at the end of the credits which dedicates the film to him and you can listen to some theme song renditions towards the end of the credits which are an absolute delight.
On a brighter not, Jack Jack undoubtedly stole the show thanks to some hilariously crazed antics and Eli Fucile's babling. Just wait till he faces off against a raccoon because you're in for the showdown of the century.
As for the returning supporting characters, super-suit fashionista Edna Mode and Bob's best bud Frozone get substantially larger roles this time around. I was satisfied with how Bird handled Edna because she plays an important part in helping out Mr. Incredible, but really wish Frozone had been given more to do in the grand scheme of things considering he's my favorite character from the first film. Regardless, Bird and Samuel L. Jackson voice the characters flawlessly by bringing the obsessive overreactive attitude and coolness their respective characters require.
After fourteen years though, Incredibles 2 proves to be a worthy follow-up to a beloved superhero story with improved animation, more moments of levity, and plenty of high-flying action sequences. While it may not out-do its predecessor, it's still a solid sequel that's incredible in its own way and I'm willing to wait another fourteen years for an Incredibles 3.
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