I feel like I should admit, the first Incredibles was never something that rocked my world in the way it did for many people. I do think it’s a great film, and deserving of the love it got, but it was one that I didn’t find myself rewatching as often as other Pixar classics. I felt I should get that out of the way before I inform you that the highly anticipated,14 years in the waiting sequel, Incredibles 2 is…fine.
So, the film picks up right where the first left off as the family saves the city. However, despite stopping the bad guys they find themselves in trouble due to all the destruction left behind. But they get lucky when a witness of their heroics turns out to be Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk), a wealthy business man and superhero fan who brings in Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson), Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), and Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) for a proposal to make superheroes legal again by changing public’s perception. The campaign will be focused on Elastigirl, who will go on solo missions, while Mr. Incredible reluctantly agrees to stay home and watch the kids. Things get complicated when a mysterious new villain appears in Screenslaver, who utilizes hypnosis to control people.
I don’t want to make the wrong impression here. The film is far from bad. However, this is maybe the first time I’ve seen Brad Bird, who returns as writer and director, make a film that seems devoid of fresh and interesting ideas or a central core theme. It’s strange because that’s usually his thing. Even something as woefully messy and misguided as Tomorrowland has ideas and messages and precisely interwoven theming. And I suppose it is worth noting that Tomorrowland, the film he did before Incredibles 2, was a financial disaster. So, it’s a little hard not to imagine this movie was basically done as a safe bet after that whole debacle. At least, that’s how it feels. It’s too safe, too familiar (there are a number of plot beats lifted right out of the first film), and lacking in anything inspired.
His scripting also feels messy here. Thankfully, not in the same way as Tomorrowland, but in that there isn’t much focus. While we have a main story with Elastigirl dealing with Screenslaver, the film brings up several subplots, one involving a boy that Violet (Sarah Vowell) likes, and one involving Mr. Incredible’s discovery that Jack-Jack has an insane amount of powers. Oh, and Dash (Huck Milner) is also there, and he’s…struggling with math, I guess. The point is, these subplots feel very disconnected since none of them connect to a central idea or theme, which also makes for some bad pacing issues. The closest the film comes to cohesive theming is the mind blowing suggestion that, brace yourselves, parenting is hard, but even that isn’t connected with the Elastigirl storyline. Even the motivations of Screenslaver feels like such an afterthought, and hold absolutely no real weight, especially compared to Syndrome from the first film.
Plus, it’s also hard to escape the fact that the context in which The Incredibles was released in 2004 is so vastly different from the cinematic landscape we’re in now. In 2004, there has yet to be a “Marvel Cinematic Universe,” Spider-Man 2 only came out a few months prior, and Christopher Nolan was either finishing up principal photography or entering post. In the 14 years between the original Incredibles and this sequel, so much has changed in the realm of superhero films, some of which even dig into the ideas that the first film had explored. To make a sequel like this, as if things are still the same and that it’s perfectly fine to bring ideas already brought up before in other movies and not offer an new perspective, feels like such a wasted opportunity.
I don’t want to get too negative here because despite these issues, I can’t say I had a bad time. The movie is a lot of fun. There’s a number of moments in banter and gags where I laughed out loud. Much of that comes from Jack-Jack’s antics, which is so delightful to watch, especially with the reactions coming out of Mr. Incredible or Edna Mode (Brad Bird), who makes a fairly brief appearance. And not only is it often funny, but the action sequences are exhilarating and impeccably staged. They build really well, they’re suspenseful, the actions are driven and informed by character, and there’s a solid variety in the type of action in the film. It’s the kind of stuff that reminded you just how brilliant of a filmmaker Brad Bird really is.
There is a lot to love in Incredibles 2. Aside from the humor and action, it’s consistently engaging, the characters are likeable, and the 60s spy movie/art deco/golden age superhero aesthetic is still really cool and beautifully rendered. However, there is something that feels missing. It lacks purpose, it lacks new ideas, and it lacks all the real meaning and sincerity that made the original a classic. It feels like the kind of rushed out and poorly thought out sequel than any popular movie gets, except this one just happened to come out a decade and a half late. But at the end of the day, if my theater experience was of any indication, the movie is very much designed to give fans exactly what they want, for better or for worse.