The Incredibles 2 Review

I've had some time to soak in what I saw last week in the theater with The Incredibles 2. Now, I've always considered the original to be Pixar's most overrated movie. Good, but vastly overrated. Going in, I was expecting it to be somewhat better, but it exceeded my expectations and is one of the few sequels that you can say is better than the original.

As a heads up, this takes place immediately following the end of the first one. Things go bad for the Parr family, but opportunity comes a knocking later. A businessman wants to bring superheroes back into the spotlight and get them to be legal again. With that, he has Helen Parr start building up the urge to keep the world safe with stopping crime again as Elastigirl. As for husband Bob, AKA Mr. Incredible, he has to be a stay at home dad with the kids.

Regarding the film, it's pretty lengthy. You're going to be spending a little over two hours at the theater and that is also including trailers and how long you show up prior to the screening. It stays on point and doesn't have many dull moments. They make good use of screentime for the family and provide a lot of laughs and and enough action to where one doesn't overlap the other. One important thing, however, is that it doesn't lose its identity in today's world of glorified Marvel popcorn flicks. It stays fresh and unique without needing to rely on call-backs. Also, it provides an interesting twist that you wouldn't think for a kids film.

Visually, it is an amazing sight to see. You can tell that Pixar has crafted their work into being better and better every since their inception in 1986 and The Incredibles 2 is maybe their finest work yet. One warning is that there is a few scenes that may trigger epilepsy for some people. Michael Giacchino did a great job creating the soundtrack. Both Holly Hunter and Craig T. Nelson are excellent as Helen and Bob, though Hunter sounded a bit more older at points. Bob Odenkirk and Catherine Keener are solid in their performances as the brother sister duo who want to make superheroes legal again. I'm a little disappointed at Frozone not getting much attention for this film, but Samuel L. Jackson is great for his few scenes.

With other characters, it is very solid, especially as the film continues. There isn't many complaints that I have to say about this. It's an all around excellent thrill ride that should please mostly everyone. Is it worth waiting 14 years? For fans, it is. Go see it in the theater. You will have plenty of time the next few weeks to see it. A rare time a sequel is better than the original.

Score: 9 out of 10

Why The Incredibles 2 Debuted Strong

Without any doubt, The Incredibles 2 was going to start it's first weekend strong. But I don't think it would have been that strong until seeing the numbers for its Thursday night at 18 plus million and Friday's 70 plus million. Just as a note, the original made 70 mil in it's opening weekend. For the new sequel, it broke records for animated films, making 180 million as of now according to Box Office Mojo.

There are reasons why this film had a very good weekend. I like to chalk it up as a film people have been waiting to see for a very long time. It's a sequel that they wanted Disney and Pixar to make unlike the Cars films. A family of superheroes is not a bad idea and expanding on that allows more freedom on how they handle it, the powers they have, and a few other things. In an era now with the glorified Marvel popcorn flicks, you would think Incredibles 2 would lose some sort of identity, but brand recognition helps it out quite a bit.

This is one of those films I intend on seeing this summer. It's got the same cast for the adults and some new ones to boot. Getting in some laughs and serious moments is what I'll expect, especially with Mr. Incredible becoming a stay at home dad while Elastigirl goes off to save the day and bring superheroes back into being relevant. I've always thought the original was good, but vastly overrated. I think this is Pixar's most overrated film, but this sequel might be one that if I do see it, it might be better than the original.

Topping the original is not an easy feat for most movies, but Incredibles might be that one that will for many.