Incredibles 2 - Film review

Hi guys!

Really excited to say I got the chance at the weekend to go and see Incredibles 2, so I thought I would take the chance to share my thoughts on the film with you all, I hope you enjoy it. I was lucky enough to catch it on the super screen at Cineworld in Leicester Square, this was my first time in a super screen and if the experience is an option for you, I would highly recommend it!

If you didn't know already, this is the long awaited sequel to the 2004 "The Incredibles" which was written and directed by Brad Bird and was the 6th feature length Pixar film. Finally 14 years after the release of the original it's time for fans to catch up with the Parr family again for another super sized adventure to save the day!



The film follows the Parr family, dad Bob is Mr Incredible, mum Helen is Elastigirl and they have 3 children, Violet, Dash and Jack Jack. The first movie saw the family leave their day to day lives behind and return to the world of supers when they were unexpectedly needed to help save the day! What surprised me most about the sequel was that it started right from where the first one left off, so if you haven't watched it already, or it's been a while since your last viewing, I'd advise you to watch it again to jog your memory!

Following a less than successful attempt at saving the city from the Underminer super are back in the shadows and illegal, the Parr family are staying in a motel and have just 2 weeks to find a way to get back on their feet and live a life without their super suits. Things aren't looking all too great when Elastigirl gets a call from Devtech founders the Deavor siblings with a plan to get supers back on track, all they need is a poster child, and they want Elastigirl! Of course this is an offer that's too good to refuse, so despite feeling a little jealous Mr Incredible takes on the role of stay at home dad while Mrs Incredible fights to save the supers.



Being a stay at home dad isn't easy at the best of times, but add in a teenage crush gone wrong for Violet, and Jack Jack's new found powers and things go from bad to worse for Mr Incredible as he tries to hold it all together. Meanwhile Mrs Incredible has found a new foe in Screenslaver who is set to ruin all her work to bring the supers back! With fan favourites Edna Mode and Frozone making their return can The Incredibles save the day again and restore the supers to their former glory?

Overall I really enjoyed this movie, in fact, I would go as far as saying I probably enjoyed it more than the first, not an easy task! The plot was fast paced and I really felt like it didn't have much filler, I wasn't waiting for things to warm up or get started and I was pretty much glued to the action for the entire film. The plot I enjoyed for the most part, but did find it to be a little bit predictable in places, which was a shame, everyone loves a good plot twist.



There were a few new characters in the film including a new group of supers, personally I felt the character development here was honestly quite weak. Yes I do understand these weren't pivotal characters, however I felt they were in the film enough to warrant a little extra time giving them some depth and meaning, Voyd was probably the only of the additional supers that I felt had any motivation or purpose and this was a shame.

I particularly enjoyed the scenes featuring Edna Mode, but I was a little disappointed that she didn't get more screen time, she is clearly very popular with the fan community and features on a lot of the advertising and merchandise for the film so I was expecting her to play a bigger role. If nothing else going forward I would love to see Edna feature in an animated short, or perhaps a short web series with Jack Jack as I feel there's a lot more to explore within this relationship!



Will we see the Parr family again? I don't know if there are currently any plans for a 3rd Incredibles film, however I would say if Brad Bird and his team feel like there are still stories about the family to be told, given the quality of this latest offering, I wouldn't be against it. The film managed to feel fresh, while also feeling nostalgic, watching it in the cinema it didn't feel like 14 years since our favourite family of heroes were last on the silver screen, it didn't feel forced and it didn't feel like a cheap production that was just made to ride of the success of its predecessor. As a sequel I would rate Incredibles 2 as being in a similar league to the Toy Story trilogy, famed for not having a weak link, unlike many of the "direct to home movie" Disney sequels of the mid 90s and early naughties.

Now it wouldn't be fair to end this review without touching on the animated short, Bao, which is screened at the start of the film. Directed by Domee Shee, Bao is the story of a Chinese-Canadian mother who is suffering from empty nest syndrome, while making hand made dumplings one comes alive and this helps her to work through her issues. Now I am a huge fan of some of the recent Pixar shorts, in particular Inner workings and Lou really stuck with me, I'm happy to say Bao is no different. the short is thought provoking, tells an excellent story despite having little to no dialogue and is beautifully animated. I'm always in awe of the way such a short animation can hold the audience and this was no different. The story takes an interesting and unexpected twist about 2/3 of the way through, though I'll leave you to find out how for yourselves, but stick with it because it's a beautiful story with a really important and touching message.



So that's it for Incredibles 2, I really really enjoyed the film, and though I'm not sure I'd want to wait 14 years for another installment, I'm really glad Pixar decided to bring the Parr family back. I laughed, I cried and I was absolutely glued to the screen and what more could you ask for? I loved it so much I'm already booked to go back and see it again and that's just about the best praise I can give!

Have you seen Incredibles 2? Did you enjoy it, and what would you like to see next? Drop me a comment!

Hoodsie xx