Movie Review: The Incredibles 2

“Well worth the wait.”

Most conversations around the theater were based on that comment. After seeing the movie on Friday, I agree…mostly. Without spoilers, I’ll try to share my frustrations and the moment I fell in love with the film.

The first half of Incredibles 2 mirrors the plot of the Incredibles 1—job loss, “the program shuts down”, challenges at school, meet a rich guy who loves superheros, all that jazz. Because of the similarities, those who remember Incredibles 1 find themselves in what almost feels like déjà vu. We habitually suspect who the bad guy is and what will happen next, and for the most part, we guess right.

It’s only AFTER everything that I guessed would happen happened that Incredibles 2 became a worthy sequel.

Things I enjoyed:

• The super villain was incredibly powerful—although their motive was questionable.
• Seeing Mr. Incredible try to fill in as a “single” dad was hilarious.
• Jack Jack’s character blossoms in hilarious and unexpected ways.
• Dash and Violet become slightly annoying teens, but are still relatable.

About 20 minutes into Incredibles 2 I was disappointed to see so much of the first film duplicated, however, having a similar plot isn’t a deal-breaker. (After all, I watched the Miraculous series and enjoyed it.) But a couple other things grated on me like nails on a chalkboard.

1) They changed the color of Tony’s hair. (I know that probably doesn’t seem like a big deal, but I didn’t see a reason for it…Other than maybe keeping him as a red-head would make the color red seem overpowering…)

2) I thought the family already knew Jack Jack had powers. (Note: They do NOT.)

3) The guy who works for the government and “cleans up their messes” tells them the program is shut down…again?

4) The timeline is jumpy and unclear.

Maybe my expectations were high because Pixar and Disney are master story tellers? I spent all week trying to lower my expectations, but I guess I failed. Incredibles 2 is a fun film that brings back characters we know and love, but after 14 years, I expected something a little more incredible. However, since the films boasts a 94% approval rating right now, I might be alone in my criticism.

If you haven’t yet, go out and see Incredibles 2 in a theater near you. I love watching movies in theater because not only does it get me out of the house, but hearing the people around me laugh and gasp at the same time adds to the magic of the movie.

If you’ve seen Incredibles 2, what did you think? Am I being too picky or not picky enough?

Report Card: The Incredibles 2
Characters: B
Animation/Acting: A+
Plot: C
Overall Score: B

Sort-of similar suggested films:

• A Bug’s Life – A classic film with timeless lessons.
• Miraculous – It’s a repetitive TV series, but it has the most original super-villains I have ever seen.
• Sky High – Because watching families figure out how to work together is always entertaining.
• Guardians of the Galaxy – PG-13
• Rise of the Guardians – Who doesn’t think Jack Frost and Elsa would be the cutest couple ever?!

What’s your favorite superhero film?