It's been 14 years since the first Incredibles movie, but the sequel picks up only about 14 seconds after the concluding events of the first film. Mr. Incredible and his crime-fighting family are still dealing with "The Underminer," about to wreak havoc on the city - and "Supers" are still illegal.
But all hope is not lost! A wealthy pair of tech-sector siblings (Catherine Keener and Bob Odenkirk) have a plan to change public perceptions and pass laws to make Supers legal again. Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) will be the dependable face of the campaign, while husband Bob (Craig T. Nelson) will stay home in Mister-Mom mode, taking care of new baby Jack-Jack and the rest of the ability-endowed Parr family.
Some of the film's best scenes involve the Daddy Daycare adventures of Bob trying to deal with the roulette wheel of Jack-Jack's emerging powers, while running the mundane household on virtually no sleep. But the idea of a blusteringly ineffectual stay-at-home dad feels pretty dated, and Bob's fatigue escalates into strident anger that's a little off-putting. Come for the awesome Sarah Vowell, as adolescence-navigating daughter Violet, stay for Jack-Jack's smack-down with a cantankerous neighborhood raccoon.
What's not so great is...well, the plot. Hunter is fantastic as Elastigirl, but you see the movie's bad guy from about a hundred miles away. Bird is a wonderful talent, forever enamored with sixties style and design. While I give up mad props to the Johnny Quest and Outer Limits references, after 14 years, I wish we had a better story, a fresher antagonist and more comedy. The picture is filled with big, explosive action set-pieces that dominate in hyperbolic tedium, when more laughs and unpredictability would have been so much more satisfying. Much more time seems to have been spent on design aesthetics than story. If you liked the first Incredibles, odds are good you're really going to like this one, because it's basically a re-do of the first film - except without the novelty. A group of other eager-to-emerge Supers are meant to evoke the satiric eccentrics of The Tick or Mystery Men, but end up feeling like a pale imitation of Watchmen.
Most disappointing to me was the brevity of Edna Mode (Bird, voicing). When Edna's on screen, the movie soars with humor. I wish Edna had been a key element of the larger plot, and a much more visible part of the dynamic. Sadly, she's woefully underutilized, dahling.
Incredibles 2 is one of those movies you feel a little silly finding fault with, as most audiences are going to find it a tremendous, perfectly acceptable crowd-pleaser, as it totally serves up what you're expecting. But be advised - the Parr family is serving leftovers.
But all hope is not lost! A wealthy pair of tech-sector siblings (Catherine Keener and Bob Odenkirk) have a plan to change public perceptions and pass laws to make Supers legal again. Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) will be the dependable face of the campaign, while husband Bob (Craig T. Nelson) will stay home in Mister-Mom mode, taking care of new baby Jack-Jack and the rest of the ability-endowed Parr family.
Some of the film's best scenes involve the Daddy Daycare adventures of Bob trying to deal with the roulette wheel of Jack-Jack's emerging powers, while running the mundane household on virtually no sleep. But the idea of a blusteringly ineffectual stay-at-home dad feels pretty dated, and Bob's fatigue escalates into strident anger that's a little off-putting. Come for the awesome Sarah Vowell, as adolescence-navigating daughter Violet, stay for Jack-Jack's smack-down with a cantankerous neighborhood raccoon.
What's not so great is...well, the plot. Hunter is fantastic as Elastigirl, but you see the movie's bad guy from about a hundred miles away. Bird is a wonderful talent, forever enamored with sixties style and design. While I give up mad props to the Johnny Quest and Outer Limits references, after 14 years, I wish we had a better story, a fresher antagonist and more comedy. The picture is filled with big, explosive action set-pieces that dominate in hyperbolic tedium, when more laughs and unpredictability would have been so much more satisfying. Much more time seems to have been spent on design aesthetics than story. If you liked the first Incredibles, odds are good you're really going to like this one, because it's basically a re-do of the first film - except without the novelty. A group of other eager-to-emerge Supers are meant to evoke the satiric eccentrics of The Tick or Mystery Men, but end up feeling like a pale imitation of Watchmen.
Most disappointing to me was the brevity of Edna Mode (Bird, voicing). When Edna's on screen, the movie soars with humor. I wish Edna had been a key element of the larger plot, and a much more visible part of the dynamic. Sadly, she's woefully underutilized, dahling.
Incredibles 2 is one of those movies you feel a little silly finding fault with, as most audiences are going to find it a tremendous, perfectly acceptable crowd-pleaser, as it totally serves up what you're expecting. But be advised - the Parr family is serving leftovers.
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