Incredibles 2 Movie Review

6/10

“I don’t KNOW that way, why would they change math? Math is math, math is math!”

Great for kids but not exactly for those who are older. Incredibles 2 works like a rehash of the original animated family comedy and follows the same beats from the first film that make this a familiar outing for the sequel. Visuals are another fine point for Pixar’s animation team and it’s clear that technically speaking, Incredibles 2 is a well-made film. There’s also some great voice acting and competently directed action sequences but apart from that; everything else feels like the norm. Incredibles 2 wasn’t the boisterous return I hoped it to be, but it is everything I’ve come to expect from a Disney animated film and that doesn’t mean it’s a bad movie.

My major gripe is with the plot because Incredibles 2 largely rips off the storyline from the original. Without giving too much away, let’s just say that certain roles have been reversed and everything else that follows is basically the same structure that I’ve seen before. I don’t believe this automatically meant the entire movie was a boring experience, but it nevertheless added a level of predictability that made it less exciting for me to watch. When I can see what’s eventually going to happen, along with what different beats the story will hit; it ruins my hope and expectations for seeing something new which is what a sequel should try to do.

Nevertheless, Incredibles 2 still holds enough positives to overshadow the predictability factor and still make it a fun ride and especially for children who love seeing animated action on screen. As an adult, I enjoyed how fluid and well-crafted the animation of the film was, which highlighted to me the meticulous detail Pixar places in each of their works. I also thought the voice acting added a diverse vocal range to the characters, especially with Craig T. Nelson as Mr. Incredible because he produced a welcomed burst of energy. Director Brad Bird (who also directed the original Incredibles and later Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol) framed some dynamic camera angles for the action sequences that also worked great to establish well-executed extended animated pieces.

Moments of comedy came here and there, but they didn’t make me burst out more than a chuckle. Punchlines often felt slightly awkward and came from jokes that were targeted for a younger age group. My favourite jokes were ones that made fun of human behaviour or twisting logic. There’s an instance where Mr. Incredible is trying to help Dash with his homework and he refuses to believe his old-way of solving math problems can’t solve Dash’s modernly taught methods. Moments like that worked best for but unfortunately, these were far and few between.

Incredibles 2 is less of the spectacular return that I hoped it would be, but I still have no problem with recommending seeing it. The animation is once again a standout feature from the Pixar team and altogether Incredibles 2 is technically a well-made film. If only the story could have been just as refined as the animation and maybe, then I would have held this movie in higher regards. I still believe fans of the original will be relieved that the charm and chemistry from the first haven’t been lost but I don’t see Incredibles 2 surpassing how refreshing its predecessor felt. Watch it if you’ve loved the original or need a distraction for the kids, but don’t go in with exceedingly high hopes because you might be slightly disappointed. See it.