So, I just saw the sequel to the great 2004 animated movie, The Incredibles. Before I describe the
new picture, appropriately called Incredibles 2, let me say that I
really love Pixar films. I love their feature films – well, most of them, with
the exception of Cars 1,2 and 3 and maybe Monsters University – and I love many
of their short films, too – like Lifted
from 2006, for example. Taken as a group
these animated stories are visually stunning, technologically advanced over
most other such movies, and as exciting as many live action adventures. They’re also amusing and often outright funny
– with sight gags and verbal wit aimed at children and adults both. Their protagonists
are endearing, with an unmatched range of expression for animated motion
pictures. In fact, most Pixar films have a great deal of heart and can be quite
touching. Exhibit A is the amazing “Our
Life of Adventures” sequence from 2009’s Up in which old Carl
Frederickson recalls his and Ellie’s romance and decades long marriage in just
4 1/2 lovely, poignant minutes.
The Incredibles
from 2004 is one of my favorite Pixar features. It won the Oscar for best
animated film of the year, so I’m not alone in that assessment. It takes place in
an alternate universe 1960s America, a place that features a fabulous,
mid-century “futuristic” aesthetic. In
this world, folks with superpowers, known as “Supers”, actually exist. The
movie focusses on a family of such Supers, headed by Mr. Incredible,
possessed of super strength and a high degree of invulnerability; he’s the
secret identity of Bob Paar, the family’s Dad - voiced by Craig T. Nelson. Bob’s wife, Helen, whose moniker is Elastigirl
(Holly Hunter), is able to stretch her body at will, as her name implies, like
an amazingly pliable bit of rubber; she’s
also the mother of the Paar family’s three kids. The oldest is Violet (Sarah
Vowell) - a teenager who has two superpowers: she can make herself invisible (pretty
useful in a fight or, at her middle school, to disappear when embarrassed), and
she also can generate a powerful spherical force field (protecting her from
stuff thrown at her by her brother or, as it later turns out from bullets, fire
and other hazards). The middle child is Dash (rock musician/actor
Spencer Fox), a high energy pre-adolescent boy whose superpower is blazing
speed; and the adorable baby of the family is Jack-Jack, whose super
proclivities are just starting to sprout by the end of that first film.
The original Incredibles
is set at a time when “Supers” are no longer allowed to use their superpowers
or act as crime-fighting vigilantes as they once did. Due to the collateral damage associated with some of the Supers’ exploits, the public has
turned against them - so much so, that they are protected by something like a
witness protection program and must live their lives incognito. Thus Bob Paar, alias
Mr. Incredible, works as an insurance salesman. Eventually, of course,
something happens that impels Mr. Incredible to put on his old superhero suit. The
adventure that ensues features a wannabe Super calling himself “Syndrome” along
with a large, malign, seemingly indestructible robot. There’s a mysterious,
volcanic island where the evil villain is ensconced, as in a Bond film. In
fact, like 007 in many of his pictures, Mr. Incredible winds up in a situation
where he may just be outmatched.
Eventually Elastigirl and even Violet and Dash are drawn
into the action. Some of the best moments, in fact, are when the youngsters realize
what they’re capable of doing. When the action moves from the island to the
city, Mr Incredible’s old buddy Frozone
- aka Lucious Best (Samuel L. Jackson) – lends a hand, too. To describe the plot in more detail will not do the kinetic,
excitingly engaging, wildly creative story justice, so I won’t do that. But
it’s pretty great.
Now 14 years later, we have Incredibles 2, the
sequel. Like the first movie, this was written and directed by Brad Bird, who
also wrote and directed the wonderful Ratatouille,
another of my favorite Pixar features; and also directed 2011’s Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, the
highest grossing movie in that series. The
Paar family is back, of course, as are most of the characters from the first
movie. In fact, the story takes place just three months after the conclusion of
that one.
A multibillionaire tech tycoon called Winston Deavor
contacts Bob and Helen Paar with a plan to regain the public’s trust in Supers
and overturn the law banning them. Much
to Mr. Incredible’s surprise and chagrin, he proposes that Elastigirl be the
face of the campaign. So she goes off to do the fun superhero stuff, while he
stays home to take care of the kids. Mr. Incredible as a fish-out-of-water
house-husband results some very, very funny moments - especially when the
toddler, Jack-Jack, starts to find his own amazing superpowers. It turns out
he’s got 17 of them. When angered, he
can turn himself into a demon. He can subdivide into multiple Jack-Jacks, shoot
lasers out of his eyeballs, grow enormously, shape-shift, teleport, walk
through walls, and most dramatically turn into a human torch. Remember, this
kid is like 18 months old. He’s not in control, he’s just reacting. One minute
he’s just the cutest little baby, and the next he’s powerful and terrifying.
Try parenting that!
One of the funniest scenes in Incredibles 2 , and one of the
most, uh, incredible animated
sequences I’ve ever seen occurs when Jack-Jack gets into a battle with a
raccoon on the patio of their home. It’s unbelievably marvelous.
Meanwhile, Mom – I mean Elastigirl – is battling a menace
called ‘Screenslaver’, a villain who can hack into broadcast and computer
systems and hypnotize everyone watching. Screenslaver can even hypnotize Supers
and use their powers to do its bidding. As the situation escalates, yep, the
rest of the family gets involved. There are thrills, laughs, and some neat creative flourishes that'll make you think "Wow!".
How does Incredibles 2 compare to
the first film, The Incredibles? Frankly, this one may be even better in my opinion. And
remember, I loved the original movie. The story is tight. The gender role reversal idea works
extremely well, both as a source of comedy and as satirical social commentary. Technical,
the computer-generated animation has taken a great leap forward, making Incredibles
2 simply a marvel to watch. Even
though the first film was state of the art in 2004, a lot has happened in the
animation field over the last 14 years.
Pixar’s animation system is completely different now, built
around its Oscar winning Presto software, and the images are quite amazing.
After seeing, Incredibles 2, I went back and watched the earlier movie again,
and the differences in the look of the picture really jumped out at me.
Textural details are remarkable. Cloth, for one example, is astonishingly
realistic for what we used to call a cartoon - the superheroes’ masks, their
clothes, even the sheets and bedding at the motel where the family is forced to
stay for a few days. Skin is softer looking, more natural, less plasticky; eyes
too seem far more realistic; all without looking creepy. And, because animators
now have access to more shapes and shaping tools, the movements and physicality
of characters is more convincing. Likewise, the background imagery –
from furniture, to cityscapes – is more detailed and realistic. 
The voice artists are just great. In addition to those I’ve
already mentioned, a few other notables are Bob Odenkirk as Winston Deaver,
Catherine Keener as his sister Evelyn; and Isabella Rosselini as “The
Ambassador”. The director Brad Bird
himself reprises his role as the wonderful pintsized diva Edna Mode, fashion designer
extraordinaire.
Incredibles
2 is just a beautifully made, great looking, startlingly fun movie.
Need more convincing? Check out the official trailer. Rated
PG, it’s that rare picture that can span generations. I recommend it for young (probably eight and
up) and old – better still for young with
old: take your kids or grandkids.
1 hour 58
minutes. Rated PG
Grade: A
In wide
release.
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