Director: Brad Bird Studio: Pixar Animation Genre(s): Action/Comedy Rated: PG (For action sequences and some brief mild language) |
It’s been 14 years since Brad Bird gave the world “The
Incredibles,” a clever little spin on the superhero movie where the heroes were
forced to live a life without the extraordinary, and, in fact, were forced to
live so ordinary that it was a struggle (particularly for Mr. Incredible – the
patriarch of the family – who certainly missed the “glory days” of being
super). The movie struck a nerve with
kids who loved the colors and action, while teenagers found a lot to like in
the rebellious attitude of the characters who didn’t want to conform to
societies norms, and the adults could find much to relate to in the mid-life
crisis aspect of the story. In short,
everyone had something to like, it was a smash hit, and even walked home with two
Academy Awards. After years of dabbling
in the world of live action, Bird has returned to Pixar to give us “Incredibles
II,” a follow-up that may be the very thing the first movie despised so much: a
very ordinary sequel.
That doesn’t mean we’re discussing a bad movie here. In fact, “Incredibles II” has so much to
like, that I decided to see it a second time quickly after the first to better
articulate my thoughts about it. But
while the first film managed to still surprise after the first few viewings, my
admiration for the sequel fell apart a lot faster in the second viewing, enough
so that a third viewing in going to be put on the back burner (lest I fear it
lose its luster too soon). The story
most surprised me in how Bird spent years claiming he didn’t want to make this
movie until he had an idea that was just as good as the original, only for that
to mean he essentially wanted to make the same movie again. This time around Elastagirl (the original
name of Mrs. Incredible; voiced by Holly Hunter) has been recruited by a lawyer
who wants her to be the face of a political campaign to convince lawmakers that
superheroes can, in fact, be legal again, and a benefit to society.
Despite being shocked that his wife would be considered more
of a “friendly face” for the campaign than he would, Mr. Incredible lets his
wife go out on the town, taking on the responsibilities of raising the kids
(particularly Jack-Jack, who has since developed some powers of his own),
relearning math, and finding his place in life without using his superhero hero
powers, and…well, I think that’s all I need to tell you folks. As you can see, not much has changed in
fourteen years. Well, as far as this
film is concerned. The movie itself may be
taking place immediately after the events in the first film ended, but more
than a decade has passed since Bird was out directing live action movies. Superhero movies, which were once limited to
one or two a year, can now total up to almost a dozen releases a year. The original movie aimed to turn the genre
upside down, but since then Ryan Reynolds revived Deadpool as an irreverent
smart ass (and did so to the tune of over $2 billion dollars).
For that matter, “Teen Titans Go! To the Movies” is set to
capture some of that irreverence again (this time for a slightly more family
friendly audience). Since then, “The
Dark Knight” and “Logan” have proven superhero movies are capable of much
depth, and provided much more than what we find here. “Incredibles II” even offers a twist villain,
which would be effective…if Disney and Pixar hadn’t been doing it virtually
every movie since “Meet the Robinsons” was released. There is little here to surprise
anymore. Granted, this isn’t totally the
fault of Brad Bird, who is still one of the most gifted directors out
there. This is just the reality of a
movie that had a built-in fan base waiting for more adventures, in a genre that
is not normally allowed to take risk, produced by a studio that is treating
their signature product (AKA: animation) with less and less respect. “Incredibles II” IS solid fun all around…it
just might not be (forgive me here) the ‘incredible’ experience you have been
waiting for!
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| CONSUMER ADVICE |
Parents, while there is the usual amount of violence you'd expect, parents might be surprised to discover this is Pixar's first film with profanities in it. Combined with the adult themes (as well as a scene involving throbbing lights), might make this one more appropriate for a slightly older crowd. Recommended for ages 9 and up.
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