THE INCREDIBLES 2: WORTH THE WAIT?

 

 NON-SPOILER REVIEW

14 years after we were introduced to everyone's favourite superhero family (No, not the fantastic 4!), and after several doubts about a sequel, The Incredibles 2 was released to much anticipation and establishes itself as a decent follow up to the 2004 original film. I had logistic problems seeing this one, hence the very late review (but it's the Incredibles, so I had to do it!), mostly cause the show times weren't the most favourable, and it bothered me that a good film like this was being shoehorned into morning and early afternoon showings because of the belief (In my country) that adults don't watch animation. I know tons of adults who haven't/couldn't see this film just because of the inconvenient showtimes. Oh well, I'm not here to debate on that, so on with the show.

A Legacy too Big to Fill?

But before we get right into it, we have to go way back to when it all began. As far as animated films go, The Incredibles (2004) was pretty much groundbreaking upon its release. A fun, mature and surprisingly thought provoking animated film (the latter you don't usually hear in the same sentence with 'animated film'). It was a mashup of everything from superheroes, to spy movies to everyday surburban life. It made fun of the superhero trope, addressing things from collateral damage caused by superheroes and the complacency of  supervillains, to taking on real life issues such as the humdrum of white collar jobs, marital dysfunction, midlife crisis, and the celebration of mediocrity (or should I say 'normality') in society. Oh, did I mention that it also had a damn good villain, one way ahead of his time, who actually wins the moral argument? The Incredibles was also a commercial success, raking in $633million in box office takings (over three times its budget), but it wasn't just a money spinner, it was also critically acclaimed, being nominated, and winning several awards including the Oscars for Best Animated Feature and Best Sound Editing at the Academy Awards in 2005. The Incredibles certainly lived up to it's name, and needless to say any sequel to this film had a lot of living up to do.

14 Years or 14 Seconds? 

If you're aren't up to date in The Incredibles lore, then you probably should just skedaddle outta here and don't come back till you're all caught up. The Incredibles 2 is a direct (no kidding) sequel to the first film, literally picking up where the original left us (yes, 14 years and they haven't grown a day) as the Parr family; Bob, Helen, Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack (The Incredibles) and Frozone attempt to stop the villain Underminer, from robbing a Bank, however things don't go so differently from the old days and after much destruction to public property (one of the reason supers were banned in the first place) and failing to foil the villain, the fiasco proves to be the last straw that breaks the camel's back. The Supers Relocation Program is scrapped by authorities, leaving our superhero family back where they started and down on their luck, until they are approached by a mysterious benefactor. When the first trailers of The Incredibles 2 came out and things hadn't changed (age-wise) for the Parrs, I didn't really think much of it, I mean animations are timeless, but to actually continue where you left off 14 years ago takes some gall, even for an animated feature.

Social Commentary is all over the Place

The makers of The Incredibles have shown that they aren't shy at saying a thing or two when it comes to social commentary, and like it's prequel, Incredibles 2 was not afraid of highlighting some of the realities of modern society. The emancipation of Helen Parr being the most notable. In an age where women all over the world are pushing for more recognition and equality, this falls splat into the middle of the conversation, as Helen is recruited to be the new face of supers. Notably she doesn't operate as Mrs Incredible but as Elastigirl, her superhero alter ego before she married Mr Incredible; a less than subtle nod at stepping out of her husband's shadow and expressing herself as an independent and capable heroine, and boy does she thrive! We didn't get to see a lot of Elastigirl in the prequel, but seeing Helen in her own right as a superhero and not a mother or wife was quite the sight, she kicks ass in shiny spandex and that train-bike scene was one of the most imaginative ways you'll ever see an elastic power being used. With Helen being preferred to be the poster girl for supers, Bob Parr is inevitably pushed to the sidelines, he grudgingly accepts the situation, taking on parental duties while his wife is on superhero duty, and as excruciating as it is, he's prepared to take one for the team so his family and all supers can benefit. Bob's journey from the secure Mr Incredible to an unsure father and husband trying to get it all together is oh, so well done, and you can relate with it no matter who you are. He might have superpowers, but in the end he's just as human as the next guy (plus is parenting such a scary job?).

So What's New?

Incredibles 2 retains most of what made the first film such a huge success; borrowing elements from the superhero, spy and noir genre and lest I forget, real life. Often to comical effect but there are few shiny moments which show the heart and humanity this film is made of, as it explores the relatable  struggle of a family; their fears, worries, and triumphs. It executes mature themes, and confronts (adult, marital and parental) issues in relatable, heartfelt ways. The Incredibles 2 story line lacked the freshness of the original film and was at times underwhelming and transparent, and for a whodunnit movie I could tell who the baddie was quite early which isn't saying much about its noir inspired plot. The film's villain, Screenslaver (uses screens to enslave his victims hence the name) doesn't  reach the lofty heights of Syndrome, the antagonist from the first film, but does manage to get a meaningful message through. The Screenslaver highlight's our over-reliance on others, rather than taking ownership, we want things done for us and would rather be spectators, as evident in the statement which went something like 'You don't talk you watch talk-shows, you don't play games, you watch game shows'. I found this message quite thought provoking in this age of social media, where we're all just looking to be entertained.

A worthy successor?

Being a family themed movie, the onus of the Incredibles 2 is pretty much on ...*drumroll*...family! But it's much more than that, there's lessons about sacrifice, compromise, responsibility, accountability etc. I could really go on for the next few lines.
If you're looking for a moral in this one, there's just so much to choose from but my favourite comes from Helen Parr's statement "You know it's crazy right, to fix the law I have to break it, to help my family I have to leave them" which for me, meant  that doing the right thing isn't always straightforward and doesn't initially always feel right at first. It was always going to be a tall order to outdo the original, but Incredibles 2 does a  decent job at keeping in touch. It might not be as groundbreaking as its prequel  was 14 years ago but it still manages to leave a mark. While the storytelling in comparison to its predecessor is quite weak, this movie still manages to be meaningful, while being fun, inclusive and engaging. A true family movie that has something for everyone. Hopefully, now we won't have to wait another 14 years for The Incredibles 3.

RejectRating: 7.5/10