EIFF18 Review – Incredibles 2

Incredibles 2 – [rating=5]

In the fourteen years that have ed since we were first introduced to Brad Bird’s family of superheroes in the critically acclaimed ‘The Incredibles’, we’ve had an abundance of superhero films and sequels. Even with all these films and sequels coming out in constant rotation one question remained on everyones mind – Where is Incredibles 2?

‘Incredibles 2’ picks up exactly where the first film ended, with Syndrome defeated and The Underminer (John Ratzenberger) ri and threatening the city of Metroville. It was the perfect ending to lead into a sequel, but Bird stated clearly he would only make another if the story was right. All these years later we finally get to see what happens next as the film begins with a fantastic fast-paced action sequence of the family pulling together to stop him robbing the city bank. It really was the perfect scene to show off just how far Pixar’s animation has come since the first film was released in 2004.

The main plot of Incredibles 2 comes in the aftermath of The Underminers attack on the bank as we are reminded that superheroes are illegal and can only do harm in the minds of the public. The Parr family once again have to move residence after the plane crash at the end of the first film destroyed their house, but superhero fanatic and CEO of telecommunications company DevTech, Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk), offers them refuge in one of his unoccupied homes. Deavor enlists the help of Elastigirl (Holly Hunt) to bring superheroes back into the light by having her new super-suit fitted with a body camera to broadcast the good that supers do to the world. But while Elastigirl’s off trying to take down Screenslaver (Bill Wise),the mysterious new villain controlling peoples minds through their screens, Bob (Craig T. Nelson) stays at home and attempts to be Mr. Incredidad as he tries to manage Jack-Jack’s “teething issues” as the baby shows off over eighteen new superpowers. The majority of Incredibles 2’s best gags come from Jack-Jack’s new powers, which really is not a complaint as each moment he discovers a new one was equally as hilarious as the other.

To delve further into the story, well I would consider that too much of a spoiler here, but there’s plenty to love about Incredibles 2 that isn’t just story related. The animation is absolute stunning in the film and the action is phenomenal. Bird is a master of action sequences and really brings his all in this film. I honestly feel like some of the action in Incredibles 2 is superior to a lot of the superhero films I’ve seen in recent years! Once again composer Michael Giacchino is back bringing a fantastic follow-up score to the original film, with a lot more intense tracks than the first. I absolutely adore Giacchino’s work so having him back for the sequel just made it all the better for me.

Incredibles 2 is a fantastic follow-up sequel that I would even consider as good as the first film. It has fantastic animation, voice-work and emotion that really makes The Incredibles family special. I loved veery minute of the film and can’t wait for it’s release on July 14th.