Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner, Catherine Keener, Bob Odenkirk, Samuel L. Jackson, Brad Bird, Isabella Rossellini, John Ratzenberger
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios
Runtime: 125 mins. Reviewed in Jun 2018
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This American computer-animated superhero film is a sequel to the 2004 movie, “The Incredibles”. Brad Bird directed both films. Characters from the first film appear again (Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Samuel L. Jackson, John Ratzenberger, and Brad Bird). Other characters – Bob Odenkirk, Catherine Keener, and Isabella Rossellini voice new characters.
The movie continues on from the 2004 Oscar-winning film which finished with the introduction of the villainous “Underminer” (John Ratzenberger), who wants to bring war and destruction upon the world. This film’s plot line finds super-heroes being outlawed in the US, and The Incredibles face the challenge of trying to change the public’s perception of them. They tried to deal with Underminer, but weren’t appreciated. The action they took to thwart him was illegal, and Incredibles 2 is all about changing the law forbidding them to be the superheroes they are. Things are reorganised: in this movie, a woman fights to uphold her family’s superhero status.
Bob Parr, Mr Incredible (Craig T. Nelson), stays at home with his family, caring for his children – Violet Parr (Sarah Vowell) who has invisibility powers, Dash Parr (Huck Milner) who is capable of superhuman speed, and Jack-Jack an infant who has a wide variety of powers. Holly Hunter voices his wife, Helen (alias, Elastigirl), who fights crime with her incredible stretching abilities, and Bob’s best friend, Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) has the power to freeze objects. Bob Odenkirk is Winston Deavor, a superhero fan, who is concerned to shape the public’s acceptance of superheroes, and Catherine Keener voices his sister, Evelyn, who is a communications expert with plans of her own. Isabella Rossellini voices The Ambassador who offers dignified support of superheroes, and a new villain emerges, who combines hypnosis with high-technology.
This movie introduces an incredible array of superheroes, superheroes turned villains by hypnosis, and one very clever villain. The film’s heroic focus is on Helen, rather than Bob, and the dynamic of family togetherness lies at the film’s core. The comic appeal of the movie is strong, as Bob battles at home with a difficult adolescent, a tricky daughter, and a baby who could harm himself irreparably by falling victim to his own emerging super-powers. Bob keeps losing his baby son, and his children end up eating waffles for dinner, but things work out alright. The film endorses not only the strength of family togetherness, but also gender equality – Helen is taking care of things “out there”, while Bob looks after things “at home” (with some difficulty). The movie empowers women to take hold of their abilities, and to foster them.
At home, there is lots of family-friendly comical interaction between Bob and his new baby, Jack-Jack. Normal family life is balanced against saving the world, with family being given the higher priority. While Helen is out saving the world and battling the technological villainy of an electronic genius, Bob is caring for a baby that reveals 17 different super-powers. Mr. Incredible learns for the first time that his son, Jack-Jack, can use his eyes to send laser beams through anything that stands in his path, and he has a major problem in staying out of the way.
The film’s animation is outstanding. It was Pixar that burst onto the animation scene with “Toy Story” in 1995, and subsequently gave us “Finding Nemo “ (2003), “Up” (2009), “Inside Out” (2015), as well as “The Incredibles” (2004) – now twenty films in all. Typical of its style of animation, characters in this film fill the screen with vivid colour, frantic action, and incredible fantasy-driven energy. The film is an exciting roller-coaster ride through fantasy land, with very clever scripting to keep both children and adults enthralled throughout.
This is quality animation at work. The film communicates very positive messages about gender, while preserving the joy of a family that stays together, and Pixar has another hit to its credit.
Peter W. Sheehan is Associate of the Australian Catholic Office for Film and Broadcasting
12 Random Films…
