Sunday, June 17, 2018

Incredibles 2

Year of Release: 2018

Director: Brad Bird

Stars: Holly Hunter, Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, Catherine Keener, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner, Bob Odenkirk, Sophia Bush, Brad Bird, Isabella Rossellini, Jonathan Banks

Genre: Animation, Adventure

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
View Trailer

Synopsis:

Director Brad Bird is back, following "Tomorrowland", his previous directorial effort, which turned out to be a disappointing commercial endeavor for Disney (though it is a very interesting film in itself). His latest is a sequel to one of his best features, "The Incredibles", dated from 2004. The film follows the story of the Parr family, all of whom are superheroes, who are coming to terms with the events of the first film, after dealing with another villain, and having to adjust to the reality that being a superhero is still prohibited by law. The family is forced to live in a Motel, since their house has been destroyed, and suddenly hope appears in the shape of a technology company wanting to employ Elastigirl, in order to bring back super powered beings to the limelight (lawfully). This new job forces Bob/Mr. Incredible to stay home and take care of the children, particularly Jack Jack whose powers are revealing themselves in unexpected ways. A new villain reveals itself, with sinister plans, forcing the entire family with assistance from their friend Frozone, to battle it out.
Brad Bird is a very talented filmmaker, one who knows how to build coherent universes, always marrying action set pieces with humor, all tied with a great sense of style. "The Incredibles" is one of his most iconic endeavors, one that is filled with a style that marries a retro aesthetic, with futuristic tones, all within the conventions of the superhero genre, which he constantly reshuffles, focused more on the family dynamics between the central characters, with the super powers almost secondary. This film isn't as tight and successful as the first, narratively speaking, but it's still an impressive accomplishment, where the beautiful animation brings to life a script that is all about a family learning to live with themselves, and how typical roles within the family unit evolve and change. The voice work is uniformly fantastic as is the score from Michael Giacchino. A very good film worth watching.