Incredibles 2

I usually object to sequels for the obvious staleness and unoriginal plots, but Pixar Animation Studios are definitely the exception. Their sequels to "Toy Story, "Cars" and "Finding Nemo" with "Finding Dory" were smart, clever and just as fresh and original as their predecessors. So when "Incredibles 2" came along, the odds were that it would be amazing and it was.

 

Everyone's favorite family of superheroes is back--but this time Helen Parr (Holly Hunter) is in the spotlight, leaving Bob Parr (Craig T. Nelson) at home with Violet (Sarah Vowell) and Dash (Huck Milner) to navigate the day-to-day heroics of 'normal' life. It's a tough transition for everyone, made tougher by the fact that the family is still unaware of baby Jack-Jack's (Eli Fucile) emerging superpowers. When a new villain hatches a brilliant and dangerous plot, the family and Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) must find a way to work together again--which is easier said than done, even when they're all incredible.

 

Others to round out the cast are Catherine Keener as Evelyn Deavor, Bob Odenkirk as Winston Deavor, Michael Bird as Tony Rydinger, Sophia Bush as Voyd, Brad Bird as Edna Mode (E), Phil LaMarr as Krushauer/Helectrix, Isabella Rossellini as Ambassador, Adam Gates as Chad Brentley and Jonathan Banks as Rick Dicker.

 

This was incredibly well delineated by director Brad Bird ("The Iron Giant" '99, "The Incredibles" '04, "Ratatouille" '07, "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" '11, "Tomorrowland" '15) plus TV and video shorts. Even though Bird directed "The Incredibles", fourteen years later, he hit another homerun with this, This is as fresh as its predecessor and seems as if there wasn't as large as a gap between releases of these two films as there were. It was also brilliantly written by Bird ("batteries not Included" '87, "The Iron Giant" '99, "The Incredibles" '04, "Ratatouille" '07, "Tomorrowland" '15) plus TV, video games and video shorts. With so many years in between films, it truly helps to have the same writer and director attached to it. This simply assists the different films to share with the same fluidity. The characters were 3-dimensional as was the script every bit as much as the original. And, considering this is from Pixar, how could the writers be anything less than exemplary? In all the feature films Pixar Studios have produced, they have never had a film that tanked! Their profits are astronomical..

 

If you're a Pixar diehard, you'll be in heaven with this one. With the original script, the freshness, the well-paced storyline, most everyone likes Pixar films, and this movie will be no exception. I've said it before and I'll say it again, how do those guys do it at Pixar do it? With this, a wonderful 8 minute small animated short named "Bao" all in a nifty IMAX and 3D format, you'll be wanting for more.

 

Out of 4 Stars: 4                                         Rated: PG                               118mins.