Incredibles 2

Incredibles 2 from Pixar, was a must-see movie at this year's Edinburgh International Film Festival. Or at least, it was for me. 

The misunderstood supers are back in a sequel in which Jack-Jack shifts towards centre stage, much like the Minions who increasingly stole the spotlight in the Despicable Me series. This time, it’s Bob, aka Mr Incredible, balefully voiced by Craig T Nelson, who’s left holding the baby while his altogether more glamorous partner Helen, aka Elastigirl is out fighting crime. She has been enlisted by a shiny-suited PR guru to help rehabilitate outlawed superheroes via a charm offensive involving runaway trains, political lobbying and a new bike, the Elasticycle.

Back at home, Bob is facing his own challenges: helping Dash with his maths homework, nursing Violet through the traumas of her first teen crush and containing Jack-Jack’s emerging powers, which are as scary as those showcased by the monstrous child in that notorious Twilight Zone episode It’s a Good Life. These include multiplication, transformation, immolation, laser-beam eyes and a Poltergeist-style ability to disappear into the fourth dimension. Oh, and he still needs his nappy changing.

The first Incredibles is arguably amongst the best Pixar films, which is saying a lot. It has heart, humour, depth, and it’s a better superhero flick than some of Marvel or DC's recent outputs. Incredibles 2 – while not as good as its predecessor – also has these qualities. Everything you and I loved about the first film is there. With its fab future-retro designs accompanied by Michael Giacchino’s Bond-inflected score, Incredibles 2 has snappy charm to spare. We’ve seen many of the visual gags before but that doesn’t make them any less effective. Elastigirl is stretched to breaking point several times in the first few minutes alone without wearing down our patience. Dash is shown more than once fiddling with remote controls and causing havoc as he does so. The family dynamic is what makes the Incredibles series special, and seeing Mr. Incredible at home with the kids far exceeds following Elastigirl on her adventure (though that’s fun too). It feels real and allows you to connect with this fictional family of supers. Watching them interact is still so relatable and funny.

And on top of all the fun, director Brad Bird inserts a powerful message. Whereas the first film was all about celebrating what makes you special, this sequel is more about trust. It’s about helping others, and both trusting and allowing others to help you, instead of everyone just looking out for themselves. It very much plays off of the fear and paranoia plaguing our society today. There’s even a line early on in the film about how the government doesn’t trust people who do good just because it’s the right thing to do. It’s very relevant, and a good lesson for both kids and adults in the audience.

However, the voice acting in Incredibles 2 does take a step down from the last film. It’s not bad; most of it is actually pretty good. But there are a few scenes where the actors just don’t seem to jive together like last time. In fact, at times it feels as though the lines were recorded separately and just mixed together. Which very well could have been the case, and is a common practice in animation. It doesn’t always flow properly here though, and can be a little distracting.

Overall, Incredibles 2 did not disappoint after 14 years of waiting. Though it doesn’t quite match the first film, it’s still a worthy successor and a rewatchable Pixar modern classic.