Incredibles meets Mr. Mom

Rating: 8/10 (18 June 2018)

SPOILER:
Incredibles 2: Reel Review
By Nelson Nantanapibul
Directed by Brad Bird
Starring Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner, Eli Fucile, Bob Odenkirk and Samuel Jackson
I have a confession to make. I have never watched the first Incredibles movie from Disney/Pixar. That being said you don't have to have seen the first one in order to know what's going on in this film. It is a self contained story and does a good job of introducing you to all of the characters in the film and what they've been up to and what is going on.
I had a really good time with this movie and really enjoyed the characters in the film. Craig T. Nelson who I have been a long time fan of since Poltergeist is great as Mr. Incredible and the patriarch of a family of superheroes with the amazing Holly Hunter voicing the matriarch Elastigirl. Superheroes have been outlawed in all countries and the head of a mega corporation wishes to change that by using Elastigirl to help shape public opinion by essentially sponsoring her in her fight against crime.
With Elastigirl as the family's primary breadwinner Mr. Incredible takes on the duties of homemaker much to his chagrin. Think of this as a superhero version of Mr. Mom with a little bit of the X-men and a dash of The Fantastic Four added in for good measure. Mr. Incredible feels a bit jealous and out of place as he was accustomed to being the one providing for his family and being front and center in terms of superheroics and fighting bad guys.
Mr. Incredible struggles to bond with his kids as the primary caregiver as they navigate through struggles of their own such as homework and falling in love for the first time. He stumbles and he fails but he keeps on trying because he loves his family and wants to provide them with the best life possible.
Even though he wishes that he were the one on the front lines he still loves and supports his wife and doesn't wish for her to worry. Elastigirl has to contend with the rise of a new Supervillain the Screen Slaver with the help of the Deavor corporation headed by siblings Winston and Evelyn whose father was murdered shortly after superheroes were banned from fighting crime. Elastigirl forms a friendship with Evelyn and acts as a confidant of sorts who praises her efforts and invents Elastigirl's tech in the film.
There is much fun to be had in this film. Baby Jack Jack steals the film as he develops superpowers of his own much to the pride and chagrin of Mr. Incredible. The film has a lot of heart and one of the best things about Incredibles 2 is the real life struggles of everyday life depicted in this film. This film deals with issues of discrimination, the redefining of gender roles and expectations in society as well as the struggles of feeling different and of a family struggling a balance life and work. I really highly recommend this film and am very eager to see the first Incredibles film.