After 14 Years, it's a Worthwhile View

Rating: 8/10 (18 June 2018)

After 14 years of waiting, the long awaited sequel to The Incredibles has finally hit theaters nationwide. The main reason it came out much later than expected is mainly due to director Brad Bird and the Pixar team not really knowing the proper continuing story until later on. So now that it's officially out, while I don't put it nearly on the same level as the first film, I was quite satisfied with what we ended up getting nonetheless.
Set immediately after the events of its predecessor, the story of Incredibles 2 centers around two particular plots: Helen Parr (a.k.a. Elastigirl) taking on superhero action undercover while Bob Parr (a.k.a. Mr. Incredible) watches over the family. Both plots work quite well in continuing the Parr's arches in attempting to return as superheroes. Rather than being a simple case of role reversal, the main plot further stretches the elastic heroine to gain more momentum, especially with her main goal being to catch the menacing Screenslayer. As for Bob's arch, he develops as both a father and role model by watching over the kids, while discovering more to his and their individual personalities. With baby Jack-Jack's powers going all over the place, this creates many fun sequences of his various abilities that later attribute more to the story as it progresses. Even Violet's arch consisting of boy troubles helps expand her character and to teach Mr. Incredible something new about her.
The first film's thematic elements of brilliant people not to be forced to conform to societal norms continues here, especially with telecommunications tycoon Winston Deavor trying to bring supers back in the spotlight again. In addition, there's some neat commentary on Elastigirl being seen by herself as the current face of superheroes. The only main issue with the story is how some of the first film's story beats are reused, I mean does Elastigirl fighting crime to support the family remind you of anything? Also, despite being threatening, let's just say that the new villain Screenslayer isn't quite as memorable as Syndrome in The Incredibles, with a reveal that might be more predictable than assumed. Thankfully, most call-backs are very far and few in between, as Brad Bird presents new ideas that we never saw him unfold before.
As for the new characters, they range from humorous enough to rather iffy. The most prominent ones featured have to be the Deavors, with the aforementioned Winston being a very competent businessman who desires returning supers to their formal glory along with his technological genius sister Evelyn who always fixes a dilemma when needed. The new supers that come by mainly stick out from their designs and distinct abilities, although Void does come off as a rather awkward fan of Elastigirl. While they don't become very intriguing until later on, which I certainly can't go into without spoiling much, the rest of the family still showcase their memorable love for each other and their individual powers.
With a 14 year time span, it's no wonder the animation got a significant upgrade compared to its predecessor. For one thing, not only did the characters get a significant redesign, but there is much detail displayed on their bodies and clothes to make them look more polished. Also, the set-pieces take full advantage of the battles the Incredibles' and other supers get into, complete with much more varieties of extravagant powers. The action sequences display even more wonderful and smooth choreography, particularly when it comes to Elastigirl showcasing her rubbery limbs. The real scene stealer has to be the multiple powers that Jack-Jack creates, as they astonish the viewers as much as make them chuckle. Similar to the first film, the modernist 1960s influenced production design adds much visual flavour to Incredibles 2 to help it stand out. While many modern animated films keep moving forward, it's great that films like these go for the old-school touch.
With the exception of their upgrade in computer graphics after 14 years, the Incredibles family are still back in action after so long. While it has its similarities to its predecessor and not all the characters are all that great, the spirit and thematic qualities that characterized the first film still remain present, complete with the lovely family of before growing and the animation and action scenes looking better than ever. If you're a fan of the first film or Pixar in general, I highly recommend viewing this worthy entertainment that packs enough thrills and character development for the whole family. At the end of the day, I can officially say that I am satisfied after the 14 year wait for this film, and it will definitely remain a stand out family film like its predecessor, even if I still prefer that more.