A fine sequel

Rating: 8/10 (25 July 2018)

The family of superheroes must come together to defeat a foe more cunning and adaptive than anything they've faced before - never-ending housework, teenage angst management and unfinished homework (oh, and a villain who uses screens to control people!).

Picking up directly where the original left off 14 years ago, the family of superheroes have to deal with the immediate threat of the Underminer terrorising innocent citizens. They do so knowing that superheroes have been made illegal on account of the vast amounts of collateral damage during previous failed attempts to fight villains.
Family matriarch Elastigirl is therefore tasked to fight crime in an orchestrated effort by a rich fan to get people to see supers (as they're referred to in the film) in a positive light and make them legal again. The Screenslaver, a new villain who uses screens to hypnotise and control people, is on the loose and is using his powers to keep the illegal so he can continue his control unopposed. Meanwhile, Mr. Incredible is tasked to keep the homestead in one piece as Dash has maths homework to do, Violet is chasing a boy, and new-born Jack-Jack reveals more and more powers.
It's too easy for lesser superhero films to slip into an old trap - a big fight might look impressive but if we're not told what characters powers are (especially newly created and unestablished supers), the audience is left confused that suddenly Superman is throwing a giant S from his chest at General Zod (seriously, what was that about?!). In the fight scenes between supers, the ways in which they used their powers were always a delight to watch since the script allowed us to understand all those involved well in advance. In this regard, special mention has to go to a particular fight scene between Violet and a girl who can transport objects through portals. Your imagination isn't doing it justice; trust me, it needs to be seen to be believed.
Having directed Ratatouille, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and Tomorrowland to varying amounts of praise in the meantime, writer/ director Brad Bird gives an eager and anticipating audience exactly what they want and so much more. Incredibles 2 is at least as funny, inventive and visually stunning as its predecessor.
Best Quote: "Boys are jerks and superheroes suck!"