The Incredibles 2 (2018) starring Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, directed by Brad Bird
Synopsis of The Incredibles 2
In The Incredibles 2, Helen is called on to help bring Supers back, and Bob must juggle the daily heroics of home life. But when a new villain arises with a sinister plot, the Parrs meet the challenge together
Review of The Incredibles 2
I want to begin this review with: I did enjoy The Incredibles 2, and recommend it. It’s a fun, enjoyable family film that the entire family will enjoy. But … it‘s not groundbreaking, or terribly original, although with lots of excellent family moments.
Someone has described the plot of The Incredibles 2 as the Parr family learns to trust each other & fight crime together after one of them is tricked into working for a criminal genius who wants to undermine the entire idea of “supers”. That’s actually quite accurate. It‘s also the exact same plot as the first movie.
The execution of that plot is extremely different, and enjoyable. Helen Parr/Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) is at the center of most of the action, and it’s very entertaining to watch. Husband Bob/Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) becomes the househusband, watching the family while Elastigirl’s off on her missions. And, at first, he’s a fish out of water. But there are many moments that make the audience love him even more. Such as staying up all night to learn “new math” so that he can help his son with his homework.
All of the characters from The Incredibles are back, given screen time, and engage with the audience. There are several new characters introduced as well, including a young would-be super-heroine who has a fan girl “crush” on Elastigirl. It’s adorable. At the center of the film are two siblings, who are trying to make “supers” legal again, and hire Elastigirl for that purpose. And, there’s the mind-controlling villain, Screenslaver.
One large negative is that the villain of the movie is, frankly, obvious. It’s the same problem that I have at the ending of Big Hero 6. There’s no suspense in the reveal.
As I say, this review isn’t negative. I enjoyed The Incredibles 2 very much, and recommend it. Like most sequels, it’s inferior to the original. Unlike a great many sequels, it’s still an enjoyable movie that stands on its’ own.
Cast of characters in The Incredibles 2
- Bob Parr / Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson, Coach). In a role reversal, Bob becomes the stay at home parent, while Helen is off adventuring. Because he wants his kids to have the option, he’s grudgingly okay with this. And, he has to help Dash with homework, help Violet repair the damage with her boyfriend (that Bob caused). And, cope with Jack-Jack’s new (to them) array of powers.
- Helen Parr / Elastigirl (Holly Hunter, Saving Grace). Helen takes the lead in many ways. She has several action sequences that are thrilling to watch. However, she feels guilt for not being there for her family. And she realizes the secret of Screenslaver … just slightly too late.
- Violet Parr (Sarah Vowell). Violet takes more of the center stage in this movie. Her boyfriend, Tony, has had his memory wiped. So she remembers him, but he doesn’t understand … And this leads to moments both comedic and sweet as Bob tries to “fix” things.
- Dash Parr (Huck Milner). Dash is in more of a supporting role here, although his interactions with his family are sweet. Firing the rocket launcher? Kind of makes you wonder if maybe Screenslaver has a point …
- Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk, Breaking Bad). One of the two siblings who want to make “supers” legal again. Despite his massive fan-boy attitude towards supers, he’s actually a very competent businessman. And, a nice person.
- Evelyn Deavor (Catherine Keener, The Croods). The female sibling – brilliant in technology. She seems to bond with Elastigirl after one conversation. Or, not …
- Jack-Jack Parr (Eli Fucile). Jack-Jack comes center stage here, as his (17!) powers start manifesting. And his poor, sleep-deprived, father has to try to deal with it. And Jack-Jack bonds with “Aunt” Edna, and it’s precious. I pity the poor racoon …
- Lucius Best / Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson, The Avengers). Bob’s best friend, who tries to help with the family problems, rescues the kids, and needs to be rescued from mind control later on.
Editorial review of The Incredibles 2 courtesy of Amazon.com
In Incredibles 2, Helen is called on to lead a campaign to bring Supers back, while Bob navigates the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life at home with Violet, Dash and baby Jack-Jack — whose superpowers are about to be discovered. Their mission is derailed, however, when a new villain emerges with a brilliant and dangerous plot that threatens.