SPOILER-FREE REVIEW:
Even though Screenslaver won’t have you glued to the screen for long, Pixar has successfully recalled what made the first Incredibles great and delivered a more than worthy sequel.
It’s been a long time coming, The Incredibles 2 is finally here and it’s almost as good as the film that came before it. “Behold the Underminer! I'm always beneath you, but nothing is beneath me!” When the Underminer surfaced, it was immensely satisfying to hear him shout those words again – even if offscreen and muffled – as all of our memories of watching ‘The Incredibles’ came rushing back. The Incredibles 2 manages to evade the dreaded curse that so often hits prequels and sequels and escaped mostly unscathed.
Even though it’s been 14 years since the original was released, no time has passed between that film and this one. After soundly defeating the Underminer, the Parr family finds themselves in trouble with the law and relocate once again. The world, it seems, is not ready for superheroes to make their return. Enter Winston Deavor, owner of telecom giant Devtech and superhero fan, who proposes that Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl and Frozone join him in drumming up support for superhero legalisation. This of course brings them into conflict with the mysterious villain Screenslaver.
To be brutally honest there’s nothing all that new in this film, but that doesn’t feel like much of a problem at all since the core characters, the Parr family, are so well-developed and timeless. Simply continuing the story of their goals and struggles from the first film is the perfect way to handle the sequel. The film quickly establishes some new challenges the Parr Family must deal with: babysitting Jack-Jack, adolescence, academic troubles and of course, Elastigirl’s new job. The responsibilities don’t just belong to the parents but also fall to the older kids in the family, especially when the family has to deal with superhuman threats. The first film worked because it was a family drama, and that’s also why its sequel works. Still, this time round they’ve also introduced a ‘life at home’ feeling, which is a welcome addition.
A major reason for the drama this time is when Elastigirl gets a new job while Mr. Incredible stays home to take care of the kids. There is no doubt viewers will have opinions about how Incredibles 2 depicts the role-reversal, but it maintains its sensibility by having him and his wife be equally competent in their respective roles. Bob initially struggles with his new responsibility and it is clear he isn’t as good at handling the kids as Helen. Watching him take a crash-course in parenting gives him some unexpected character development.
Though this film has feminist overtones, this film celebrates fathers just as much, if not more. It’s fitting that this movie was released on Father’s Day weekend. So if there is any real-world message, this would be it: Dads are awesome too. The story delivers on making Bob into a stay at home dad. His attempts to help Violet through her early teenage struggles are enjoyable to watch, as are his attempts to help Dash. You never lose the sense that the Parrs are a normal family dealing with everyday problems alongside being superheroes.
The film has an antagonist cleverly named “Screenslaver”, whose powers involve taking control of screens and hypnotizing anyone watching them to do their bidding. Screenslaver is perfectly serviceable, but in some ways disappointing. We can’t say much, but it’s enough to say that it’s clear what he’s doing, but his agenda is totally unclear and the film suffers for it. A couple of scenes aside, Screenslaver doesn’t have much presence to speak of. He’s introduced well, but the film never delivers on that promise. But...we’re being harsh. It’s a kids’ movie. If we were the same ages we were back in 2004, then we wouldn’t be complaining. The plot is also well-worn territory, so don’t expect the film to start blazing new trails with plot twists. If nothing else, fan favourites Frozone and Edna Mode all return for this sequel and they’re just fun to watch. Edna hasn’t lost her attitude at all, and provides the comic relief you’ve always wanted from an Incredibles sequel. The spirit of the original is very much alive and kicking.
Visually, this film might just be Pixar’s best work yet. Putting the original 2004 film and its sequel side by side, the difference in visual quality is obvious. It keeps the distinct style of the original, but it seems as if someone has given it a whole load of polish. The level of detail is nothing short of amazing. Throughout the movie, you get to see some incredibly (pun not intended) exciting scenes with fluid animation. It’s a showcase of just how far animation has come in the past decade and a half. It’s obvious that a great deal of time, attention and even love has gone into it. We get to see the film shine just from Jack Jack’s scenes alone. With his countless powers the animators seemed to have been let off the leash to create just about anything, and everything, they wanted to. Their passion is gloriously obvious. Ironically enough, even if you’re not that into the story, you’ll still be hypnotised by what you’re seeing. It’s an animator’s dream.
You can’t talk about the sound without bringing up the iconic The Incredibles theme song. We all heard it in the first film 14 years ago and hearing it again gave us spine-chilling nostalgia. The voice actors do sound slightly different from the first film. 14 years can probably do that to a person, but they retained the core of the characters. It’s clear they understand the characters enough to emote their voices to such a believable level. The sound effects are also just as well done as the visuals, and they give a lot of punch to the film’s action scenes. The Incredibles 2 doesn’t have as many moments where the soundtrack is made obvious. It’s not easy to pinpoint tracks other than that iconic theme song. There is still a pretty damn good soundtrack, but it’s more subtle than before.
It’s impressive that, even after 14 years, a sequel to The Incredibles not only holds its own, but does well. As sequels go, Incredibles 2 is a good one. Pixar made the right move by keeping it focused on family drama, since that’s what made the first one so popular. It’s not perfect by any means; the villain doesn’t really have a clear agenda or come across as particularly dangerous for example. In terms of story, it doesn’t quite reach the heights of its predecessor either. Still the important thing is that the kids in us liked it, and that makes it pretty incredible all on its own.
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Thoughts from the Couch
Tarun: I very much enjoyed the movie. Incredibles 2 is a great sequel to the first movie, we get to see the characters we loved 14 years ago back on the big screen. Jack Jack was the highlight and some really cool scenes which looks spectacular thanks to the incredible quality this film has achieved.
Tim: It was surprisingly good. I’m not sure that it’s entirely worth the 14 year wait, but still good. Some incredible (pardon the pun) action scenes and family drama.
Krishna: I loved this film as much as I did the first one. It immersed me completely and gave me a much-needed break. Unlike the first film, this doesn't have as much social-commentary, but I was never expecting it to have any. Unlike my colleagues, I think the villain's point of view was solid and relatable. Screenslaver isn't Syndrome, but it doesn't matter to me.
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