Elastigirl is recruited to spread superhero awareness,
leaving Mr. Incredible to take care of the kids at home. ACTION/FAMILY/SCI-FI
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Incredibles 2 (2018)Written and Directed by Brad Bird
Starring Holly Hunter, Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, Bob Odenkirk, Catherine Keener, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner, Sophia Bush, Brad Bird Sequel to 2004's The Incredibles Oscar Nominations - Best Animated Film |
I think I speak for almost everyone when I say we've been waiting for a follow-up to The Incredibles for way too long. The fact that we got two Cars sequels, a Monsters Inc. prequel, and a Finding Nemo sequel before we got this film was a travesty. What really eats my lunch though is the fact that in the end, I wasn't that big a fan of Incredibles 2. It lacks something fundamental that the first one had in droves. The first Incredibles had emotion, high stakes, and a compelling villain. This sequel has none of those, and ultimately is a cash grab disguised as one of the most anticipated movies of the year.
The film picks up immediately after the first, with the Parr family taking on the Underminer. Once he gets away, the focus of the film diverts entirely away from the villain at large and shows us almost two hours of Jack-Jack's newfound powers, a plot thread that doesn't really go anywhere. Then we are also treated to a change in protagonist as Elastigirl joins up with Winston and Evelyn Deavor, two billionaires trying to legalize superheroes, to do heroic deeds and raise superhero awareness while Mr. Incredible watches the kids. There was potential there too, but for me, the biggest problem was the film's villain. The Screenslaver (sigh) is no Syndrome, folks. His motivation is questionable at best, and there's no emotional investment like there was with the first movie. You understood the villain's motives because you saw how Mr. Incredible mistreated young Buddy, driving his evolution into an evil genius. With Screenslaver, you get a generic anti-establishment bad guy with a boring plan and a terrible climactic battle. After waiting fourteen years for the next chapter of one of Pixar's greatest films, I am beyond disappointed that this was the result. Brad Bird had so many different directions he could've taken this one in, and he chose to make it more like a kid's movie and less like a superhero family drama, effectively taking away the thing I liked most about the first movie. With Toy Story 4 on the horizon, I'm feeling antsy that Pixar has truly abandoned their creative storytelling in favor of the almighty dollar. I guess we'll find out next year. |