Monday, June 18, 2018

Incredibles 2 Movie Review (No Spoilers)

No need to fear, there's no spoilers here!

So my love for Pixar and all its films isn't unknown. I try and be at the theater opening weekend to support their newest films, and for Incredibles 2 it wasn't a struggle. I've been looking forward to this release date since the title first appeared on an in-production list a couple of years ago. Since it happened to come out the Friday before my youngest son's 3rd birthday, it seemed like a great opportunity to celebrate with him and support Disney-Pixar at the same time.

A friend invited us to come with her and her family to see it, and seeing a movie in a big group is a fun activity I haven't done in a few years, because babies. It was fun to experience it not only through my kid's eyes, but to be able to share it with my friend and her family.


The Incredibles 2 is a perfectly crafted sequel. It picks up right where the first one left off, but if you haven't rewatched the first one since it released in 2004 (and if so, poor you because you're seriously missing out), you won't feel out of your depth. They do a great job of re-establishing what's going on without it being repetitive and redundant for those die-hard fans (like me) that basically have the entire film memorized and hum the theme song in their sleep.

There are so many perfectly captured moments, from the difficulties of parenting to the mom guilt all moms experience (super or no), that the overall quality of the film is totally Pixar. (I didn't cry though, so it's not UP level Pixar but classic, wonderful Pixar nonetheless). The animation is flawless, the plot engaging, and the new characters just as well developed as those we're familiar with. There are some moments so tense I reached over to hold my kid's hands...a little because I was worried they'd be frightened, but also because I was super nervous for the character involved.

As far as family-friendliness, it really depends on the kid. My now 3 year old did mostly great, though he did get a bit antsy during some dialogue heavy sequences in the middle, and was squirming and crawling all over me. Thankfully we had popcorn and lemonade to distract him, but that's something to keep in mind if taking toddlers. My five year old loved it, but he was nervous about seeing it because the previews show the villain, the Screen Slaver, and it's honestly pretty dang frightening. Here's the trailer:



As you can see, the Screen Slaver is a pretty scary villain. My five year old is sensitive and almost didn't want to go (promises of said popcorn and lemonade, earned for free through Coca-Cola's rewards program, tempted him to go and he was ultimately glad he did. I'm grateful Coke gives rewards for all the Coke my husband drinks!). If your kid is easily intimidated by new situations, it may be best to wait and watch this in your living room instead of a giant screen in the darkness of a movie theater. There are some intense battle scenes that may provoke your children into pretend battling each other for days following (as mine also do when they watch the original Incredibles).

This is one of the funniest Pixar films I've seen. Jack-Jack, Dash, and Violet all get more screen time than in the original, and it's wonderful. They're really well developed, and we get to watch them discover who they are and what's important to them. There's some great messaging for kids about growing up, responsibility, and the importance of knowing those things. Jack-Jack and Dash made me laugh out loud, uproariously, over and over again.

The relationship between Bob/Mr. Incredible and Helen/Elastigirl is further explored in a really realistic way. Since it's a sequel, we really get to delve deeper into what makes them tick and how they work together versus solo.

This is yet another fabulous Pixar film. I can't wait for it to come out on disc (I'm guessing around October or Thanksgiving, in time to be holiday gifts) so we can add it to our regular rotation of family movie night films. It's definitely worth seeing in theaters, if your kids are up to it. If you don't think your kids are ready, then it's still great for date night! (You know you're a true Disney/Pixar fan when you go see the movies and leave your kids at home- we did that with Coco because our sensitive one wasn't ready to see it. Now he loves it).

Have you seen Incredibles 2? What were your thoughts?

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