While Pixar may be adored by children, every film the studio release is really an excuse for adults to relieve their youth. With Incredibles 2, Disney and Pixar have shamelessly played on personal nostalgia to draw a crowd. And boy is it fun!
Like a superhuman act itself, fourteen years Pixar developed the technology to make human characters look less jolty and introduced the world to the Parr family. Of course they would become better known as “The Incredibles”. What could be considered as the first in a now endless tsunami of superhero film’s, The Incredibles is unique in many ways. It’s animated, kid-friendly and, most importantly for the makers of the sequel, it has stood the test of time and age.
Now one and a half decades later, the Parr’s and Pixar have returned with their retro charming brand of 1960s charm. Picking up where we left off. The Parr’s and their superhuman powers are driven underground after almost destroying the cityscape of their hometown. However, it is not long before super-stretchable mum, Helen (superhero name Elastigirl), and super-strong dad, Bob (Mr Incredible), are drawn out of hiding by a flashy businessman Winston Deavor and his tech-savvy sister Evelyn.
Working with Deavor’s company DEVTECH, they set out to rebrand the negative superhero perception. However, it is Elastigirl who is thrown into the somewhat coordinated act saving the day, while Bob stays at home with the kids: adolescent force-field creator Violet, the speedy middle-sibling Dash and baby Jack-Jack. While Helen battles an ominous new villain, Bob struggles with home life, in particular the sudden appearance of Jack-Jack’s many powers.
Fourteen years ago, this plotline may have been considered nuanced. Female superheroes, diversity on screens, the list goes on. Although the checklists may be ticked, fast-forward to a year when a different superhero blockbuster is hitting theatres each month, Incredibles 2 somehow manages to stand out in a crowd of Ironmen and Wonder Women. While the animated element is the obvious difference, there is something magical that elevates this (intended) children’s flick into a stratosphere to infinity and beyond. The irreverent humour blend perfectly with: dad-jokes, laugh-out loud moments for the kids and heartfelt family moments without seeming corny.
The extended screen time awarded to the maturing, incredible Parr family does come at a price. Viewer favourites from the first instalment: the uber-cool friend of the family and ice-powered superhero, Lucius Best, and queer icon in the making, designer Edna Mode, appear as little more than cameos.
As with all Pixar films, there is a timely message attached to Incredibles 2. In short, we are all technology obsessed mutants incapable of individual thought. Although this is almost definitely true, the delivery seems forced, especially as the appropriately, yet cornily, named ScreenSlaver attempts to impart their stranglehold on the city.
Messaging aside, crowds have not been deterred by Incredibles 2. While the film may at times tread along the same ground that the original film broke, theatres are full with young and old searching for a nostalgia hit, be it from the 1960s setting or their now distant youth.
