It's been a while since audiences last saw the Parr family, fourteen years to be exact. However, if it wasn't for the updated animation, you'd hardly notice in their latest outing. Incredibles 2 picks up directly where its predecessor left off, almost instantly thrusting the audience into a blistering action sequence to rival any live-action blockbuster. The zippy nature of animation lends itself to sensational superhero fights and the quick-witted dialogue further enlivens the pace, resulting in some of the year's most thrilling set pieces.
The aforementioned updated animation means Incredibles 2 is visually gorgeous. There's some particularly striking use of colour and lighting to create frames that look straight out of a comic book. The original’s stylish designs are carried over, but they've been freshened up to look slicker than ever. All the new characters have fantastic designs too, each glowing with colour and personality. Especially impressive is the genuinely eerie look of the Screenslaver, the film's spindly, hypnotist villain who dons a fantastically freaky, Doctor Who-esque gas mask.
Much like the original, Incredibles 2 is held together by a brilliant script. The writing is always razor sharp and frequently hilarious, often poking fun at family relationships to provoke big laughs. As is always the case, there's slapstick humour for younger audiences and smarter material for the older ones. Pixar are seasoned professionals at this point, so they nail the balance between the two and make sure the simpler stuff is still entertainingly executed for everyone. The script also fleshes out each character very effectively, giving all of them robust character arcs that are explored from intriguing angles.
The return of the Incredibles couldn't be better timed, either. In the midst of this now decade-long superhero saturation, Pixar's idiosyncratic take on the genre is more than welcome. Much of the subversion comes in the form of the Screenslaver who - not unlike Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight - questions the nature of superheroes in undeniably compelling ways. This time, the superhero satire has also been paired with a progressive look at gender roles. The infrequently represented working mum/stay-at-home dad dynamic is portrayed here with thoughtful depth and understanding, as well as some delightful humour.
Due to its very nature as a sequel, it's hard to say how Incredibles 2 stacks up to its predecessor. The follow-up to such a unique film will inherently be less fresh and exciting. However, taken on its own merits, Incredibles 2 is a spectacular film. Beautifully animated, skilfully written and with a timely message to boot, you can definitely say the sequel to Incredibles is incredible... too.
Much like the original, Incredibles 2 is held together by a brilliant script. The writing is always razor sharp and frequently hilarious, often poking fun at family relationships to provoke big laughs. As is always the case, there's slapstick humour for younger audiences and smarter material for the older ones. Pixar are seasoned professionals at this point, so they nail the balance between the two and make sure the simpler stuff is still entertainingly executed for everyone. The script also fleshes out each character very effectively, giving all of them robust character arcs that are explored from intriguing angles.
The return of the Incredibles couldn't be better timed, either. In the midst of this now decade-long superhero saturation, Pixar's idiosyncratic take on the genre is more than welcome. Much of the subversion comes in the form of the Screenslaver who - not unlike Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight - questions the nature of superheroes in undeniably compelling ways. This time, the superhero satire has also been paired with a progressive look at gender roles. The infrequently represented working mum/stay-at-home dad dynamic is portrayed here with thoughtful depth and understanding, as well as some delightful humour.
Due to its very nature as a sequel, it's hard to say how Incredibles 2 stacks up to its predecessor. The follow-up to such a unique film will inherently be less fresh and exciting. However, taken on its own merits, Incredibles 2 is a spectacular film. Beautifully animated, skilfully written and with a timely message to boot, you can definitely say the sequel to Incredibles is incredible... too.
8.2/10
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