In 2004, Walt Disney Pictures released a superhero family film that had an impact on the animation world, but it wasn’t the characters’ abnormalities that garnered the film such astounding critical and commercial success. Rather, it was the way the family showed they were just like us that catapulted The Incredibles into being a global phenomenon.
Fast forward 14 years (yes, you read that correctly), and the Incredibles have jumped back onto the big screen in the new summer blockbuster Incredibles 2. In Pixar’s latest instalment, we watch as Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack continue to search for new ways to balance their superpowers with the everyday perils of life as a family.
The film starts off where we left the Incredibles back in ’04, fighting the Underminer. As the film progresses, Elastigirl gets recruited by two individuals working to sway the general public to once again perceive superheroes in a positive light. Meanwhile, Mr. Incredible is just as busy at home, tending to his three children. Mr. Incredible soon realizes that helping Violet with her first date, assisting Dash with his math homework, and discovering that Jack-Jack has an array of superpowers is way more difficult than he anticipated. Towards the end of the movie, however, the children take the spotlight when they have to help their parents out of a tight spot, just like in the first movie.
Admittedly, Incredibles 2 exceeds its already amazing predecessor, and I believe this can be attributed to three things.
Firstly, Jack-Jack is hilarious. Whether it’s with his one-on-one duel with the neighbourhood raccoon or his interesting play-date with Edna, Jack-Jack manages to steal the entire show.
Secondly, the writing of the film is impeccable. The nuances of each character’s personality in combination with the outlandish scenarios they’re all placed within provide the film with a unique humour that sets it apart from other Walt Disney/Pixar films.
Lastly, the Incredibles once again show us that it doesn’t matter if an entire family is blessed with awesome, nature-defying abilities — every family experiences the same trials and tribulations. Kids grow up, thus making it more difficult for parents to connect with them. First dates are awkward, first heartbreaks are almost unbearable, and math is difficult, especially when they keep changing it! However, in spite of these vexations, if a family sticks together then any problem is conquerable — with or without superpowers. It’s this theme that makes the Incredibles’ family so relatable to audiences, and in turn makes it such a hit.
Whether you see Incredibles 2 with your family, significant other, friends, or even just by yourself, you’ll be sure to have an incredible time. Although, as a warning for those who watched the first film as a child, you may be overwhelmed by a profound sense of nostalgia.
