Plot: Elastigirl is recruited as the centerpiece of a high-tech PR effort to make Supers legal again. Meanwhile, Mr. Incredible must stay home and parent their three Super kids by himself. But a mysterious villain wants Supers to remain illegal...forever!
First off the bat: Incredibles 2 tends to be exposition-heavy, because it deals with real-world themes such as parenting, power and responsibility, trust and friendship, fear and discrimination, and legal versus right. In particular, Elastigirl and Mr. Incredible's decision to have her leave the kids so they can one day have the choice that she and her husband don't have--to use their powers for good without fear of legal action--strikes a chord with working parents, who keep at their jobs to provide the best possible everything to their offspring. The contradiction inherent in Elastigirl's illegal actions in the pursuit of legal status is repeated by multiple characters, underlining the IRL fact that the law and justice are two different things. There are also conversations between Elastigirl and Evelyn (one of the two who recruit Elastigirl) that Hubby argues pass the Bechdel test, but I disagree. Will have to rewatch.
Anyway! Interspersed throughout the sparkling dialogue are breathtaking action scenes: Incredibles vs. the Underminer, Jack-Jack vs. raccoon, Elastigirl vs. runaway train, etc. They're, well, incredible! And the accompanying music is on point, sometimes tense, other times wistful, and always entertaining.
Another highlight, naturally, darling, is Edna. As with the first movie, she's a scene-stealer. Director Brad Bird does outstanding voice work as the diminutive genius fashion designer. Edna's lines are the ones that Hubby and I quote to each other on the drive back from the movie theater. I would watch a movie about Edna!
All the actors who give voice to our beloved Supers are terrific! They provide depth to already complex characters. It's great that character actors were selected for both films, instead of using big names to sell seats. (An exception is Bradley Cooper as Rocket in Guardians of the Galaxy, because Cooper sounds nothing like his handsome self when voicing the space raccoon.)
My only negative note about Incredibles 2 is that I think the villain in The Incredibles is better. Syndrome is a nasty piece of work: willing to sacrifice his own lieutenant, murder children, and aware enough to catch himself monologuing. The Incredibles 2 big bad: different! See for yourself.
In summary, Incredibles 2 (and Bao!) is a top-notch animated film, and definitely worth the trip to the theater.
TL;DR: Highly recommended for kids and grownups!
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This post brought to you by Peet's coffee!
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