Incredibles 2 (dir. Brad Bird)

Good things come to those who wait. In the case of Brad Bird’s 2004 “The Incredibles”, you’re unlikely to find anyone on this planet who didn’t expect a follow up to the animated hit, though fourteen years have passed (in a time when Marvel have gushed out over eighteen comic book offerings) and it appeared that Pixar weren’t interesting in treading new ground on the superhero family dynasty.

But director Brad Bird (Iron Giant, Tomorrowland) has always been vocal with his intention to return to his crime-fighting family, and thankfully for all those involved, always kept his promise of further spandex-wearing fun.

"Incredibles 2" flies into cinemas with a weight of anticipation (much like 2016’s “Finding Dory”) and audiences are likely to flock in their droves to see the next installment in the unlikely hit. And here’s the good news: it’s really, really good.

So good in fact, is “The Incredibles 2” that i would go so far to say that it not only improves on the original, but it could be argued that this superior incarnation is the most enthralling superhero film this decade -and it’s success is all down to it’s timing.

We’ve seen it often over the last year. Filmmakers are drastically changing their approach to their female characters, thankfully opting to pit their heroines front and center in the action instead of relegating them to sub-plot exposition backroom staff. If you remember the 2004 original, which sees the Incredibles family suit up in their trust spandex and fight-off the criminal underground, many commented on the lack of gender diversity. Thankfully, those days are over.

We begin where we left off fourteen years ago. Mr Incredible (voiced brilliantly by Craig. T Nelson), Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), daughter Violet (Sarah Vowell) and son Dash (Huck Milner) are hot on the heels of criminal menace The Underminer (Pixar alum, John Ratzenberger) - who’s attempting to rob to Municipal city bank and cause unheard of damage to the city. As you’d expect from Bird, who’s never shy of introducing us back to our beloved characters with a large dose of spectacular action , the resulting sequence is breathtaking to look at, and never short of some ingenious camera work. Cut to the authorities chewing the ears of our heroic contingent, and the news that superheroes have been banned in society, as they cause more trouble than good.

Things at home aren’t much better for Mr. Incredible and Elastagirl, either. Their youngest-son Jack-Jack is coming of age, in all manor of ways, as well as their constantly nomadic lifestyle which is putting pressure on the wholesome American family vibe their attempt to perpetuate. But soon a lifeline, in the shape of Cellular conglomerate Winston Deavour (Bob Odenkirk) and his sister/partner Evelyn (Catherine Keener) - who are champions of the superhero movement - and want to rustle up a PR stunt to make society accept them as the heroes they are. But they've got a shrew business accumen, and according to them, their best play is to pit Elastagirl - who’s equipped with a retro motorcycle and a snazzy new suit - as their go-to vigilante, pushing Mr. Incredible back to the stay-at-home-parent role.

The rest of the ensuing drama - which become increasingly gorgeous and equally fun to look at - stems from Mr. Incredibles inability to parent his children whilst his wife Elastagirl is out fighting crime, especially since recent terrorist "The Screenslaver" is haunting the sprawling metropolis by hijacking all manors of technology. As you’d expect, there’s a hefty bunch of comedy, whether it’s from the slapstick angle during the moments of Jack-Jack discovering his powers (a howling sequence between the child and a raccoon being the real highlight), and the moments of breathtaking action, Brad isn’t afraid of making tonal shifts to fit his narrative style - and it’s deliriously entertaining stuff. A perfect example of the sheer quality on display here would be during an extended sequence of our maiden chasing after a malfunctioning train. Through the use of an atmospheric score and impressive computer graphics, this sequence reminded me of the chilling and arresting moments in Christopher Nolan’s "Dark Knight Trilogy", and much like the rest of Bird’s spectacular action film, benefits from viewing on the biggest screen possible.

Pitching in at nearly 120 minutes long, there are few Pixar entrants with a similarly hefty running time, but credit to “The Incredibles 2” for never outstaying it’s welcome. Large portions of this sequel had my cheeks sore with giddy delight, and when they weren’t guffawing at the perfectly pitched comedy, they found themselves plummeting to the flaw in a breathtaking stupor. There seems to be a Superhero movie out every few months nower days, though this isn’t perhaps a bad thing if you like the sort of thing, yet i’ve found myself becoming disillusioned with the formulaic and production lined offerings from the DC and Marvel staples. On this occasion, Bird’s greatest accomplishment is making his long-awaited sequel fresh and organic, even despite the plot’s deviate plot devices, and as the machinations of the plot start to unravel, it perhaps get’s less enticing. But this is merely my cynical head wrestling against my better judgment, as for my money, "Incredibles 2" is far and away one of the best films of the year. Let’s hope they don’t spend another fourteen-years before making the next one, but as a person who values his lack of patience, if it’s anything like this follow-up, it’ll be worth the wait.

Rating 5/5.