Incredibles 2 (2018)

After fourteen years, Pixar buffs finally have the sequel they've been craving. I feel out-of-place in the topic, as I've never been overly keen on The Incredibles. It's fine, but it's never had that rewatch-ability for me. I was hoping that the sequel would sway my opinion and help me to go back to the movie I won't give a second chance, but even this, while admittedly enjoyable, didn't do it for me.

Despite the long time gap in the real world, The Incredibles 2 picks up straight where the 2004 edition left off, seeing our heroes chase John Ratzenburger's Underminer through the streets of Metroville and cause mass carnage. It's a thrilling opening with some top-notch animation once again, but I feel like having it continue from the exact moment did kind of feel alienating to people like me who haven't seen the first one that much.

The actual plot itself is interesting enough, but feels like a retread of many recycled plots we've seen before in superhero movies.

I'll give it this: the Screenslaver is actually quite scary. His whole demeanour and his method of hypnotism really scared a few of the younger ones sitting in my cinema (one literally started kicking off, begging for her dad to take her home). However, the twist as to who it is feels very predictable and formulaic, and continues in the same vein as many Disney/Pixar films have as of late with a villain twist to start the final act. Can we just have a Disney/Pixar movie that doesn't for once please?

As well as this, the whole idea of old superheroes with new tech just feels snatched from every other new superhero/spy film recently. That's the big problem with this film: it's fun, but it is so unbelievably derivative it might as well be put in live-action and called a Marvel film.

But the biggest problem of all for me is the same flaw I have with the first film: they don't feel like Pixar films. They don't have the charm and emotion present in films such as Toy Story, Inside Out, Up, WALL.E, just to name a few, they don't have the spark that makes them films so wonderful. If it wasn't for the usual Easter eggs such as the Pizza Planet truck and A113, there would be nothing in here to prove to me that this is Pixar.

I don't want to be completely down on this film so I want to mention the characters.

Jack Jack and the enigma Edna Mode provide brilliant goofy comedy, and it is great seeing Bob Parr take a backseat and interact with his family - there's a great dynamic there and it's actually quite sweet. There just isn't enough of it.

Despite 14 years to make this, Incredibles 2 fails to sway my opinion. Despite some great superhero action scenes, fantastic animation and comedy, this film for me is exactly like the original - basic, derivative and, the biggest insult of all, not Pixar. This is just a superhero movie for kids. Not a Pixar movie for kids.

I will still be giving the first film another go, and I can see myself rewatching the sequel in future, but I don't hold them in nearly a series high regard as all of Pixar's classics because of that one fatal flaw.

Incredibles 2 gets three stars out of five.

But of course, that was all my opinion. What did you think of Incredibles 2?

Until my next review, thank you for reading and enjoy the movies.