Incredibles 2 Movie Review

Incredibles 2 (2018)

Watch the trailer
Written by: Brad Bird
Directed by: Brad Bird
Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner, Catherine Keener, Bob Odenkirk, Samuel L. Jackson, Sophia Bush, Brad Bird, Phil LaMarr, Jonathan Banks
Rated: PG

Plot
Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) is left to care for Jack-Jack while Helen (Elastigirl) is out saving the world.

Verdict
It's a serviceable sequel to the original. The animation is great with impressive set pieces. The story runs a bit too typical, presenting the question of whether super heroes should user their abilities without delving into the question. It draws interesting parallels to female equality with Helen selected as the super hero selected to garner support. There's a jab at how screen time can make you a zombie, and Jack-Jack steals the show in every single scene.
Watch it.

Review
Fourteen years later we finally get the sequel to The Incredibles (2004). One of the challenges for Bird was avoiding falling into super hero cliches. The original came out before the Marvel cinematic universe exploded.
The first movie ended with the appearance of a new villain The Underminer. Picking up right after the original movie, the Parr family attempts to stop a bank robbery by the Underminer. Failing to stop the villain, the Super hero relocation program is shut down.

This is a movie about a family first and foremost, they just happen to have super powers. Bob has to adjust to life as a stay at home dad when a wealthy business man who is a big fan of superheroes wants to hire Helen to revitalize the image of heroes. He can't hire Bob due to the collateral damage issues. Bob smashes too much stuff. The optics wouldn't benefit the cause.

Helen is successful in garnering support for Supers, and for the first time she doesn't share the spotlight. Of course Bob doesn't like that. It's not that he doesn't want Helen to succeed, he doesn't like have just a supporting role. There are definite parallels with Helen's plight and Bob's feeling and the "traditional" female role in society. This movie has a 50s/60s aesthetic, and a bit of the family ideals, but it also explores women's role with Helen and the wealthy businessman's sister. She doesn't want the spotlight, happy to build things and let her brother sell them as that is her passion.
Helen is asked about taking center stage, and she is the face of superheroes, working to legalize them and their contributions to society. You can see this as a statement on women in the workplace, acknowledging their abilities, and achieving balance. With that in mind, it makes a few easy jokes about Bob staying at home, but he does adjust.

The villain in this one is Mindslaver, who can exert mind control through any video screen. It's a jab at our reliance on screens, and this leads to some visually wild scenes with flashing lights that could be harmful with any kind of sensitivity to flashing lights.
With a screen, Mindslaver can turn you into a mindless zombie. Everyone is susceptible.
I had some guesses as who Mindslaver was, and I was happy the movie didn't play right into my guesses. The result is more nuanced than I guessed.

As no surprise, the animation looks great. There are more than a few big action set pieces. As a side character Jack-Jack steals every scene. He's great comic relief and displays a multitude of powers. His fight with the raccoon might be the highlight.