Incredibles 2

[Winter]

So I just got back from my second viewing of Incredibles 2 and I can honestly say that I love it as much as the first film. For me it improves on a lot of what made the first film, shacks up the status quo without undoing it, has some really inventive action scenes and I LOVE Winston and Voyd. I want the former to be a major reoccurring character in future films and I want the later to have her own spin-off movie.

About the only thing I felt could have been done better is the villain. Without going into spoilers I the villain in the first half of the movie due to atmosphere and intrigue but as soon as the big reveal is done the villain, while not falling apart, doesn't hold up as the motivation and method of achieving their goals doesn't really work. But honestly the rest of the film is so good that I am willing to over look that.

I think what I love most about this film is how it is more about the family dynamic then the first one was. In the first film it was pretty much the Mr. Incredible movie featuring his family as Bob was the driving force for most of the story. His actions are one of the reasons Superheroes are made illegal, the villain is someone who has a personal grudge against him, and the reason he falls for the trap is because he wants to relieve the glory days.

Even Helen's arc is driven by Bob's story as are his kids, which isn't bad as their great characters but it always bugged me that the first film wasn't really about them as it was more about Bob. I2 in contrast is about the whole family. Helen maybe the one doing the whole hero work thing and is the one who interacts the most with the villain but the villain is a more general threat to Supers as a whole instead of just being someone who has a grudge against Helen herself and the family as a much more even split.

Part of that is due to how far CGI has come as one of the reasons for Violet's limited screen time was because her hair was so hard to animate but due to technology marching on she had almost as much screen time as her parents which helped to make her character all the more fleshed out.

Much like The Empire Strikes Back what makes I2 so great is that it is a more character driven movie then the first one which makes it all the more fun to re-watch and I really REALLY hope we don't have to wait another 15 years for the next film.

[Worffan101]

I thought the plot was a little disjointed, the villain was too obvious, the tycoon guy was kinda irritating, but holy cow they really GOT the family dynamics down perfectly. Plus, the action scenes and, yes, the indulgent Jack-Jack and Edna scenes, really held my attention so I didn't really care that the movie didn't come together as neatly as the original.

[Winter]

but holy cow they really GOT the family dynamics down perfectly.

I'll admit that one thing I was worried about was how Bob was going to handled taking care of the kids while Helen was gone as the advertising made it look like everything was going to, as Helen put it, fall apart the moment she left. But instead Bob does a good job, sure he runs into a few road blocks and he is jealous that Helen is the one getting to do all the hero work but he does the best job he can and the few things he has issues with are things most parents would have trouble with.

In fact the only time he really screws up in a way that was worrying was when he took control of the Incredible mobile which scared a lot of people. In Bob's defense he was sleep depraved at that point and quickly realized his mistake and stopped soon after.

But other then that and Jack-Jack's power spikes,which is not a spoiler it's all over the marketing, which is something I think even Helen would have a issue with he does a really great job and it's made clear that he still cares more for his family then being a superhero.

[ORCACommander]

I like the movie but i think it wasn't terribly focused. a 3 way plot wedge didn't help matters in this regard

[Winter]

I really felt that there was only two plots, Helen's new job and Bob taking care of the kids, with both plots having their own subplot, Helen's Job dealing with the Screenslaver and Viloet's relationship with Tony. But that's just me.

[phantom000]

I really felt that there was only two plots, Helen's new job and Bob taking care of the kids, with both plots having their own subplot, Helen's Job dealing with the Screenslaver and Viloet's relationship with Tony. But that's just me.

Yeah, though arguably this is still very much Bob's film as he seems to have more growth then Helen. The first one is about him trying to recapture the 'good old days' while the second is about him dealing with his own short comings. Here he is very much in Helen's shadow and while he does not say it, tries very hard not to show it, if he could switch places with her he would do it instantly.

Helen's plot is brilliant I think. They found the perfect balance for character and they stuck to it all the way through. She does not hate being a super hero and she is very good at it, its just not what she really wants. I get the feeling if she had her way it would be the other way around. Watching her children grow up and being there for them is more important to her then being a super hero.

[Winter]

Yeah, though arguably this is still very much Bob's film as he seems to have more growth then Helen. The first one is about him trying to recapture the 'good old days' while the second is about him dealing with his own short comings. Here he is very much in Helen's shadow and while he does not say it, tries very hard not to show it, if he could switch places with her he would do it instantly.

I see what you mean but I would argue that Violet has just as much development as Bob as she learns how being a Superhero can effect her life and coming to terms with that while Dash, much like Helen, (and the first movie now that I think of it, has very little character development. However, while Bob and Violet have just as much development Helen is the one moving the plot forward and has the most interactions with films villain.

[phantom000]

Yeah, though arguably this is still very much Bob's film as he seems to have more growth then Helen. The first one is about him trying to recapture the 'good old days' while the second is about him dealing with his own short comings. Here he is very much in Helen's shadow and while he does not say it, tries very hard not to show it, if he could switch places with her he would do it instantly.

I see what you mean but I would argue that Violet has just as much development as Bob as she learns how being a Superhero can effect her life and coming to terms with that while Dash, much like Helen, (and the first movie now that I think of it, has very little character development. However, while Bob and Violet have just as much development Helen is the one moving the plot forward and has the most interactions with films villain.

I think it would have been better if Bob snapped at Violet over her mask because it would have made a deeper hole for both of them to climb out of. Like at the beginning when they are eating in the motel he says 'we all have a job to do' and turns to Violet and says 'like keeping your mask on!' she gets angry and storms out and bob shakes his head and sighs; 'adolescence.' Then when she finds out the guy's memories were erased she gets made at Bob and Bob throws it back in her face with 'if you kept your mask on like you were supposed to none of this would have been necessary.'

At the end when he is exhausted he apologizes and says its unfair of him to expect her to act like an adult, when she is still a teenager and Violet admits that she is being childish and blaming her dad for a problem she created.

It is another short coming Bob has to come to terms with and its another step on Violet's road to maturity. I love the part at the end where she offers to stay with Jack-Jack because she knows he has a better chance of surviving with her then anyone else.