Incredibles 2 (2018) - Written Review

Fourteen years of waiting and anticipation later and Incredibles 2 has finally been released. Except we in the UK had to wait another month to get it. And then I had to actually find the time to go and see it. Sooooooo...as you can imagine, it's been a bit of a drag. It feels like most people on the planet have already seen this movie, and those who have haven't been too kind to it. Is Incredibles 2 a disappointment? Well, yes, obviously, but is it a worthy successor to the original?

The ultimate problem with Incredibles 2 is the fact that the script doesn't quite manage to resolve everything it sets up. Mr Incredible's arc throughout the film reaches a sudden end just before the third act kicks into gear; the villain Screenslaver seems like social commentary that never actually manages to mean anything; Frozone is teased to be joining Elastigirl (which never happens); there's a team of superheroes set up to fight crime with Elastigirl, who simply exist as power fodder; out of these superheroes, Voyd is the only one given a semblance of character and even she feels like she was missing a scene or two to actually develop her character; Edna Mode is given a little sequence to herself off-screen (perhaps this is a short film for the DVD) and otherwise feels absent throughout the film; Elastigirl's whole arc feels oddly unresolved; Dash doesn't even have a character arc from what I can tell; and the ending ultimately feels a bit cheap given how deep the story had been before that.


Brad Bird explores a lot of different themes throughout the film, including as to whether or not the supers do more harm than good. In fact, that's the main conflict and driving point of the film, but the ending serves to undercut any kind of real-world complexity that both this film and its predecessor had established. No, it's not the real world, but Bird incorporates elements of the real world to ground The Incredibles. Ending Incredibles 2 in the way that he does serves to undercut the entire conflict of this film, and what made the original so unique in 2004.

Not to mention that I predicted the plot several minutes into the film, which was really quite irritating after I'd spent so long avoiding spoilers. I'm not sure if it really was that predictable, or I've seen too many films like this before, or what, but I never got that surprise twist moment that would've really enhanced the experience.

Is Incredibles 2 terrible then? No, not by a long shot. The animation work is sublime, Brad Bird directs the whole film with such a burst of creative energy that few superhero films really showcase, and the main focus of the narrative smartly focuses on character conflicts as opposed to a main villain. It's also potentially funnier than the original, but that's all in favour of a more sit-com approach as opposed to the first film, which emphasises the drama and story. This may not be to everyone's taste but it works in the film's favour right up until it has to emphasise the story in the third act. There's also some really great moments showcasing this super family and their relatable, everyday life problems as well as the superhero problems. If this was what the film was meant to be about, that's fine, but it doesn't all tie together as neatly as the original. Brad Bird has said that while he spent a lot of time developing ideas for the film, he could never quite fixate on the main plot of the film, and that's sadly demonstrated in the final product. A fun, but messy time. 7/10