The Incredibles 2 is without a doubt worth the 14 year wait from the first movie, The Incredibles, that came out in November of 2004. The Incredibles 2 starts off exactly where the last one ended. The final scene of The Incredibles includes a dramatic shot of The Underminer rising from below the earth on his giant drill machine, before panning to a montage of all of the members of the Parr family putting on their masks, and then finally showing the credits; leaving viewers in complete suspense and awe. The Incredibles 2 is a fantastic story, with lots of comedy and nostalgia that carries over from the first edition, but it also deals with a pretty significant theme: the role of men in society, what a family dynamic is like when the woman is the breadwinner, and how the father struggles to keep everything stable.
The Plot
The movie has a ton of one liners, and some hilarious reaction moments that are brought to life by the voice actors, and sheer attention to detail by the production company. The characters engage in some hilarious conversations with each other, and the most entertaining ones are probably the interactions between Bob Parr (Mr Incredible) and his wife Helen Parr (Elastigirl). The movie’s plot is centered around the fact that superheroes have been made illegal across the globe, as a result of their inefficient and dangerous methods of stopping criminals and villains of all kinds. However, a large telecommunications company known as DevTech, reels in Mr Incredible, Elastigirl and Frozone (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson, another superhero who is Bob’s best friend) to a meeting, where they propose an idea of getting footage of superheroes in action, making a difference and helping people, in order to show the world that superheroes are not dangerous, and make them legal worldwide once again. DevTech focuses their efforts on Elastigirl, rather than on Mr Incredible or Frozone, as they feel she is a great way to reintroduce superheroes to the world, and is the least risk between the three of them. As the movie progresses, Elastigirl is turning heads and making a difference for good, but she is constantly taunted and tormented by a mysterious villain known as the Screenslaver, who uses powerful technology to hypnotize people and make them do her bidding. This becomes a major problem later on in the movie, and ultimately the rest of the Parr family (while trying to keep up with school, boyfriends and new powers) have to rescue their mother and help her save the day.
Themes and Values Present in the Movie
The Incredibles 2 is a family movie, and it is fitting that they should deal with the theme of family dynamics in their story, right? They do exactly that. Showcasing perfectly how because Elastigirl is now the lone superhero vigilante (which is contrast from the first incredibles where it was Bob “Mr Incredible” who was running around making lots of money, taking on villains, etc), leaving Bob to take care of the kids and deal with the everyday struggles of raising three children. Bob has to learn to talk to, and help deal with, his daughter Violet’s boyfriend troubles, learn an entire new grade of math to help his son Dash do well in school, and keep a constant watch on Jack-Jack (their newborn son), who can hardly walk yet, but already has plenty of superhero powers, that can more often than not, get him into some trouble. Bob also learns to appreciate how hard it is being the only parent at home, and recognizes and is thankful for Helen’s efforts with the kids thus far. However, we do see Bob’s jealousy get the best of him sometimes, as he feels he is a great superhero as well, and is occasionally upset that he is at home watching the kids, and not fighting crime, providing for some funny and entertaining moments and conversations between him and his wife, Helen.
All in all, The Incredibles 2 is a movie about family, fun, and perseverance. While providing an excellent story and a perfect sequel to the first Incredibles, it also deals with the idea of gender roles in the household, family values, the importance of being able to support each other, and overcoming great odds and expectations put forth by society, to have the man stay at home and the woman be working. The Incredibles 2 is a superb movie, and if you’ve seen the first one but haven’t gotten around to seeing the second, grab your popcorn because it is a must-watch.
Written by Jack Fowler
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