Sequels are rarely as good as the original. In fact they rarely are ever good, let alone better than the original. Save a few exceptions: Terminator 2, Captain America: Winter Soldier, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Spider Man 2, The Dark Knight,Thor Ragnarok, Deadpool 2 and…. Um… I'm blanking out. I'm sure there are more but the point is sequels rarely live up to the hype of the original! Which is why as much I loved The Incredibles, I was cautious of the hype. Avengers IW had already torn down any trust I had in sequels (though that's not the only thing Avengers IW tore).
But I stand corrected, Incredibles 2 fixed all the flaws in the original that I didn't know even existed. This is where I would put in the minor spoiler alert, so if you've not seen it and don't want to know anything at all… well bye I guess?
*cracks knuckles* Now how exactly was it better? Well I'll give you 4 reasons why.
Elastigirl gets more screentime
GiphyElastigirl finally gets more of a character arc than just super mum. The movie also touches topics like male-female inequality when it comes to recognition, when despite having a much cleaner and more efficient save record Mr. Incredible always got the spotlight thanks to his more flamboyant presentation. Also she kicks ass with style.
Bob/Mr. Incredible grows up
Now in the first movie we see that being a superhero is what made Bob live to the fullest. However, this movie asks the question if living for one thing is truly living and whether that might dull your perception of the world around you. He finally gets to do his share to raise his kids and see how messy and hard it is (especially super-powered ones). It sees Bob learning that not being Mr. Incredible and just being Bob is pretty… incredible.
The nuanced questions
This movie while aimed for kids, like it's predecessor, had many nuanced questions being raised. Most glaringly the one of optimism and cynicism: how easily people fall in line for hero worshiping and how easily even heroes can fall. But the most obvious nod to this conundrum is brought up when the Parr family sits around the table in the motel and question whether being superheroes and doing good is worth it if you're breaking the law. Another moment that sticks out is Elastigirl's and Evelyn Deavor's conflicting ideologies of optimism and cynicism.
Everything about Jack Jack
Ummm… I'm not going to say much about this one cause Jack Jack was just a delight and absolutely adorable and something you need to watch and aww over yourself. His 17 different superpowers are too much for even Mr Incredible to handle, but not for Edna Mode or should I say Aunty Edna? (Yes the cut throat fashion designer is susceptible to those googly eyes like any of us.)
These were just the tip of the iceberg that is Incredibles 2 and there are many more, hence why I need to watch it again!
