Cinephile No. 722 "The Incredibles 2"
"As an Adult”
A Review of "The Incredibles 2” by Nathan H. Box
Rating: 3 Stars, STREAM
Director: Brad Bird, Writer: Brad Bird, Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell
The Plot: Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) is left to care for the kids while Helen (Elastigirl) is out saving the world.
Review: To quote Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) from the “Lethal Weapon” franchise, “I’m getting too old for this sh*t.” Now, I am not saying this particular Disney/Pixar movie is awful. Really, I think I am getting too old for animated films. Which seems like a no-brainer for a 34-year-old man to write, but other critics seemed to like this movie and I was trying to score some bonus points with my niece. So, away we went to see a sequel to a film where the original never came across my radar.
As I nestled into my seat, I kept telling myself repeatedly, I am not the target audience for this film. I am not the target audience for this film. The 11-year-old next to me is who Disney made this for not me. Yet, I cannot silence the movie critic within me nor can I pretend to be something I am not.
On the good side, the animation style in this film is unreal. At times, it feels so believable that you almost want to reach out and touch the scene. It boggles my mind how far this technology has come, and it makes me excited for what comes next. Secondly, the film features a strong female lead in Holly Hunter as the mother and Elastigirl. Sitting next to the little sponge of a brain which is my niece, I felt great that she was watching a strong woman kick butt and take names. Next, the baby in this film steals the show as he discovers his superpowers. Whenever he appeared on screen, I laughed out loud. I think I could watch an entire movie just about the baby. Finally, this movie teaches a powerful lesson about perception being the reality. This is a lesson young and old alike could use.
On the bad side, the dialogue is a little weak, it has a villain problem, and a less than stellar plot. As an adult, the dialogue wasn’t strong enough to keep me engaged. In many ways, the villain in this film seems contrived and left-over parts from other superhero films. The plot felt like most sequels appearing a decade or more after the original; uneventful and stuck in the past. In the end, none of these destroy this film. Again, I wasn’t the target audience for this movie which is why I think you should stream this one. My niece, on the other hand, thinks you should see this one now. And this is why we go to the movies.
Be good to each other,
-Nathan
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