Incredibles 2: A Triumphant Return

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Image Credit: Rottentomatoes.com

I was so excited when I saw the trailer for Incredibles 2 pop up on my Facebook feed. I immediately shared it and tagged my hubby declaring that we would see it in the movie theaters for a long awaited date night. We both had fond memories cuddling on the sofa and watching the first Incredibles movie 14 years ago while we were dating.

Now, after 14 years of waiting, we would see what would become of the Parr family and we both were dying to see what exactly would become of Jack-Jack and his adorable baby devil powers. I purposefully tried to stay away from watching too many new release trailers because I didn’t want any spoilers to ruin anything for me.

Luckily, I was not disappointed at all and I have to say that the 14 year interlude allowed the writers and creators to create something well thought out and entertaining.

The movie starts exactly where it left off 14 years ago, with the appearance of the Underminer. We see children struggle with a new identity, and parents fight between a desire to protect their children from villains that desire to hurt them, and make sure they grow to control their superpowers in order to use them for good.

The fact that Supers are outlawed and living underground makes things difficult for the Parr family, and their battle with the Underminer certainly didn’t help their cause. However, a rich marketing mogul will come to their rescue with the desire, and the means, to reverse the law and make Supers legal again. What he needs is a superhero Icon to bring the issue back to the forefront. Robert, (aka Mr. Incredible), is a little crestfallen when he is told that he is not meant to be the icon that can save Supers. That icon is actually his wife, Helen (aka Elistigirl). Now, we not only have a family fighting for an identity, we also have the head of that family trying to fight off his pride and disappointment while assuming the responsibilities his wife took care of.

Many people here have criticized the movie stating that it sends a demeaning message. Here we see once again that the man is incapable of taking care of children and the household falls apart. I have to disagree with this outlook.

While Helen is away trying to raise Supers from the ashes, Robert steps up to bat with responsibilities that he has not had to deal with in the past. Helen has been a stay at home mom and has always taken care of the children and their needs. There is nothing wrong with this. With her gone, Robert is now in charge of dealing with Violet’s disappointment at being stood up on a date, helping Dash with his math homework, and trying to get Jack-Jack to stay in bed. Robert steps up, like the man and father he is, and sacrifices his time and sleep to make sure his children have everything they need. I believe that we need to see more of the heroic dad in modern day culture. Men and fathers are an integral part of the family unit. The Incredibles franchise has not undermined the masculine role.

I don’t want to give the plot away or inundate you with spoilers. But the hubby and I found this movie to be very entertaining. I personally thought that it was just as good as the first. There were scenes that kept you on the edge of your seat trying to guess who the villain is, and scenes that made you laugh. It was good and clean entertainment. I certainly hope that we don’t have to wait 14 years for Incredibles 3 to come out.