SUPER SECONDS
‘Incredibles 2’ trots out same family fun
Maybe they should have just called it “The Enjoyables.”
“Incredibles 2,” opening Friday, is as fast-paced as the original cartoon about a superhero suburban family. It’s got some great gags, and the same wild retro look. Adults and children will have a good time.
But it’s been 14 years since the first one – 14 years crowded with snarky, colorful comic-book movies. This one still delights. But its satire on superheroes no longer seems quite so, well, incredible.
Picking up where the last film left off, the story has the Parrs – Bob and Helen, with children Violet, Dash and baby Jack-Jack – still fighting to be the superheroes they know they can be.
Too bad the public’s sick of seeing cities flattened every time the Parrs pound a supervillain. They’ve passed a law, and made the family put their Spandex suits back in the closet.
Until a billionaire comes up with a plan to polish the Parrs’ image – this time, by casting Helen as a solo act.
Everything you liked about the original “Incredibles” is back. The look of it is classic mid-’60s, with funky animation, bold geometrics and shout-outs to sunken living rooms, “Jonny Quest” and bongos.
Also back is most of the original voice cast, with Craig T. Nelson doing his best blustering dad as Bob, Holly Hunter as an unimpressed, no-nonsense Helen, and Sarah Vowell as the eyerolling Violet.
Of course, Samuel L. Jackson returns, too, as their friend Frozone – because who else but Samuel L. could be cool enough to freeze you with a look? Meanwhile, director Brad Bird provides the voice of the fabulous fashion designer Edna Mode, a cross between Linda Hunt and Edith Head.
What’s familiar is fun. What’s new is hard to find. It’s a perfectly enjoyable two hours at the movies, but at times it feels less like a sequel than a remake.
It’s not just that the characters haven’t aged. They haven’t changed, either. Helen – the infinitely flexible Elastigirl – still feels she has to keep a hand on everything. Bob – the bulked-out Mr. Incredible – still has a big ego, too.
It’s smart the way their superpowers continue to reflect their normal problems, but the film needed something fresh, too. And it doesn’t get it in its new villain, one of those baddies who has all sorts of evil plans but not much of a point.
Fans of the original will enjoy seeing these characters again. The movie’s look is terrific, the action sequences well-designed and the music is delightful. The whole thing is agreeable. It’s even often adorable.
Just no longer truly incredible.
“Incredibles 2” – 4 stars With the voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson. Director: Brad Bird. (1:58). PG: Violence. Opens June 15 at area theaters.