Since the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has ensured that superhero movies are Hollywood’s new favorite currency, satires of the superhero myth like Brad Bird’s The Incredibles and M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable have been praised for being ahead of their time. Both of those movies got belated sequels at the height of the MCU’s reign – 2018’s Incredibles 2 and 2019’s Glass – but where Glass failed miserably, Incredibles 2 was hailed as a worthy successor to its predecessor.
Bird’s superpowered sequel was as satisfying as fans of the near-perfect original Incredibles movie could hope for, but like most follow-ups, it was still far from perfect.
GOT IT RIGHT: Shifting The Focus To Helen
After the first Incredibles was told from Bob’s perspective, the sequel shifted its focus to Helen. Not only did this give the filmmakers a chance to challenge the traditional gender roles that the original movie adhered to, but it also kept the storytelling fresh.
If the sequel had been told again from Bob’s point of view once more, then it would’ve just been a rehash of the original. Helen’s arc brought new emotions and themes to what is otherwise the same conflict.
GOT IT WRONG: It's Less Inspired Than The Original
While the original Incredibles feels like it poured out of Brad Bird’s brain based on years of digesting superhero stories and letting his imagination run wild, the sequel feels like the writer-director went back to the same well for inspiration and found it nearly dried up.
Everything about the sequel’s script seems forced, like there was never supposed to be a sequel in the first place. Similar to most Hollywood follow-ups, the whole thing just feels kind of redundant and yields diminishing interests as a result.
GOT IT RIGHT: Staying True To The Characters
It had been over a decade since the first Incredibles when Brad Bird started seriously working on a follow-up. It would be understandable if, in that time, Bird had lost touch with his characters and there was something off about them.
But fortunately, that wasn’t the case. Incredibles 2 remained true to its characters. The Parrs are just as lovable and engaging in the sequel as they were in the original.
GOT IT WRONG: Having A Predictable Plot
The twists in the original Incredibles film were surprising at every turn. The audience couldn’t see each plot point coming, and they were too engaged in the story to even bother trying to figure out what would happen next.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the sequel, which plods along an increasingly predictable plot until its inevitable conclusion arrives and everyone can go home. In more ways than one, the obvious villain being yet another vengeful normal person with envy and a grudge against superheroes feels more tired and tested than engaging or even interesting.
GOT IT RIGHT: Developing Jack-Jack
The most exciting thing that wasn’t fully explored in The Incredibles was Jack-Jack’s vaguely defined laundry list of superpowers due to him being a jack of all trades, so to speak. The baby’s superhuman abilities only started to show at the end of the movie, leaving the door open for a sequel to explore them.
When he eventually made that sequel, Brad Bird didn’t squander the opportunity to develop Jack-Jack further, more than living up to the curious character’s potential.
GOT IT WRONG: Failing To Justify Its Existence
The Pixar team always says that starting a franchise is never their intention, and that they’ll only make a sequel if they have a great story for one. This checks out in the cases of Toy Story 2 and 3, which both follow up the original masterpiece with equally compelling stories that justify their existence. This was done by having the toys come to terms with the fact that their beloved owner, Andy, is outgrowing them and they're not getting any younger.
But plenty of the studio’s other sequels, like Toy Story 4 and Cars 2, are completely unnecessary. Like Cars sequels, Incredibles 2 feels more like a toy commercial than the long-awaited continuation to what has since become a Pixar classic. The fact that it only takes place a few minutes after the original instead of doing something completely new doesn't help matters.
GOT IT RIGHT: The Voice Acting
One element from the original movie that was always guaranteed to reappear in Incredibles 2 was terrific voice acting by the cast. Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, and Samuel L. Jackson all continue to nail their iconic characters in the sequel, while Jonathan Banks and Huckleberry Milner each do a fine job taking over from the actors who originally played their roles.
Bob Odenkirk and Catherine Keener each give memorable turns as new characters, too, slipping effortlessly into the Incredibles universe.
GOT IT WRONG: There's Too Many New Characters
In Incredibles 2, fans are introduced to a boatload of new superheroes. While some of them have interesting powers, but there are too many of them for any to stand out as well-rounded characters.
If Voyd or He-Lectrix or Reflux or Krushauer had been given more screen time, they could’ve developed into exciting new members of the ensemble. But they’re all left fighting for scraps of screen time, so none of them have enough time to develop.
GOT IT RIGHT: Michael Giacchino’s Score
Brad Bird brought back Michael Giacchino (above, right), the composer of the original movie’s score, to work on the music for Incredibles 2. In the interim, Giacchino has become one of Marvel’s go-to composers, so he can score a superhero blockbuster in his sleep.
There’s also a James Bond quality that Giacchino brings to his Incredibles music. In fact, Bird had originally sought famed Bond composer John Barry to score The Incredibles, but Barry refused to write music that referenced his own earlier works.
GOT IT WRONG: Repeating The Original’s Message
Although spoofing superheroes is more relevant in 2018 and today than it was in 2004, Incredibles 2 didn’t have a lot to say about the superhuman mythos that wasn’t already covered in the original.
In the original film, superheroes were outlawed then came out of the woodwork to save the day, proving they’re more good than bad. In the second one, superheroes were outlawed (again) and then they came back out of the woodwork to save the day, once again proving they’re more good than bad. Basically, the sequel just repeated the original’s message that normal people should step aside and let the special people do their thing.