Solid, But Not Incredible

By Dave B.

After a 14 year wait, Incredibles 2 (Disney/Pixar) has finally arrived.
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The sequel takes place shortly after the events in the first movie. Superheroes are illegal. The Incredible family is in dire financial straits. The world appears to have moved on from needing heroes to feel safe. As setups to movies go, all of this is pretty appealing. But there’s something amiss with this movie. 

It’s taken awhile for me to put my finger on it. After all, the positive aspects if Incredibles 2 are plain to see. The production value is high. There’s good humor, action, strong female leads, and a very compelling rationale for the villain’s actions (that’s become a welcome staple of Disney properties, recently).

But despite being entertained by Incredibles 2, I wasn’t moved by it. I won’t call it soulless, as that's too extreme. However, it wasn’t very heartwarming. The moments of genuinely human connection were too few and mostly too…inconsequential, in my opinion. It was funny and thrilling in the right places, but it’s the human element that differentiates a good movie from a great one and Incredibles 2 doesn’t quite reach that bar. 

​That said, I absolutely recommend Incredibles 2. Kids will love it, despite its two-hour length (plus 35 minutes of previews; plus a 10-minute short film before the feature. It took forever for this movie to get started). Adults will be entertained by it, as well. But don’t go into it expecting it to live up to all of the hype that it has received. Temper your expectations and you’ll have a good time. 

Rating: 7/10