I’ve waited fourteen years for this… It’s the Incredibles 2, back and more incredible than ever! Since the Underminer showed up at the end of the first film, it felt pretty much like a given that there would be a sequel to Brad Bird’s hugely successful superhero film – but an entire generation has been kept in suspense for too long, and now we know who’s returning and who’s new on the ‘super’ scene.
Bob and Helen Parr (Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter), a.k.a. Mr Incredible and Elastigirl, are the focal points for the story once again, along with their children Dash and Violet. Dash will be voiced by a new actor, Huck Milner, but Sarah Vowell reprises her role as Violet, while the inimitable Samuel L. Jackson portrays fan favourite Frozone. There are some new additions to the cast, including Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk), a telecommunications expert who wants to make superheroes more appealing to the public, and Voyd (Sophia Bush), a huge fan of Elastigirl who wants to be just like her idol. Haven’t we heard that somewhere before? The villain of the film is as of yet unconfirmed, and although it could be any of the new additions, it’s unlikely to be Voyd given her similarities with the first film’s antagonist, Mr Incredible’s superfan Syndrome/Buddy. I’m hoping for more of the amazing characterisation from the first film, establishing the flaws of characters like Mr Incredible, who refuses to work with others yet ultimately depends on the help of his family to make it through the film as a wiser hero and father.
So far, the basic plot appears to be that Elastigirl is out fighting crime while Mr Incredible looks after the kids, including baby Jack-Jack, whose powers are beginning to manifest in new and rather explosive ways. I’m looking forward to more of the same family dynamic in the new film, with much of the appeal for me being the balancing act between work and home life being brought into the relationship between two superheroes. Also, I’m so excited to see more of Frozone’s wife, a.k.a. “The Greatest Good You’re Ever Gonna Get”. The iconic super-suit conversation is the scene that launched a thousand memes, and I’m definitely on board for more of the Incredibles’ humour in the sequel.
I’m also looking forward to seeing more of the Superhero seamstress-designer Edna Mode (voiced by director Brad Bird), whose original, eccentric super-suit designs stole many a scene in the original film. There will almost certainly be more of the thrilling sequences like the missile scene, and if we’re lucky, they’ll continue to be mixed with the relatable family-centred moments from the Parrs. Coupled with Michael Giacchino’s masterful score, the sequel has all the ingredients to make another hit family action comedy – and even if it misses the mark, there’s the chance that it’ll get by purely on the nostalgia factor alone. One thing’s for sure: I’ll be first in line when it comes out on July 13th.
Incredibles 2, directed by Brad Bird, will be released in the UK on July 13th.
