Z-Factor Studios: SPOILER analysis: Incredibles 2

Incredibles 2

Analysis

by Z Factor

SPOILERS

The Incredibles 2 came out in theaters this past weekend with high expectations. Children who grew up quoting the first one are either teenagers or adults by this point after fourteen years. Fourteen years is a long time to wait for a sequel, and the pressure was high. Now with its release, the debate ensues whether or not it was a disappointment.

After watching the movie the first time, I walked out of the theater feeling energized, satisfied and thoroughly entertained. I was very pleased with this long-awaited sequel, and thought they did a good job. I did not find it disappointing.

However, upon this second viewing, without the hype and enthusiasm I had before, I found myself far less satisfied. With this in mind, I have almost two different opinions on the subject, or at least two different ways of arguing over that topic: was the Incredibles 2 disappointing? My answer: yes and no.

There are both really good things about the Incredibles 2 and there are also somethings which aren't as good when comparing it to the first one, and there lies the inescapable problem with any sequel—comparing it to the previous film.

Some things that make the Incredibles 2 incredible (pun intended) was the way in which powers were used. There was a substantial amount of action in this film, (far more than the first one) and the use of people's powers integrated into those scenes was breath-taking. The suspense and tension was real because the characters and stakes were real, and the action with those real stakes was done in inventive and creatives ways.

Primarily, this was shown in all of Elasticigirl's action scenes. Let's be bluntly honest here: Mr. Incredible punching, lifting, and breaking through things with his super strength is not nearly as interesting as the many crazy ways Elastigirl gets out of situations, chases down the villain, using and contorting her body in ways only animation could allow believable. All of her scenes, even upon my second viewing, were still as intense and engaging. The addition of the new superheroes and their powers was also fascinating, and it was always great seeing the family work together and using their powers, but Elastigirl stands out.

Another thing that makes this movie good is how well it was able to continue the same tone as the last film successfully, and make all the characters feel the exact same. It's as if there was no fourteen year gap, and the film picks up exactly where everything left off. The only difference is how animation has advanced since then, which also benefits the film, while still feeling like the same world as before.

However, even with these two pros, along with it come the cons. Though the film's tone and characters feel the same, the story doesn't do much to add, change, or grow the characters. This movie is more action-heavy than the last one, which also means there's less time for the story to develop. Essentially, the movie (upon my second viewing) felt like a very short story with these same characters, with a movie's run-time due to all of its action sequences.

The action sequences are awesome and breath-taking, but they're not as important unless they further the character's growth or story. The short story of the Incredibles 2 is how Elastigirl is hired to be a superhero while Mr. Incredible has to stay home with the kids, and Elastigirl has to defeat the generic evil villain. By the end of the movie, the story-line about Mr. Incredible being with the kids isn't entirely resolved and the villain going to prison has no lasting effects upon the superhero family or their environment.

Unfortunately, I can't look at this movie without looking back at the first one and have to make the comparison. In the first movie, the story was far more deep and rich with complexities and played with the superhero genre. One of the great things about the first movie was it's villain, Syndrome. He was a villain with personal consequences to Mr. Incredible and the family. His impact on the family changed their lives.

The Incredible family starts one way at the beginning of the film: Bob hates his job, Helen is dealing with Dash wanting to use his powers, Violet is insecure, and Jack-Jack seems normal. By the end of the film: Bob is a superhero again, Dash is safe to use his powers carefully, Helen and Bob's marriage is better, Violet is more confident, and Jack-Jack is still cute.

Now, looking back at the sequel, what has changed from beginning to end? Beginning: the Incredibles are using their powers to stop the bad-guy but this gets them into trouble. The end of the film: Incredibles still using their powers but this time it's okay. The only difference is in the plot point changing from superheros being illegal to legal, instead of the characters themselves changing. At the end of the film, Helen goes back to staying with the kids saying she needs a break. Bob did grow as a parent, seeing that staying at home isn't so easy, but the conclusion of the film never addresses this.

The overall story of the Incredibles 2 is the thing which is disappointing, because they had fourteen years to come up with something inventive just like the first one. An interesting villain that dealt with actual consequences to the Incredible family would have been nice, and further development on the characters as superheroes.

However, the movie was also very enjoyable, fun, action-packed, and had the same characters we know and love from the first one. The characters were still their same old selves, Jack-Jack was incredible cute and funny, and the movie did try to say something about the roles of women, parenting, and the use of screens. If the movie really did want to say something about the use of media and screens, it should have integrated that further into the story, but instead was a generic villain's motivation.

Still, the Incredibles 2 did the impossible, making a good sequel after waiting fourteen years! Was it disappointing? It delivered on some things and didn't fully succeed in others, yet the movie is incredibly fun to watch, and that isn't disappointing.