Incredibles 2
starring Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huckleberry Milner, Catherine Keener, Bob Odenkirk and Samuel L. Jackson
written and directed by Brad Bird
Rating: ♦♦♦◊◊
A computer-animated superhero parody from Pixar Studios, who brought us Toy Story in 1995, The Incredibles 2, called Incredible Family in Japan, is a sequel to The Incredibles (2004, directed by and starring most of the same staff as its sequel), features the Parr family, a family of superheroes led by Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible, voiced by Craig T. Nelson) and his wife, Helen (Elastagirl, voiced by Holly Hunter), who are trying to live normal, anonymous suburban lives in a world where superheroes have been criminalized. They want to continue using their super abilities as a natural expression of their identity, but they are torn by the limitations placed on them by the law. The 2004 movie featured Mr. Incredible and Elastagirl primarily, with their children using their superpowers on the side. But in Incredibles 2 the entire family is sharing the action equally.
The goal of Incredibles 2 is for the law to be changed to decriminalize superheroes and allow them to come out in society once more. What they want to do is accomplish some great society-saving feat defeating the forces of evil to convince the politicians that superheroes are a benefit, after all. Interestingly, that was exactly the same plot used in the original 2004 film, except that in 2004 it was Mr. Incredible (Bob Parr) leading the rehabilitation scheme while in the sequel it is Mrs. Parr Elastagirl) doing the same thing.
I despise superhero comic book movies. They are stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid and stupid. Their advocates and fans are boors. The Incredibles and its sequel are also stupid, but the tongue-in-cheek cleverness of the parody makes me enjoy them - the same way I enjoyed stupid 1960s TV shows like The Munsters, The Addams Family, and, of course, Get Smart. I appreciate the cleverness of it.