After a triumphant theatrical run, that saw it topping $1 billion in international box office, The Incredibles 2 comes home with a bevy of brilliant bonus features and of course the flick itself—which is a must-own cause you know you’re going to want to witness it over and over and over.
The film is one of the best of the year on many fronts and it only took 14 years for Pixar to deliver a follow-up to The Incredibles. In this era of “everybody gets a sequel,” it seemed ridiculous that one of the fabled animation studio’s most adored flicks didn’t have a follow-up. Remember that old saying about good things coming to those who wait? That was indeed the case because The Incredibles 2 is one extraordinary effort.
What makes The Incredibles 2 so special is it finds our favorite superhero family, the Parrs, being given the chance of a lifetime. Writer-director Brad Bird (who served both roles in the first film as well) introduces Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk) into the franchise. Deavor is the founder of a billion-dollar tech company and when he’s not revolutionizing technology, he fans the fire of his hobby—bringing superheroes out of the dark and into the light. Since being a superhero is still illegal, the Parrs have been doing their thing on the down low and the entire time, they’re risking being arrested and put away, not exactly something a family wants hanging over their heads when all they want to do is use their super talents to help society.
The thing is, Deavor is shrewd. He believes that the best chance to make it legal once again to be a superhero is to have the face of this movement be Elastigirl (Holly Hunter). She’s a mom. She is well spoken. She’s relatable and most importantly, she saves the day cleanly. Unlike her husband, Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) or his BFF, Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson), she doesn’t leave a mess behind when all is said and done. That means one thing, Bob Parr is going to have to stay home with the kids and be a Mr. Mom. Yes, that’s right. He’s gone from being Mr. Incredible to Mr. Mom in a blink of an eye.
It’s OK, though, it takes a little while, but he really gets a hang of it. That is no easy task, given the fact that one child, Violet (Sarah Vowell) is a teenager and everything that comes along with that. Another child Dash (Huck Milner) is hitting that part of elementary school where they must actually do homework (something Dad has as much of a challenge completing as Dash does—when did they invent “new” math?!). Then, there’s Jack-Jack. An infant is always a handful, but especially when he is rapidly discovering a cornucopia of superhero powers that range from lasers that come out of his eyes, disappearing through walls, being able to grow immensely and even turn himself into a monster. It’s great news… but given that Bob is dealing with this all on his own, one can understand why the patriarch of The Incredibles is having a bit of trouble.
Meanwhile, his wife is out there slaying it as superhero popularity has never been higher. Bad guys are running scared and her star is rising—rapidly. Deavor’s plan is working. In due time, the entire superhero gang will be able to come in from the cold and that has us being introduced to a new swath of heroes, including Voyd (Sophia Bush).
Who our villain is remains a mystery. He (or she) goes by the name of the Screenslaver, and does his bidding done by transfixing souls who watch his hijacked programming on television. When things come to a head, it will be revealed who our evil-doer is and it will be a shocking moment and just another brilliant spoke in the wheel of awesomeness that is The Incredibles 2.
It is fantastic to see all our favorites back in action for the first time since 2004 (when the film won Best Animated Feature at the Oscars). For more on the film itself, don’t miss our “A” theatrical The Incredibles 2 review. One thing that must be highlighted before I move on to going through the amazing bonus features is Jack-Jack. The little scene-stealer is divinely delightful, and his presence elevates an already stellar film to a whole nether level of sweetness. Of course, our favorite bonus features are going to be the ones that involve the littlest of The Incredibles.
Among the stand-out extras are 10 never-before-revealed scenes as well as the terrific and touching animated short Bao that played prior to Bird’s flick during its theatrical run. That is merely the tip of the bonus features bonanza iceberg.
The mini-movie Auntie Edna showcases our favorite superhero fashion designer staying up all-night with her new muse, Jack-Jack. She’s attempting to design a suit for the little guy that will enhance and encourage all his budding superpowers. It is a priceless addition to an already awesome Blu-Ray package and we hope that it gives birth to future short films that feature Jack-Jack and his Auntie Edna.
One of the aspects of The Incredibles world that has set it apart from other animated flicks of its era and everything that has hit theaters since, is its stunning look. One has trouble pin-pointing the era that it takes place. It could be 50s, it could be now… heck, it could even be the future. Ralph Eggleston: Production Designer puts the spotlight on Eggleston’s production design and takes us inside the mind of an utterly brilliant soul who has given this Pixar film franchise one of the studio’s most distinct appearances. Super Stuff is another featurette that further shows off that production design, from the buildings, to the vehicles and “props.”
Bird is one of Pixar’s most triumphant voices and he is someone who has carved out a career in live action (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol) that could be argued is as brilliant as the work he did with Pixar on the first The Incredibles and Ratatouille. And who could forget his stunning creation that is The Iron Giant. Strong Coffee: A Lesson in Animation with Brad Bird focuses on the helmer and traces his passion for animation to his formative youth and his priceless mentoring under Disney’s Milt Kahl. It’s fascinating to see how that fervor for film animation translated into his work. Getting to go back into Bird’s early days at Disney Animation Studios and his role at Pixar is incredible in how this man’s talent elevates from potential to prolific. It is one of the more astounding featurettes on The Incredibles 2 Blu-Ray.
Furthering our study of Bird and the way the man creates, thinks and most importantly works his craft is the inclusion of those 10 deleted scenes with introductions. I have always thought that a “deleted scenes” section of a home video release does more to showcase how a filmmaker works his magic more than almost anything else. What stays, what goes and most importantly, why, provides priceless insight into the moviemaking mind of a storyteller. That is certainly the case with Bird as he takes us through his through process on the following scenes: Suburban Escape, Kari Revisited, Return of the Supers, Chewed Out, Late Audition, Slow Day, Frozone and Honey, Restaurant Robbery, Fashion Show and Security Breakdown.
Heroes & Villains is a pretty solid series of short documentaries that chronicles the backstory and leading design ideas when it comes to the characters that make up The Incredibles 2. The cast and Bird, as well as many prominent Pixar artists wax poetic about the vast elements that make those characters of The Incredibles universe pop off the screen in a myriad of dimensions. There are no two-dimensional characters in Bird’s world and Heroes & Villains shows viewers how that tough—but incredibly important—effort is achieved.
The reason, I believe, why The Incredibles and The Incredibles 2 resonates so much with audiences is that it is not about superheroes. It is about a family, who just happen to be superheroes. Paths to Pixar: Everyday Heroes explores that idea and looks at family subtleties that permeate both films. By having “the parents of Pixar” share insight, one gets an uncanny view at how the Parrs come to life, but also how some of the most talented animators and storytellers strike that balance between work and building a burgeoning family.
In case it’s hard to tell, let us reiterate how Jack-Jack is probably the best character to come out of The Incredibles 2 and perhaps… Pixar as a whole. The jury’s still out on that last aspect but try witnessing SuperBaby and not further feel that Jack-Jack is quickly becoming iconic. The featurette is a marriage of a hip hop music video and a documentary. Narrated by Frankie and Paige from Disney Channel’s Bizaardvark, the too-short (only because we cannot get enough of the Incredibles baby) look at how the Parrs’ baby came to life on the big screen. It’s actually a bit more complicated than simple idea meets animation. It’s informative and wickedly entertaining.
Instead of a run-of-the-mill commentary track that solely features the film’s director, The Incredibles 2 commentary further shows why Disney and Pixar, specifically, is the best at what they do. Animators Alan Barillaro (supervising animator), Tony Fucile (supervising animator, story artist and character designer), Dave Mullins (supervising animator) and Bret Parker (animation second unit and crowds supervisor) provide their unique insight into the making of the movie. Consider it a master class in film school on how to make animated movie magic.
If you adore the short Bao as much as I did, you will want to delve deeper into the making of another short-animated classic from Pixar. Making Bao finds director Domee Shi sharing her unique recipe for making an animated short that will not only entertain but leave the viewer craving dumplings as much as seeking out your mother for a big ole hug.
Film Grade: A
Bonus Features: A