"Incredibles 2" may be arriving an incredible fourteen years after 2004's "The Incredibles," but this cheerfully clever, exuberantly written sequel doesn't miss a beat getting back into the swing of things. On top of being an engaging, character-focused superhero adventure, it earns further favor as a love letter to both stay-at-home dads and working moms. Watching the crowd-pleasing, never-pandering finished film, it is clear returning writer-director Brad Bird (2015's "Tomorrowland") took his time developing the script, ensuring he had a worthwhile story to tell and an interesting angle in which to take his protagonists, the super-powered Parr family.
Picking up the second the first film ended, married couple Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible (voiced by Craig T. Nelson) and Helen Parr/Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) kick into action to stop megalomaniacal drill-happy bad guy The Underminer (John Ratzenberger). When they ultimately fail to nab him or stop his destruction, the government is quick to declare the work of so-called "supers" as illegal. Just as Bob and Helen are left at an existential crossroads, savvy telecommunications tycoon Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk) and his talented developer sister Evelyn (Catherine Keener) make them and their pal Lucius Best/Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) an offer they can't refuse: defy the law for the express purpose of proving once and for all super-powered crime-fighters can make a positive, even necessary, contribution to society. With Helen chosen to lead an inaugural mission that takes her away from her family, Bob offers to hold down the fort at home, in the process growing closer to daughter Violet (Sarah Vowell), son Dashiell (Huckleberry Milner), and infant Jack-Jack (Eli Fucile) while coming to appreciate the sacrifices Helen has made as a mother. Meanwhile, Helen's rescue of a runaway train reveals a new mystery villain in her midst known as Screenslaver.
See Dustin Putman, TheFilmFile.com. for full review
