First Impressions | Incredibles 2

                While I haven’t discussed the film at all, I am a fan of Pixar’s The Incredibles.  It is not only one of my favorite films of 2004, but one of my favorite Disney films in general.  The animation, voice acting and story are all top tier, and its good-natured satire of superhero culture still holds up today.  While it didn’t need a sequel, I was excited when director Brad Bird announced once was in production.  If Cars can get two unnecessary sequels and a spinoff, then a superior film with a fanbase is entitled to one.

                                Picking up where the original left off, the Parr family attempt to thwart the Underminer’s plan.  Things don’t go smoothly, the villain escapes—never to be seen again—and the family is arrested.  While they are not charged with any crimes related to their illegal activity, it does result in the Superhero Relocation Program being shut down and the Parr’s being placed in a precarious financial situation.  This situation immediately is rectified by Winston Deavor, an eccentric superhero fanboy who runs a telecommunications company.  Winston longs to see supers made legal once more and has the perfect plan to bring about his vision:  shift public perception of super activity; show the moments, not simply the ending.  For this, he enlists the help of Elastigirl.  While she patrols the streets, Bob cares for the kids, leading to many comedic moments.  All is not as it seems, a villain appears, and once again it’s up to the entire family to save the day. 

                Although I enjoyed the trailer, I tried to control my hype level.  While Disney’s animated films haven’t disappointed me lately, there is a first time for everything.  Thankfully Incredibles 2 wasn’t that first time. 

                Like all Pixar films, the animation is beautiful.  One can see the budget was well spent.  While I was paying more attention to the story, I didn’t notice any frames or backgrounds that were half-rendered or sloppy.  Brad Bird and his team outdid themselves in this department. Michael Giacchino once again composed the score.  His effort was good and it was nice that he reused motifs from the previous film.  That said, it didn’t stand out to me as much, but this is an aspect multiple viewings could change.  The voice acting is still top tier, although at times you can tell it has been fourteen-years (mainly with Nelson).  It was also nice to hear a callback to the super suit scene.

While the original had comedy—monologuing, no capes, etc.—the sequel pushed this element to eleven.  This might turn some viewers off—especially considering Marvel and Star Wars going overboard in that department—but none of the jokes felt forced.  The humor arises from the characters and their interactions with one another.  Bob’s character arc is the best example of this.  With Helen now on patrol, he’s the primary caregiver.  This inverses the spousal roles from the first film, placing Bob in an unfamiliar position.  He knows his children, but he’s never nurtured them in the manner he must now.  From boy troubles to math homework, it’s all learning on the job for Bob, which lends itself to comedy.  Humor is subjective, so aspects of this arc might not be everyone’s cup of tea; I admit I’m not an enthusiastic fan of the diner scene, although it does serve the story.

                Speaking of boy troubles, Tony Rydinger is upgraded from minor character connected to a Dash’s teasing to supporting character connected to Dash’s teasing.  The first film ended with Tony asking Violet out, completing her blooming arc.  While Brad could have continued this plot development in a straightforward fashion—which would have allowed for typical adolescent comedy—Mr. Bird swerved left.  Tony ends up having his memories of Violet erased after accidentally seeing his date without her mask.  This leads to awkward adolescent moments that even Stevie Wonder could see coming a mile away, but luckily, they complement Bob’s arc.  One of Dash’s line’s sums things up.  “Is she having adolescence?”

                One aspect of the plot that caught me off guard at first was the legality of supers.  One would think after Syndrome’s attack they would be free and clear again since the government didn’t come after the Parr’s or FRO zone.  Maybe they got a one-time free pass for extenuating circumstances.  If so, that goes against the opening scene, but considering The Underminer escaped after causing millions in property damage it’s easy to connect the bureaucratical dots.  Every tragedy needs a scapegoat if the true culprit escapes justice.

                It is hard to discuss the film’s villain Screen-slaver without giving away major spoilers, but I believe I can do so.  As the name implies, Screen-slaver controls people’s minds through screens (TV, computer, etc.), controlling their actions like puppets.  As the plot progresses, Slaver’s manifesto is spelled out with each subsequent attack, but then the twist happens.  For those who are getting tired of the surprise villain angle this realization will make you groan, especially since Slaver is following in Syndrome’s wake.   That said, I thought it was alright.  I saw the twist coming twenty minutes before the film confirmed it, but its build was decent.  Slaver’s true manifesto is where things get interesting.  Without saying anything that would spoil who he or she is, Slaver hates supers and strives to make sure they remain illegal forever.  What better way to turn people against their heroes by making them the villains.  As an aside, this is why Hogan’s heel turn worked perfectly.  While Syndrome’s motivation satirized superhero culture and the trophy for everyone mentality, Slaver’s appears relatively straightforward.  Note, I said appears.  Now, it could just be me, but a handful of Slaver’s lines before and during the twist came off as a satire on modern comic book films, mainly the MCU and DCEU.  If intentionally placed, I applaud Brad Bird for going there.  If not, it’s just my personal reading of the character.

                While not as fresh or groundbreaking as its predecessor, Incredibles 2 is a worthy follow-up and not a simple retread.  While there are several potential bumps, the monorail doesn’t crash.

4.5/5 Stars

First Impressions | Deadpool 2

I have a confession to make:  I had never heard of Deadpool until I saw X-men Origins Wolverine in theaters.  As such, I was outside the outrage bubble when the plot twist first played out.  Since then I’ve done proper research and  completely understand the backlash.  That said, like many of my fellow film and comic fans, I was giddy when Fox gave the greenlight for a Deadpool film.  Not only would it give the character’s fans what they’ve been clamoring for, but it would redeem Origin’s misfire.  While I haven’t revisited the first film as of this writing, I remember enjoying it in the theater.  The action was decent and the humor had me rolling at times, but part of the end didn’t fully click with me.  I’ll go more into this when I revisit part one. 

            Third act criticism aside, I enthusiastically awaited the sequel.  My enthusiasm was rewarded.  Deadpool 2 is not only an excellent comic book film sequel, it is one of those rare sequels that surpasses its predecessor in every way. 

Picking up where the first film left off, Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) continues to work as a freelance mercenary while enjoying his relationship with Vanessa (Morena Baccarin).  Things take a dark turn when their home is invaded and Vanessa ends up dead.  Deadpool kills the assassin, but the action does nothing to abate his morose mindset.  He joins the X-men to see if fellow heroes can help, but ends up in a mutant detention center after killing am abusive orphanage worker.  This is where Cable, a mutant from the future, enters the story.  His family was killed by Russell Collins—Deadpool’s cellmate and the orphan he was attempting to aid—so Cable travels through time to kill Collins and prevent his family’s fate.  While a mercenary, Deadpool is not cool with the slaughter of children and puts himself between the two.  It is now up to Deadpool—with the aid of his team, X-force—to save Collins from Cable’s wrath while attempting to prevent the child’s dark future from flaming.

Every aspect of the film was on-point.  The humor is what one would expect from a Deadpool film, but the timing and nuance is improved from the first film; I can see more of the jokes aging well.  From what I’ve gathered Deadpool 2 had double the budget of the originally, allowing the crew to step up the action and special effects.  Both deliver and compliment the film’s story; one draws the audience in and the other wows them with spectacle.  There were a few moments where the CGI was shaky, but not distractingly so. 

            The cast was wonderful.  Reynolds—the heart of this series—amazed once again as the Merc with the Mouth.  It’s evident from his body language and vocal inflections he enjoys playing Wade, and his enthusiasm helps the audience investment in the film.  His dramatic timing is better this go-around, which helps that aspect of the plot.  Josh Brolin was the perfect choice to play Cable.  While I’m mainly familiar with him from the Deadpool game, the film gives enough information for one to understand who he is and what drives him.  While the antagonist, the audience understands why Cable is attempting to murder a child, even if they don’t condone the action.  His character arc truly begins during act 3, where he must work with Deadpool to reach a compromise.  Without giving spoilers, he makes a character defining choice. There was a Thanos joke, but it’s blink and you’ll miss it and Cable no-sells the quip. 

Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller, Brianna Hildebrand, and Leslie Uggams reprise their supporting roles, each using his or her time well.  Outside the obvious, the only major subplot here is the revelation that Negasonic is gay, and it’s handled respectfully; who doesn’t love Yukio.  Zazie Beetz is great as lucky merc Domino, handling herself well in the action scenes and having a fun back-and-forth with Reynolds at times.  While the weakest of the supporting cast, Julian Dennison gives a decent performance, getting his character’s plight across and helping carry the plot forward.  It’s hard to say from one viewing if he’s better angry or sympathetic.  Bill Skarsgard plays the acid-spitting member of X-force, a cameo I didn’t notice at first.  He’s ok here, but I didn’t realize how lanky he was until now.  Brad Pitt also has a cameo, one I won’t spoil for those who haven’t seen the film.

            The film’s first post-credit sequence might turn some fans off.  Without giving much away with spoilers, it involves Deadpool using time travel.  While it doesn’t take much imagination to guess what Wade plans on doing, it will impact Deadpool 3, and from a certain point of view makes aspects of this film pointless.   While it does not bother me personally—especially since it falls in line with Wade’s character—I can see why others might not feel the same.

           Like or hate the first film, this is a Marvel film everyone should watch.  The humor and action are spot on, and enough drama and conflict is sprinkled within to keep one invested.  While I enjoyed Infinity War, this one I liked better, as it’s balanced perfectly. 4 out of 5 swords.