Review Roundup: "Incredibles 2"

Disney•Pixar’s latest film, Incredibles 2, is about to hit theaters, which means all of the early screenings have taken place and the critics reviews are rolling in. Part of what made the first film so special was the true to life family dynamics. Anyone who’s shared a living space with a sibling knows just how infuriating things can get. Brad Bird and his team decided to add super powers to the scenario and things got really interesting really fast. While the sequel follows up 14 years after the original, many fans are just excited Pixar decided to tell another story about the heroic family.

Incredibles 2 is currently holding an impressive 95% fresh rating and an 8.1 out of 10 on Rotten Tomatoes. Laughing Place’s Jeremiah Good attended an early screening of the film and gladly shared his review. Can this group of Supers deliver another impressive performance at the box office? Here’s what critics are saying about the Pixar sequel.

Variety’s Owen Gleiberman was not impressed with the spectacle:
“I wish I could say that Incredibles 2, which Bird also wrote and directed, is the great sequel The Incredibles deserves. It is not. It’s got a touch of the first film’s let’s-try-it-on spirit, and it’s a perfectly snappy and chucklesome and heartfelt entertainment, with little retro felicities you latch onto, yet something is missing: the thrill of discovery — the crucial sensation that the movie is taking us someplace we haven’t been.”

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com voices his opinions of the cast:
“It helps to have a fantastic voice cast to be the fuel for this finely-tuned animated machine. Nelson gets the gruff tone of Mr. Incredible, a man who loves his family but also misses the days when he was the coolest superhero in the world, and the supporting cast is uniformly stellar. But the movie is really stolen by Hunter, who can convey more with a single line reading than other actresses can with an entire monologue.”

Moira Macdonald of the Seattle Times gives a summary on why the movie works:
“But while it’s great fun to watch the Incredibles/Parrs zipping around saving the world (with help from their preternaturally cool pal Lucius/Frozone, voiced with gusto by Samuel L. Jackson), Incredibles 2 gets its heart by being a sweet family story.”

Punch Drunk Critics’ Travis Hopson thinks this is one of the best animated movies of the year:
“Pixar did themselves a disservice making us wait so long for “Incredibles 2″. They had to know expectations were through the roof, but they’ve met and exceeded those expectations. The race for best animated movie of the year has a powerful new frontrunner and I’m not sure anything will be the kryptonite that defeats it.”

Molly Freeman of ScreenRant finds the films themes outdated:
“But in the overall landscape of animated movies and superhero films in Hollywood, Incredibles 2 feels outdated and out of touch with modern audiences. The sequel employs too many tired tropes and stereotypes to truly feel fresh, and doesn’t offer strong family dynamics to give the stunning visuals any depth.”

Drew Taylor of The Playlist also think it’s one of the best films of the year:
“Well, as it turns out, the sequel is an impeccable follow-up, building on (and sometimes improving upon) what came before it, while offering something genuinely new and exciting in the process. It’s not only the best animated film of the year, it’s one of the best films of the year, period. And it’s a blast.”

Los Angeles Times’ Kenneth Turnan comments on the film’s animation:
“Incredibles 2 takes advantage of the advances in computer animation since the first film came out, and the family’s adventures look snappier and super-exciting, but it is the echoes of the original (including a dynamic new score by the returning Michael Giacchino) that hook us.”

David Griffin of IGN shares his overall summary:
“Brad Bird’s strong script and direction elevate this animated adventure to new heights. Instead of trying to copy or parody the superhero films of the past 14 years, Incredibles 2 embraces what made its first outing so memorable: The Parr family and their willingness to work together in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.”

Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press Film Writer applauds Bird for putting time into crafting his story:
“It’s still fun to watch smart storytellers like Bird working within the system and using his platform to self-evaluate or comment on what’s going on, even if the conclusion is a little flimsy. Bird could have easily just brought back his lovable characters, leaned on Jack Jack’s antics and cashed in the check. It makes the effort and care here seem even more incredible.”

Entertainment Weekly’s Darren Franich shares what the film is really about:
“But don’t let the dazzle fool you. Bird’s made the weirdest Pixar movie ever, revolutionary and retro, an anti-authoritarian ode to good parenting.”

Incredibles 2 will, smash, stretch, appear, dash, burn, and skate its way into theaters on June 15th.