Incredibles 2

Pixar has been the king of original animated films since they busted onto the scene. That's nearly 25 years of domination. But to rule for 25 years will inevitably result in some less than fantastic fare. In the case of Pixar, those missteps have largely been constrained to the "Cars" franchise, although that has extended a bit into the world of sequels.

Outside of the "Toy Story" sequels, the rest of Pixar's attempts at continuation have felt like the output of another studio. Not as precise, interesting, or smart as when they sit down to create a new world. "The Incredibles" was possibly the studio's most grown-up outing prior to "Up." It was a film about being an adult and dealing with faltering expectations. So maybe it's appropriate that "Incredibles 2" falls just short of those high expectations.

"Incredibles 2" picks up right where "The Incredibles" left off. What initially looked like a clear moment of triumph for the Parr family quickly turns sour, with the bad guy getting away and a path of destruction left in his wake. But where our superhero family had previously been able to move to a new place and start over, the relocation program is now being disbanded, and they are left struggling to figure out what's next. That's when the family is introduced to Winston Deaver, a man whose life was made the better by supers and is looking to help turn their image around. Deaver has a plan to rehabilitate not only the image of Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl but all supers. All he needs is a face for his new pro-super campaign. This time, it's Elastigirl's chance.

"Incredibles 2" comes boasting a lot of what made the original so entertaining. The family dynamic is still fantastic, the animation beautiful, and the writing whip-smart and funny. But where the first film had a confidence in its story, a focused driving force that propelled it towards its conclusion, this one feels less sure of itself. The film is made of several different subplots wherein most feel half-baked. Most disappointing is the film's main story, in which Elastigirl takes on the spotlight and Mr. Incredible is forced into the background. The handling of this changing dynamic is awkward at best, where Bob has a real problem letting his wife be the center of attention. The response and positioning of his feelings within the film align more closely with the film's 1960s aesthetic rather than the times in which we currently live. It's an odd misstep for the franchise, and Pixar in general, having a story that leaves you feeling gross to watch.

When it comes to Blu-ray releases, Pixar rarely disappoints. A Pixar release boasts enough extras to keep you occupied for at least the runtime of the feature itself. There are deleted scenes, featurettes for the film, short films, and then featurettes for the short films. The great thing about Pixar special features is that they are often like Pixar films themselves, enjoyable for children and adults alike, and this release of "Incredibles 2" is no different.

"Incredibles 2"
Blu-ray + DVD + Digital
https://movies.disney.com/
$22.99