Throw on your super suit and check out ‘Incredibles 2’

After 14 years of waiting, Pixar has finally graced us with “Incredibles 2.” The original film was one of Pixar’s first to help put them on the map as an animation powerhouse and is still hailed as one of the studio’s best works. With that said, does this sequel hold up to the legacy of its predecessor?

The film takes place almost immediately after the events of the first where supers are still considered illegal and the Parr family is beginning to find struggles in trying to relocate. However, a new opportunity surfaces for Helen to help support her family while saving the name of superheroes, leaving Bob in charge of dealing with the kids and their struggles. Things start to go awry, however, when Helen begins to discover a larger plan that could put all heroes in jeopardy.

With this followup, it feels that Pixar took a listen to what fans of the first film wanted and made sure to emphasize those points while still keeping that Brad Bird aesthetic intact. The characters we have come to love from the original are back and their appearances and interactions are highlights. While it’s hard to say that many of them go through any major character arcs, there is still plenty to their personalities that is explored and the dilemmas they go through offers some great moments.

Director Bird’s stylish and witty direction is all over this film. Much like the first film, this installment consists of surprisingly layered dialogue that never feels boring. Rather, it adds a level of maturity that helps the film never pander to its audience. He has also upped the complexity of the action sequences within this entry. The way in which these scenes were directed and edited gives them a high sense of tension on par with plenty of live-action films. A train chase scene with Helen, as well as the entire climax, are some major highlights. Aesthetically, the stylized ’50s and ’60s look feels even more emphasized on a visual standpoint than the original.

Speaking of which, if there is one element this film has an upper hand on than its predecessor, it would be the animation. The settings, character designs, textures and the lighting are much more polished this time around as Pixar continues to push the boundaries of what they can accomplish with these visuals. The character animation and performances also are worth mentioning, with plenty of enthralling nuances in their movements, both subtly and action wise, that stand out.

While this entry does come close to the original’s fighting power, it still has its some issues that keep it from being at that same level. What hurts this film the most is a sense of repeated story beats from the original. While the execution of these elements is done effectively, the overall feel still makes certain parts of the movie predictable.

This installment also lacks some of the tighter pacing of the original. In the first, Helen and Bob’s side stories felt woven in much better to tell the overall narrative. This time around, each subplot fails to drag on doing their own thing for most of the runtime and then gets smashed together at the very end. While both stories are entertaining on their own, it feels like both plot lines could have been smoothed out to blend together more successfully.

Also, as it seems with most Disney and Pixar films nowadays, there has to be a twist villain — and this is one of their weakest yet. Not only do the motivations of the character feel a bit murky, but it’s obvious from the start who the villain is going to be — and that weakens much of the film moving forward.

Nonetheless, “Incredibles 2” proves to be another win from Pixar and a worthy follow up to the 2004 animated gem. Fans of the original will be pleased to see these characters return in a way that feels loving while still gaining some new fun in the process.