INCREDIBLES 2 – A Digital HD Review by John Strange
The world of Incredibles 2 has a stylized look of the US circa early 1960’s. It’s a world that has “supers”, people who wanted to do good and help people. Unfortunately for these folks, they were outlawed about 15 years prior to the beginning of this movie.
The Parr family, aka “The Incredibles”, battled a great villain in the last film. Sadly they have been living in a motel since that battle ended with their house being destroyed. Their government handler, Rick Dicker (Jonathan Banks) has been handling their expenses. However, when they take on the Underminer (John Ratzenberger) and he gets away with the loot, the government uses this (and the damage to the city) as an excuse to end the program supporting them. They are given two weeks to find a new place to live.
The family and their friend and fellow “super”, Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) are given a second chance. A chance not only to make a new life but to get the law repealed so that they could do their work in public without fear of government reprisals. Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk) and his sister, Evelyn (Catherine Keener), own a communications conglomerate called Devtec. Devtec was founded by their father who was a huge fan of the “supers” and supported them in any way he could.
They have a plan to change the perceptions of the public toward the “supers” using one “super”, Elastigirl/Helen Parr (Holly Hunter). The Deavers will manage her work and make sure that what the public sees is positive. She even faces a brand new villain, Screenslaver. There are several great action sequences where Elastigirl battles the villain’s hypnotized accomplices.
While his wife is off “bringing home the bacon”, Bob/Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) has to be a “house-husband”. This situation may look like a cliché but in this film it works in spades! He learns math to help Dashiell Parr aka “Dash” (Huck Milner) and deals with boy-problems that Violet (Sarah Vowell) is experiencing. But the icing on the cake is Jack-Jack (Eli Fucile). The baby is a bundle of super powers that keep emerging one after the other.
This movie is a fun watch for the whole family as the Parr family deals with their new life and the bumps (HUGE bumps) that life is throwing at them. The ending is complete with some great action and a villain that you won’t figure out until they are ready to let you in on the secret!
But the film is only a part of what we are doing here. This HD Digital/Blu-ray offering has more extras than I have seen in quite a while! The standard deleted scenes selection is enhanced by director Brad Bird’s descriptions and thoughts on each offering. There are loads of extras that are different than the usual fare. We have theme songs, fake commercials for action figures, and a short where we see the action between Edna Mode (Brad Bird, yep, the director himself) and Jack-Jack called Aunty Edna.
That scene alone would have made the extras worth the cost of the film but we also get Bao, the short presented in the theaters before the feature. This short is one of the best I have ever seen in my long life of film watching. The feelings that writer/director Domee Chi and her team were able to elicit in us is as close to film perfection as I have ever experienced. AND we get an additional featurette where we meet Domee and her crew as they discuss what went into the making of the film.
Finally, we come to the director’s commentary and the other featurettes where Brad Bird and his team give us the background and insight into their decisions on what went into the movie. For once, the commentary is not the director giving us his reasons and opinions. We have already seen this in the other featurettes.
That said, Brad’s unique take on the commentary is wonderful. He has several of the animation supervisors and the 2nd unit supervisor talking about their process and pretty much their thought processes and thoughts on the film. One thing is obvious, these folks LOVE their jobs and they love this film!
All told, there are several hours of watching for us. I loved every minute of them. I know you will love them, too! This sequel to The Incredibles (2004, 14 years ago!) is a great film on its own with all of the action and humor a family could ask for!
Directed (and Written) By:
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Brad Bird
Cast:
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Voices of Holly Hunter, Craig T. Nelson, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner, Samuel L. Jackson, Brad Bird, Bob Odenkirk, Catherine Keener, Jonathan Banks, Sophia Bush, Isabella Rossellini
Extras:
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BONUS FEATURES (may vary by retailer)
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Digital Exclusives:
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The Coolest Guy in Show Business – In this partially illustrated documentary, Samuel L. Jackson reflects how his childhood and love of comics shaped his passion for film and imaginative storytelling.
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2 SuperScene Breakdowns – Casual commentary-style pieces looking at specific scenes in the film (The Racoon Fight and Mrs. Incredible) through a particular creative focus like action choreography, set design or story.
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Blu-ray & Digital:
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All-New “Auntie Edna” Mini-Movie – When Bob Parr visits super-suit designer Edna Mode looking for help with his high-energy toddler Jack-Jack, Edna pulls an all-nighter designing a suit to harness the baby’s seemingly limitless powers.
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10 Deleted Scenes With Introductions – Suburban Escape, Kari Revisited, Return of the Supers, Chewed Out, Late Audition, Slow Day, Frozone and Honey, Restaurant Robbery, Fashion Show and Security Breakdown.
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Super Stuff – From buildings and vehicles to costumes and props, every action movie requires a lot of really cool stuff. Meet the makers and learn what it takes to design and build such a uniquely incredible world.
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Heroes & Villains – A collection of mini-docs about the backstory and major design ideas behind the “Incredibles 2” characters — featuring voice actors, director Brad Bird, and Pixar artists talking about the many elements that make these characters feel real.
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Ralph Eggleston: Production Designer – This short piece explores the many ways a single production designer has influenced the look, feel and character of the Pixar universe, culminating in “Incredibles 2.”
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Strong Coffee: A Lesson in Animation with Brad Bird – Brad Bird’s passion for animation dates back to his childhood and mentorship under Disney’s Milt Kahl, and that enthusiasm and powerful insight emanates from every film he’s made. Take a deep dive into Brad’s early years at Disney Animation Studios and his time at Pixar.
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Paths to Pixar: Everyday Heroes – At its heart, “Incredibles 2” is about family dynamics and the challenges of being a working parent. Meet the parents of Pixar as they discuss their personal connections to the film and their experience with stretching to balance work and family.
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SuperBaby – A documentary/hip hop music video hybrid hosted by Frankie and Paige from Disney Channel’s Bizaardvark. This piece explores how Jack-Jack came to life onscreen — from design to special effects to animation — all set to a hot beat.
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Commentary – Get inside commentary from animators Alan Barillaro (supervising animator), Tony Fucile (supervising animator, story artist and character designer), Dave Mullins (supervising animator) and Bret Parker (animation second unit and crowds supervisor).
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Theatrical Short: “Bao” – An aging Chinese mom suffering from empty nest syndrome gets another chance at motherhood when one of her dumplings springs to life as a lively, giggly dumpling boy.
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Making “Bao” – Director Domee Shi shares her secret recipe for making an animated short — discussing how her rich cultural heritage, unique relationship with her mom, and her love of food all informed the making of the food-fantasy “Bao.”
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Outtakes & Stories – Raccoon Fight Story, Evelyn Animation Outtakes, Puppet Animator Interview, Outtakes Goofy Arms Story and SuperBaby Music Video.
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Character Theme Songs, Vintage Toy Commercial TV Spots , Toolkit Montage and Global “Incredibles 2” Trailers
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DVD:
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Theatrical Short: “Bao” & Commentary
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Specifications:
Runtime:
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118 Minutes
Studio:
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Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Release Date:
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Digital HD
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10/23/2018
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Blu-ray
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11/06/2018
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Region:
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A/1 (U.S. and Canada only)
Website:
MPAA Rating:
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PG (for action sequences and some brief mild language)
Selig Rating:
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BRAND NEW
Selig Rating Scale:
BRAND NEW: Should add to your DVD collection at any cost
SALE ITEM: Worth owning, but try to catch it a sale
SECOND HAND: Plan to get it, but wait to buy it used
RENTAL: Worth taking a look at, but not owning
COASTER: Pick it up at a garage sale and use it for drinks
PULL!: Makes a great Trap Shooting target
