The opening weekend of the long-awaited Disney-Pixar sequel, “Incredibles 2,” was, for lack of a better word, incredible.
With $180 million in ticket sales, the movie set a box-office record for the highest-grossing animated film debut of all time, according to Box Office Mojo. The title was previously held by another popular Pixar sequel, “Finding Dory,” which reached $135 million during its opening weekend in 2016.
Additionally, the film came in eighth for the largest opening of all time, pushing “Captain America: Civil War” to ninth place with $174.7 million.
Back in 2004, the original movie, “The Incredibles,” held the title for the second-largest opening of an animated feature at the time with $70.5 million. It would go on to win an Oscar for best animated film of the year.
For those of you who have been counting down the days like I have (13 years, 7 months and 11 days), I am here to tell you that it is well worth the wait.
The movie starts off where the first movie ended nearly 14 years ago, giving everyone in their 20s a strong sense of nostalgia. Our favorite family of superheroes is back with Bob as Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson), Helen as Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), Violet (Sarah Vowell), Dash (Huck Milner) and of course baby Jack-Jack (Eli Fucile). Other returning favorites include Lucius Best as Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) and Edna Mode (Brad Bird).
Bird, the mastermind behind the films, brings back much of the charm that made fans fall in love with the first movie, including the adventure, the mysterious secret villain, family dynamics, hilarious encounters with our favorite superhero fashion designer Edna Mode and of course Frozone’s off-screen nagging wife.
The best part about this sequel, and about “The Incredibles” storyline in general, is that it is entirely and beautifully human. You have this super-family who wants to do good, protect the world and make a difference, but they are forced underground by a society who doesn’t understand their value. Just like the first movie, superheroes are still outlawed and the family is struggling with the concept of abiding by the law or doing what they believe is right.
In an effort to bring superheroes back and overturn the ban, Helen, a.k.a Elastigirl, is chosen by siblings Winston Deaver (Bob Odenkirk) and Evelyn (Catherine Keener) to fight crime and change the public’s perception about them. While Helen is away, Mr. incredible stays home and cares for the kids.
Mr. Incredible struggles with his wife being chosen over him and has a difficult time balancing his new gig as stay-at-home dad. Through her superhero endeavors, in this movie we see more of Helen’s strengths. Not only is she an amazing mom, but she’s resourceful, determined and inspirational. On the other side, Mr. Incredible is put to the test when he finds that full-time child care is no simple feat, but possibly even more difficult than fighting crime. Learning how to be there for Violet while she struggles with feelings for her first crush, helping Dash with his homework and of course taking care of Jack-Jack as he develops his own super powers, Mr. Incredible is faced with one of his most difficult battles yet: parenting.
Overall, this sequel attempts to smash through traditional gender roles and shows us a mom who struggles with being away from her kids and a dad who has to face his own toxic masculinity head on. In the end, they again realize that family is the greatest adventure.
Lastly, “Incredibles 2” centers on a villain called the Screenslaver, whose ploy is to control human beings through the device that already controls them anyway: a screen. Through this theme, the movie takes another reflective approach to reality, urging audience members to look away from screens and look at what’s happening around them.
Overall, “Incredibles 2” is definitely worth the anticipation. This movie will bring out the kid in you once more, while also introducing real-world themes, dilemmas and social issues.
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