Incredibles 2

So we absconded from the environs of the Fortress of Ineptitude to go see Incredibles 2.

The Incredibles is a consistent favorite among the Pixar movies for my daughter Randie and myself and the one Pixar movie we really wanted to see a sequel to. 14 years later, that wish came true.

Given it's elevated status in the Pixar lexicon, there's a lot of pressure on any Incredibles sequel to deliver. "Good" would not be good enough. It would have to be great!

And it was!  

As you may recall from the first film, super heroes have been outlawed. With the battle against Syndrome and his giant killer robot plus the attack of the Underminer, it appears that the tide has turned and super heroes are welcomed again.

 But not quite. 

The Parr family suits up to take on the Underminer in a world where supers are still illegal. And the massively destructive (and ultimately unsuccessful) battle to stop the Underminer does nothing to change that. The enmity against supers has only intensified and the government shuts down the program that has helped the Parr family and other super heroes in exile. The Parrs are truly on their own. 

Enter: Winston Deavor, tycoon owner of a tech company and unabashed super hero fan.  He wants to rebuild public's support of supers. To that end, Helen Parr is selected to start openly fighting crime again as Elastigirl. 

Meanwhile, Winston provides the Parr family with a new home where Bob Parr, decidedly out of his element, takes care of the kids. While Elastigirl is out in public making some high profile saves and scoring big with the public, Bob is struggling to deal with teenage angst (Violet), the reinvention of math ("Math is MATH!" Bob emphatically insists to his son, Dash) and infant development (Jack Jack has super powers. Way too many weird super powers.) 

Bob isn't getting a lot of sleep.

Meanwhile, Elastigirl isn't getting much rest because of Screenslaver, a weird super villain with mass hypnosis powers threatening the city.

I'm really glad to see Helen Parr get the super hero action spotlight in this movie. Elastigirl isn't just cool for her elastic stretching powers but she has a very quick mind, immediately assessing her situation and developing strategies at lightning speed.

When she is in her super hero zone, Elastigirl is virtually Batman, intense and focused. 

Incredibles 2 may be a bit more of a jumble than the original movie but it delivers with lots of exciting action sequences as well as a lot of laughs. A sequence where Jack Jack does battle with a raccoon is a particularly raucous good time. And as befits any good Pixar movie, Incredibles 2 has heart  and soul. We care about these people and we share in their joy and in their hurt. The revelation of who Screenslaver is a heartbreaking blow of betrayal to Elastigirl. Yeah, it's a plot twist any comic book reading enthusiast can see coming a mile away but it still hurts. 

Speaking of hurting, there is a epic fight scene between Elastigirl and Screenslaver that is set against a chaotic strobe light effect which is not good if you have epilepsy or are prone to migraines. Randie, as much as she enjoyed the film, came out of Incredibles 2 with a really bad headache.   

Incredibles 2 is a strong and worthy successor to the original film. I would love for Brad Bird and Pixar to explore this world again. Just don't make us wait 14 years for it.

Oh, I need to call attention the short which this time really was a short and from Pixar, called Bao. 

First, some knowledge. 

Baozi or bao is a type of filled bun or bread-like dumpling in various Chinese cuisines. There are many variations in fillings (meat or vegetarian) and preparations (usually steamed).

The short film Bao is about a dumpling that comes to life, is raised as a baby, then grows up run away with a blonde floozy in a short dress. 

Wait. What?  

It is a sweet film, no dialogue. We come to realize what the dumpling that has come to life means. It is a bittersweet tale of love, devotion, family and the pain of letting go.  

Then Olaf shows up to learn the true meaning of Christmas... no, I kid, I kid.  

Bao is a lovely film that matches the best of Pixar's shorts.