Warning: There are mild spoilers ahead for "Incredibles 2."
The wait is almost over.
"Incredibles 2" is in theaters Friday and it's well worth the 14-year wait since the original film's 2004 release.
The sequel starts right where the last film left off, with the Incredible family going after the Underminer who appeared at the end of the original movie.
Though superheroes are banned, Helen Parr/Mrs. Incredible (Holly Hunter) is recruited for a job to help bring heroes back into the limelight. So this time, roles are reversed in the sequel. Mrs. Incredible is out fighting crime while Mr. Incredible stays at their nice new home to watch over the kids and see if he can tackle Helen's job as a homemaker. (Spoiler: As he learns, it's tougher than it looks.)
Amid balancing family and work, the Incredibles' soon discover there's a sinister force working to keep superheroes underground, and it's a problem they can only solve together as a team.
Why to see it: All of your favorites are back.
If you were a fan of the original, just about everyone is back from the original movie. Director Brad Bird returned to write the new script and direct so the sequel is in safe hands. And the entire cast from Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter to Samuel L. Jackson has returned. The one exception is Dash. (He's now played by Huck Milner.)
Unless you know that detail you can barely tell the difference.
Plus, there are a few new faces. If you're a "Breaking Bad"— or "Better Call Saul"— fan, both Bob Odenkirk and Jonathan Bank join the cast in new roles.
What's hot: The animation and baby Jack-Jack steals the show.
From the moment the Parr family suits up to fight the Underminer, one thing's clear. The animation is leagues ahead of the first movie. Pixar takes the opening minutes of the movie to show off the scope of how far we've come since the original 2004 film as a giant drill goes underneath the city to rob a bank and Frozone uses his ice powers to try and stop it in its tracks.
But the true scene-stealer of this movie is Jack-Jack. Mr. Incredible has a tough time taking care of the youngest Parr because the moment his mom goes off to her fancy new job, he shows off several super abilities of his own. At first, Mr. Incredible is an ecstatic proud papa, but he soon grows tired and worrisome as he loses the baby in another dimension and tries to soothe the baby with cookies so he doesn't become a small demon. If you've seen any of the trailers, you've probably already been won over by the toddler. One of his best scenes involves getting mixed up with a raccoon.
The Pixar team did a really great job of not giving away too much of the movie in the trailers. Even if you've watched everything, you've probably been focused on the return of the Incredibles or the adorable cuteness of Jack-Jack's many powers to think about much else.
I don't want to give a lot away about the movie. Part of what made it so enjoyable was going in to this sequel with little knowledge, but the film has a few good messages for kids. And there are a few jokes parents will chuckle over which may go over the little one's heads. A favorite comes early in the film when the Incredibles are berated for trying to save the city from the Underminer. All the city is worried about is the damage they inflicted, which could have been covered by insurance if they did nothing. The audience is told, "the government doesn't understand people who do good because it's right," a message which seems to apply to more than just the movie.
Young girls will be inspired by seeing so much focus on a female superhero with Mrs. Incredible in the spotlight. I think this is one of the few superhero movies where you see female heroes have more screen time than their male counterparts and boy is it refreshing.
There's also an incredibly tender moment between Mr. Incredible and his daughter, Violet, which may bring a tear to your eye, or at least be felt by any father who has tried to go to extreme lengths for his little girl.
What's not: The movie could be a little shorter.
At an hour and 58 minutes, "Incredibles 2" feels a bit long and maybe that's because it's Pixar's longest movie to date. Granted, it's only two minutes longer than the original "Incredibles," but that's still a long movie to get through if you're bringing kids to the theaters. Most animated movies are around 90 minutes. Make any bathroom stops before heading into the theater.
A lot of the movie is setup, taking a long time to get to the movie's villain. And that's not a terrible thing. You may sit there wondering when the big threat is coming. But once you get a whiff of it, you'll probably be able to predict who the villain is pretty easily.
Despite the sequel's length, there weren't any moments where I felt bored sitting through the sequel. The tradeoff is getting to see Mrs. Incredible in all her superhero glory. We know she has the ability to stretch, but the movie tests the limits of her abilities. The upgrades in technology over the years really let the Pixar team flex their muscles and show that she never needed Mr. Incredible to stop the bad guys. She has some moves of her own.
If you're a Marvel fan, you may feel like you're experiencing some déjà vu watching the film. There's talk of an international superhero accord to bring back superheroes after they were banned. It feels like a giant callback to "Captain America: Civil War." (There they sign a superhero registration act called the Slokovia Accords.)
The movie also could have used a bit more of Edna Moda (who is voiced by director Brad Bird), the world-renowned fashion designer who whips together the family's super suits. She steals a few short scenes of this movie, but feels underutilized. A lot of early marketing surrounding the movie was focused on Moda, so we thought we would be seeing more of her.
Overall: This is a sequel worth the wait and a perfect outing for Father's Day.
Fourteen years is a long time to wait for an animated sequel. Most fans have probably been waiting at least half their lives (let that sink in) for this movie to come out.
If you're not tired of superheroes just yet, the Incredibles will please working parents who work hard to maintain a balance of family and work, the teenager who complains their parents are ruining their lives, and the kid who yearns to be noticed by their hero. The result is a solid superhero movie with a sweet message about family.
Head out with the family next weekend for this one.
Grade: B+
Watch a trailer for "Incredibles 2" below.
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