Incredibles 2 is the greatest movie of all time

Incredibles 2. Before the movie we get the cast talking about how cool the movie is going to be, how long and hard they have been working on it, and how it is going to be worth the 14 year wait since the last one... And it totally is. After watching the original in the theater when I was in college, I made the joke "it was, dare I say, incredible," to my girl friend at the time's amusement. I forewent the joke on my female companion this time around... But I told her about it because it is hilarious. Totally accurate, too, as other than a few nitpicks here and there it was a perfect movie. In fact, greatest of all time.

Rotten Tomato Consensus: Incredibles 2 reunites Pixar's family crimefighting team for a long-awaited follow-up that may not quite live up to the original, but comes close enough to earn its name.

Pros: Great story line. The characters are incredible. The side heroes are dope. The 1950s/60s in this universe look amazing. The Screenslaver visuals were cool. Short at the beginning of the movie was great and made me cry.

Cons: The supervillain is a slight step down from Syndrome.

Gist of the movie is super heroing, still illegal. Maybe more so after the family--consisting of papa Bob, momma Helen, kids Violet and Dash, and baby Jack-Jack--wrecked whatever city this takes place in (the movie starts up at the fight with Underminer who showed up at the very end of the original). The owner of a telco with some political pull wants to change that but he needs Helen to sway public opinion. So while she is out fighting crime, Bob is home taking care of the kids. The movie is the 20th Pixar film and stars Holly Hunter as Helen/Elastigirl, Samuel L. Jackson as Lucius Best/Frozone, Catherine Keener as sister of the telco owner Evelyn Deavor, Huck Milner as Dash, Craig T. Nelson as Bob/Mr. Incredible, Bob Odenkirk as the guy bank rolling the super stuff,  and Sarah Vowell as Violet. Also with smaller roles in the film are Jonathan Banks (Mike from Breaking Bad), the film's director Brad Bird as the unforgettable Edna Mode, and Isabella Rossellini.

Wha? A chick on a motocycle?

Some stuff that stuck out... The movie really transports us to this alternative 1950s with all this cool retro tech and without the racism. But sexism was still a thing, apparently, as Mr. Incredible has a hard time dealing with his wife going out and working while he stays home and cares for the kids. Not really breaking any real ground there but it is good to remind dudes through media not to be assholes, especially right now.

The supervillain isn't bad but I won't spoil it since it is a new movie. But this person is not on Syndrome's level. The motivation for this person is pretty solid which makes it sort of predictable, not that I necessarily mind that, and the execution of plan and what not was solid and looked cool but once they got to the big reveal, I don't know, I was sort of meh. And for the love of shit don't go see this movie if you are prone to seizures as the strobe is a little much.

The other supers they introduce and have to battle with are both interesting and pretty funny. The ones that stuck out Brick the really big/dumb one, Krusher who crushes metal with his mind and is also big and dumb, Voyd who creates portals and is an Elastigirl super fan, and Screech who is like an owl/queen. But one, Reflux, has the most disgusting super power of all time as he vomits up lava as a gross defense mechanism.

The breakout star of this film is obvious to anyone who has seen the film. It is most definitely Jack-Jack. I fucking hate babies and generally dislike them on film. This, however, is one hell of a crazy baby with some 15 super abilities on display. The ones I remember are flying, telekinesis, interdimensional travel, growing into a giant baby, multiplying himself, shape shifting, bursting into flames, producing lightning, shooting lasers out of his eyes, passing through objects, turning into jello, and turning into a demon. These powers, which sort of spring forth randomly, really keep everyone on their toes and lead to some of the best scenes in the flick. Two examples here are the fight with the raccoon, this poor creature, and with Aunt Edna with Jack-Jack walking about the same way she does after she designs his little costume to basically make it possible to keep him under control.

Ready to kick ass

Before said movie there is a little short animation. A little amuse-bouche for the flick. If you have seen other Pixar films you know what I'm talking about. The short before Incredibles 2 called Bao was exceptional among these and has been getting a decent amount of attention in its own right. I LOLed and cried during this little film. Directed by Domee Shi, who started out as a Pixar intern, the short focuses on an older Chinese woman who creates a sentient dumpling that she raises from a baby as a surrogate child. At first things are cool but she eventually covets the little guy too much and he turns into a little dick. When the dumpling eventually brings home this chick--a white chick who at first doesn't seem to respect Chinese custom which freaks the mom out--with A RING ON IT the mom grabs the little guy so he can't get away and eventually eats him whole. He is such a little asshole that the shock of it is really funny. At least for me it was. Then her real son comes home; he has the same girl friend, same facial hair, and same shithead attitude. The mom is hurt and sad but the son starts to realize what a dick he's been. The dad sort of shoves him toward his mom to make him show his mother some damned affection. They have a good cry. I have a good cry as well. Then we see all four of them--the mom, the real son, the wifey, and the dad--making fucking dumplings. The son sucks at it but the girl friend isn't so bad, we see, she's making an effort and the mom and her are getting along. And that's it. Great film. Great little short.