Pixar’s stellar reputation has taken a few hits over the last several years, mostly due to unnecessary sequels. Many of their movies are complete stories within themselves and don’t need a sequel, so when one is tacked on it doesn’t have the same Pixar charm. The Incredibles is not such a story. It is a superhero movie. It deserves a sequel. Heck, it deserves a cinematic universe. It is a movie that practically begged for a sequel. After 14 years, we finally got one.
The original The Incredibles is an action-packed, super-fun superhero movie with a lot of heart, but in the decade and a half since its release, the cinematic landscape has changed dramatically. We are now drenched in superhero movies and their sequels. Incredibles 2 doesn’t seem to have kept up. It is set just moments after the events of the first film and at times it feels like it was made back then too. Its themes of Dad struggling to handle the household chores feels a bit like its pseudo-’60s setting: retrograde. But ultimately, this is a minor quibble as it is so much fun to watch. The action is fantastic, the jokes good, and the animation is, um, incredible.
As per usual, there are multiple releases with this film including exclusives from Target, Best Buy, and Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, I was unable to track down the differences between each release so you’ll want to check that out once it hits shelves tomorrow.
Also out this week that looks interesting:
Long Strange Trip: The Untold Story of the Grateful Dead: Four-hour documentary on the band doesn’t dig very deep but it’s got lots of great interviews with pretty much everyone involved who is still alive, plus it’s loaded with awesome music. I reviewed it when it first came to Amazon.
Stranger Things: Season 2: Similar to Season 1, this is a Target exclusive and comes with a cool-looking VHS-style case. I’ve not seen any work yet on extras.
Succession: The Complete First Season: Brian Cox stars in this HBO series as the patriarch of an uber-wealthy family who must deal with his four siblings, all who are vying to take over the company when he steps down.
Mr. Capra Goes to War: Like a lot of Hollywood directors at the time, Frank Capra made numerous documentaries during World War II to help with the war effort. Olive Films has collected several of them (though not all) for this set.
Loving Pablo: Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, and Peter Sarsgaard star in this drama about a journalist who starts a romantic relationship with Pablo Escobar.
Poldark: The Complete Fourth Season: Remind me to watch this PBS series about a redcoat returning to Cornwall after the American Revolution sometime.
Papillion: Unneeded remake of the classic Dustin Hoffman/Steve McQueen film about a man framed for a murder and sent to a notorious prison on Devil’s Island and his escape attempts. Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek star in this one.
The Thing: Scream Factory is releasing John Carpenter’s classic thriller with a new Steelbook case. Word on the street is it’s the same print as the recent Arrow remaster so I guess it depends on which cover you like.
A Story From Chikamatsu (Criterion Collection): Japanese drama from Kenji Mizoguchi about a pair of lovers on the run for crimes they didn’t commit.
Christopher Robin: Ewan McGregor stars as the titular character who is all grown up, having left the 100 Acre Wood and all of his animal friends behind. But Pooh Bear, Tigger, Eeyore and the rest need him for one last adventure and to remind him what being alive is all about.
Harry Potter: 8-Film Collection: There are a lot of 4K releases coming out this week, and presumably for the next several until Christmas comes. I’ll leave most of them out as it’s too much to keep up with and for the most part, I’m happy with my regular old Blu-rays. But now and again there will be a set, much like this collection, that look too good not to mention.
BlacKKKlansman: John David Washington stars in this true-life tale of an African American police officer who successfully infiltrated a local Ku Klux Klan chapter. Directed by Spike Lee, this drama has garnered a lot of critical raves. Matthew St. Clair has our review.
