Incredibles 2 Blu-ray Review: An Incredible Sequel

Picking up where The Incredibles left off, Incredibles 2 sees the Parr family take on the Under Miner, but the damage caused in the melee is so costly, the government shuts down the superhero program and makes their work illegal. Into their lives comes, wealthy tech industrialist Winston Dever (Bob Odenkirk), who along with his sister Evelyn (Christine Keener), wants to help re-establish the perception of superheros. In a blow to Bob (Craig T. Nelson)/Mr. Incredible’s ego, Elasti-girl (Helen Hunt) is chosen to begin the rehabilitation of their image with the public.

The Parrs move into Winston’s state-of-the-art luxury home where Bob has to play Mr. Mom while Helen working. He helps Dash (Huckleberry Milner) with his homework, Violet (Sarah Vowel) with boy troubles, and learns of Jack Jack’s powers. While Winston works to build up the superheros, the supervillain Screenslaver works to destroy them, in part by using hypnosis to control people’s minds. When Mr. Incredible and Elasti-girl fall under Screenslaver’s spell, it’s up to the Parr children to stop the evildoer.

Brad Bird’s script tells an entertaining story about family. Though set in a fantastic world, the characters are realistic with traits and interactions with which viewers can identify. The film is filled with thrilling action sequences, like Elasti-girl trying to stop a runaway train, and it offers plenty of humor. Combining the two is a funny battle between Jack Jack and a raccoon. The secret identity of Screenslaver wasn’t tough to figure out, but the motivations for the character’s action were believable.

The video has been given a 1080p/MPEG-4 AVC encoded transfer displayed at an aspect ratio of 2.39:1. The colors pop on screen in vivid hues. Blacks are inky and whites are bright, contributing to a strong contrast. The image delivers as much texture, sharpness, and depth as the animators intended. I didn’t notice any digital artifacts.

The English audio is available in DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, DTS-HD HR 5.1, and Dolby Digital 2.0. The 7.1 track immerses the audience with effects that pan across and bounce throughout the surround system. Dialogue is clear, though Screen Slaver is intentionally distorted. Michael Giacchino’s score matches the mood of the scene, capable of being robust or understated. The bass packs quite a punch in the action scenes, coming through strong as it borders on distortion.

The Bonus Extras appear in HD across two discs. The Movie Disc contains:

• Feature Commentary – Rather than director’s commentary, four animators, who worked on previous film, are gathered for a discussion
• Bao (8 min) – Domee Shi’s touching, humorous short about a mother and son. As is typical with Pixar, the art looks fantastic
• Auntie Edna (5 min) – Edna’s babysitting skills are put to the test as Jack Jack shows her his various powers, thereby helping to create his costume.
• Strong Coffee: A Lesson in Animation with Brad Bird (19 min) – Explores how Bird directs and his love of animation.

Incredibles 2 – Designing Fabulous:

The Bonus Disc contains:

• Super Stuff (7 min) – A look at different aspects of the film, such as locations, background characters, and vehicles.
• Paths to Pixar: Everyday Heroes (12 min) – Crew members talk bout how being parents influenced the work nd their careers. There are quite a few Pixar couples so would have like to have heard from HR.
• Superbaby (5 min) – Paige and Frankie from Bizaardvark sing and talk with Pixar artists.
• Ralph Eggleston: Production Designer (2 min) – A brief chat with Ralph about his job.
• Making Bao (6 min) – Shi talks about bringing the short to life
• Heroes & Villains (26 min) – An eight-part feature that looks at the characters
• Vintage Features (3 min) – (faux) Vintage Toy Commercials and Character Theme Songs, the latter of which appear in the former, so basically the same features.
• Ten Deleted Scenes (40 min) With introductions by Bird and a play-all option, the incomplete art some times features different voices playing characters.
• Trailers & Promos

Incredibles 2 | Elastigirl Theme Song

Incredibles 2 sees writer/director Brad Bird and his talented cast and crew bring back beloved characters, expand their world, and tell the story in a visually engaging way. The thoughtfulness in the handling of these different aspects makes it seem like the film wasn’t created solely as a cash grab capitalizing on the property. It is also easily accessible for those new to the franchise. The Blu-ray delivers a satisfying HD experience with the high quality of the video and audio, and fans who want to dig deeper have plenty of extras.