INCREDIBLES 2

Craig T. Nelson     Holly Hunter     Sarah Vowell     Huck Milner    Eli Fucile

Catherine Keener     Bob Odenkirk     Samuel L. Jackson     Brad Bird     Isabella Rossellini

     I am always partial to Brad Bird, and think that his production of Incredibles 2i s just that—impressive enough to be regarded as incredible, and a film that is likely to appeal to all ages.  One of Bird’s strengths is in mixing lavish visual and special effects with an entertaining story of substance. Beyond the entertainment, values come through with respect to “doing good”, fulfilling civic duties, living up to one’s potential, and being a good parent (at times being equated with having super-powers—which I found very amusing andrealistic).

     The Parr family is a trifle at sea since super-powers have been outlawed (you get a real sense of loss of purpose from them), and their reputation is on the decline after their last job not turning out very well—at least in the public eye. Helen (Hunter) is flexing and saying they need to adapt, but her husband Bob (Nelson) is protesting.  Then something unexpected happens; a wealthy man, Mr. Deavor (Odenkirk) who is convinced super-powers are needed, has a plan for getting the law changed, and approaches the Parr family.  Well, specifically, he is asking for Elastigirl (Hunter), observing that she does less collateral damage in her heroics than her husband.  

     Of course, this creates a crisis in the Parr household.  Bob (Mr. Incredible) has trouble getting his head around the fact that someone would be preferring his wife over him, and Helen feels torn about leaving her family, even though it’s to save them.  Moreover, she and young Violet (Vowell) question the wisdom of breaking the law, even if it is to do good.  But Bob (to his credit) urges his wife to take up the mantle and perform a heroic act to save people and demonstrate the usefulness of super-powers.  After much soul-searching, all she needs is a fancy motorcycle delivered to her garage, and she is off.

     Mr. Deavor is in partnership with his sister Evelyn (Keener), who has designed new suits for the Parrs that have cameras installed, as a way to publicize their achievements.  What they do can be featured on the news, thus everyone will see their value, and public opinion will be successful in effecting change.

     There will be any number of major challenges to the Parrs, close calls, and a significant betrayal, which make the movie entertaining and provoke thought all the way through.  In the process, important contemporary issues are dealt with about men vs. women and their roles, about adherence vs. protest of laws, about trust vs. betrayal, about inventors vs. sellers of a product, and even about kids vs. parents.  I liked the way kids are portrayed, both needing guidance and nurturance and being listened to for their opinions.  

     A number of clever and humorous scenes are incorporated, revealing writer-director Bird’s ingenuity, such as inserting the role that he himself voices of Edna, the woman Bob turns to when parental duties have worn him out.  The interactions between her and the baby with emerging super powers, Jack-Jack (Fucile), are hilarious and heart-warming.  The cartoon figure looks exactly like Linda Hunt (NCIS-LA), who is the wise and supportive leader of undercover operatives with a blunt-cut pageboy hairdo on CBS TV. Jack-Jack, who is gleefully playful, manages to don just such a hairdo to win her heart.

An enthralling animation that will keep the whole family spellbound.

Grade:  A                                    By Donna R. Copeland

TOMORROWLAND

George Clooney     Britt Robertson     Raffey Cassidy     Hugh Laurie     Thomas Robinson

Hold onto your hats.  Tomorrowland is a wild ride across space and time and with some of the fanciest futuristic gadgets you could imagine.  It’s a modern-day fairy tale.  Special effects abound, coming from Director Brad Bird’s playful imagination, and, with co-writers Damon Lindelof and Jeff Jensen, an exciting and meaningful script.  It’s a bit slow to get started with scientist Frank Walker (Clooney) trying to introduce it and sidekick Casey (Robertson) continually interrupting.  He does manage to get across that the film will be addressing a future that can be scary at times…ah…Tomorrowland. 

Next, there is an interlude that seems not to fit, but will make sense later.  It’s about a young boy named Frank (Robinson) trekking to the 1964 World’s Fair lugging a jet pack he has invented in a canvas bag.  He plops it down in front of a man at a conference table, Nix (Laurie), who is skeptical and probes Frank with questions about it,  eventually discouraging the boy and sending him away.  A young girl appears about this time and befriends Frank, giving him a special pin that will give him some pretty fantastic adventures.  The viewer just doesn’t know what all this means yet.

The main part of the story begins with Casey as a precocious teenager whose father is an engineer at NASA and is just about to be laid off because the space program is getting cut back.  (It occurred to me that the movie is, perhaps, a pitch for the resumption of a more comprehensive U.S. space program.)  Casey tries to help her father by doing a little sabotage at the NASA demolition site in order to postpone as long as possible its demise and prolong her father’s job.  This brings her to the attention of a mysterious robot-girl, Athena, (Raffey Cassidy), who “recruits” her into a major effort to save the planet by planting in her belongings a mysterious pin that looks exactly like the one given to Frank.

When Casey touches the pin, she is transported instantly to another place.  This is exciting, but puzzling as well, of course; then she finds that people (really, robots) are pursuing her, some to do harm, but one, Athena, swears she is trying to help her.  It’s difficult for Athena to get Casey to follow her, partly because of Casey’s incessant questioning.  Finally, Athena dumps her off at Walker’s house; however, Walker wants nothing to do with her and slams the door in her face.  But Casey has gleaned enough information to arouse her curiosity, and she does everything she can to get inside the house and get Frank to show her whatever Athena was telling her about.

When she does manage it, exasperating Frank, she finds his house is truly a wonder to behold with all kinds of monitors, cameras, scientific equipment, and booby traps (traps for relentless pursuers).  From this time forward, we’re treated to major space travel to another dimension, hair-raising brushes with robots in pursuit, and meeting up with a villain.  I especially like the manner in which the film respects children, showing their natural affinity for electronics, and the importance of adults listening to their dreams.  It’s also an exhortation to go toward the light and hope rather than lapsing into darkness and despair.

All this is not just in fun; the film has a serious message about the trouble our planet is in, and the critical need for all of us to do whatever we can to save it.  Will it foster motivation in that direction?  I hope so!  I think it will go over the heads of very young kids—not only in terms of this message, but also in figuring out what’s going on in the story.  A child (sounding like age three or four, kept asking his mother, “What happened?”  “What was that?”  So I recommend Tomorrowland only for children from seven to nine up.

A fantastical journey across time and space.

Grade:  A-                          By Donna R. Copeland