Incredibles 2: How to Make a Sequel

Post by Emily McTyre

**SOME SPOILERS AHEAD**

As an audience we get tied to a story and it’s characters. We learn the information the movie gives us, and that’s it. But when we really love a story, we want more. More, more, more. That’s great! It gives the creators an opportunity to expand the world, fashion new scenarios for the characters, and pick up some more money along the way. Yet with all of the expansion and reinvention, sometimes the audience sees their beloved characters and plots ruined. We all know sequels aren’t the best movies, but I think the main reason we believe that is because we are still too in love with the original. Either the second installment is too close or too alien to what we know, and it throws off our appreciation for the story.

That’s why I was scared for Incredibles 2. God knows I love The Incredibles and have for as long as I can remember. It is such an inventive and timeless film that tells the story of beloved characters with incredible depth (pun intended) and their unimaginable adventures. I definitely think it is Pixar at its finest. I wouldn’t change a thing about this movie.

So when they announced Incredibles 2 a few years ago, initially, I was over the moon. I would get to see Violet, Dash, Helen, Bob, and Jack-Jack on the screen again and know what happened after The Underminer appeared back in 2004. However, over time I became more and more apprehensive. I didn’t want that original story to be ruined by a sequel. I was terrified of a “5 Years Later” title card appearing at the beginning. How can you get much better than the first one?

I will say, I was very pleasantly surprised. Of course, it wasn’t better than The Incredibles (that can never be beat), but it was definitely worth the wait. Pixar knew they were handling something very delicate with a fanbase lasting generations. They love those characters just as much as their audience does. They weren’t going to mess it up.

After seeing Incredibles 2 in the theater, I came home and watched the original again. Granted, it had been a while. I’m glad I did this, because there are a ton of parallels in the second movie that were interesting to find.

And that got me thinking.

What about this movie made it a good sequel? What did they hold onto, what did they change, what did they give us to make us love it almost as much as the first when it is on such a high pedestal itself?

Here’s what I came up with.

• Pick up where you left off: The story begins with Tony Rydenger’s account of the day at the track meet, where The Underminer first appeared. It is interesting, too, that they came at the same plot point from a different perspective. We aren’t standing with The Incredibles, watching the scene unfold as we did in the first movie. This time, we are hiding from the villain with Tony and seeing the super family run off to fight. The story doesn’t try to skim over the last few years and bring us to a totally new dynamic. We are still in the same time period with the same characters in the same city, witnessing the same moment.

• Focus on the family: While Pixar did add new characters to this plot, they didn’t steal the spotlight. A lot of times, with sequels, there will be a ton of new characters added to the main plot, taking time away from the characters we already know and love. With The Incredibles, we already know a lot about each family member. In the first film, we saw a strained relationship and its mending, sibling rivalry and love, a family working as a team, and more. In short, we are familiar with how they work as a unit, and we want to see them deal with more action. We don’t want other people stepping in the way. The new characters proved to be a great addition to the plot. They were more of an asset to carry the story’s arc from point A to B to C. Each of them had a minor but well developed role, which fit in the context of the plot. But in the end, we follow the Parrs through new obstacles with the government, a unique villain, and, most importantly, the family.

• Make it fun and hold on to what works: Ultimately, this is a summer movie you don’t really have to think much about. Even the director Brad Bird says so. And that is okay. As I said before, we have seen a lot of the character arcs for each member of the family in The Incredibles. By the end of the first film, we know the Parr family well enough to predict what they’ll do with The Underminer. So, when approaching another installment of this family’s adventures, we don’t need to concentrate on their inner struggles as much. With Incredibles 2, many new components are introduced. There is a twisted villain, an unfamiliar city, some nice plot twists, and a lot of action. It is super fast-paced, and you barely get a chance to process all that has happened before the next plot point is on top of you. But, boy, is it fun. Still, within all of this, there is room for what we know and love. The movie is just the right distance from the original. It is a perfect balance of new and improved, as well as classic and perfect. If you watch the first movie back after seeing this new one, look for scenes that mirror each other. It is really fun to try and find them! (Hint: One of them involves a train.) Pixar knows what worked so well in the original. Brad Bird doesn’t stray from the beloved moments and characters he developed before. He just carries them into a slightly newer environment to jazz things up a bit.

There is plenty more to say about this movie. It's chock-full of action and such a joy to watch, no matter how old you are. Some other thoughts about it as a stand-alone piece:

• I loved how it had more of a feminist undertone without shoving it down your throat. Elastigirl has a few lines in the original that make some statements, but Incredibles 2 definitely focuses more on her and her struggles/triumphs as a female superhero. At the base of it, the movie is just as relevant as the first. Even though the time period of the movie hasn’t changed, ours has. I appreciated how they kept the story in its own world but touched on ours by using themes like feminist movement.

• The comedic timing in this movie is insane. I was laughing throughout the whole thing. Of course, I think my happiness was heightened to begin with since I was finally getting to see the movie. But I thoroughly enjoyed it, and hopefully I will be seeing it again soon!

In the end, there wasn’t anything that was really going to stop me from going to see this movie. Even if I was scared of the connotations that come with a sequel, you could count on me being in that theater as soon as it premiered. I’d been waiting 14 years to figure out what happened after The Underminer showed up. I mean, come on. Missing out on that? I don’t think so. I don’t think so.