Incredibles 2 Movie Review | Safe for Kids? Parents Guide

Is Incredibles 2 safe for kids? Should your kids see the newest Pixar super hero film? Check out this Incredibles 2 Movie Review | Safe for Kids? Best Pixar Sequel Ever?, an honest parents guide and mom review of the latest Disney release. No spoilers! #Incredibles2 May contain commissioned links.

Incredibles 2 Movie Review | Safe for Kids? Best Pixar Sequel Ever?

Is the world ready for another Pixar sequel?

I admit, when I heard there was an Incredibles 2 in production, I both cheered and cringed at the same time. There’s something about the preservation of the original Incredibles memories we love and the excitement of the unknown that always put sequels in the “question mark” category for me. Did Disney really want to “super” tank a good thing after 14-years of sequel potential?

Find out if 14-years was worth the incredibly long wait in this Incredibles 2 Movie Review | Safe for Kids? – breakdown of that PG rating from a parent point of view, thoughts on the plot line and of course, no spoilers.

The Visuals

I remember when I first saw The Incredibles in 2003. A movie ahead of it’s time, I remember being so “wowed” by all of the animation. The bright colors, the people, and the action was just in-your-face incredible all of the time.

Fast forward to Incredibles 2, I actually wasn’t as shocked by the visuals as much as I was then. Staying true to the original look while upgrading the old animation technology, Incredibles 2 had quite the task of giving new life to an old concept. And while certainly a face lift was given all around, the smaller more detailed accomplishments of Pixar animation make this animated sequel the visual success, like shiny costumes and better hair.

The Story

During our interview with Director Brad Bird, he admitted that the boldest thing he could have done for The Incredibles plot line was to pick up where it left off. And so after 14 years the world of The Incredibles hasn’t changed. We are immersed right back into the fight scene with The Underminer. Now with no home (remember when Syndrome’s jet blew it up in The Incredibles?), the Parr family is in a slump – trying to balance being super with the mundane.

Once Elastigirl takes center stage again as the super hero while Mr. Incredible takes a back seat to be home with the kids (fitting in today’s society), we get a new twist on The Incredibles story as new characters Voyd, Winston Deavor, Evelyn Deavor, The Ambassador and new villain The Screenslaver join the story. Hey, I said no spoilers. But I will say that I figured out the plot line pretty quickly. And the scenes with Whasian Edna (that’s what I’m calling her from now on) were priceless.

That PG Rating

Incredible super hero movies have to include super hero action. And not too surprisingly, the Incredibles 2 rating is due to action sequences (mild animated violence, explosions, etc.) and a more surprising “brief mild language.” Should you be dashing off to the theaters with your little ones? Let’s break down that PG age rating.

Language. Why did there need to be swearing? After 14 years I guess Brad Bird thought the language flow needed an upgrade too. And while I live in a household that doesn’t use swears, it seems that the rest of the world has adopted words like “I’ll be damned.” Thankfully this was the only instance I found in the film. But honestly, it really didn’t need to be in a Pixar movie. “Oh my G-d,” “What the h-e-double-hockey-sticks” and “crap” was in there too.

Violence. I will say there is a pretty intense scene with Elastigirl and The Screenslaver. Taking my 5-year old to this screening, she quickly jumped into my lap when the scary music, fog and darkness set it. She was still talking about “the scary part” on the way home. Hopefully, no nightmares. Definitely something to keep in mind for little ones though.

Is Incredibles 2 the BEST Pixar Sequel Ever?

Toy Story 3 (we don’t need to talk about Toy Story 2), Cars 3 (see previous parentheses), Monsters University, Finding Dory. When it comes to Pixar, they know how to do sequels – and pretty darn well. There already is lots of buzz about Incredibles 2 being the potential “best” Pixar sequel ever. Am I convinced? Nah, not yet.

While certainly there is much to applaud after a 14 year hiatus, I think the original is still the best. More lines, more priceless moments, more “wow,” I found that Incredibles 2 while amazing was still missing some of that punch. Most of the best lines were in the trailers.

But the action scenes were definitely impressive. Mr. Incredible at home with the kids was flipping hilarious. And Jack-Jack definitely steals the show. I will say that Huck Milner, who does the voice of Dash was SPOT on. And I loved that the team was not afraid to hit you in the face with the opening scene with Johnathan Banks, the new voice of Rick Dicker. So, after 14 years, I loved the sequel. It was…incredible. Sure. We liked it.

Incredibles 2 Age Rating | A Vent Session

But there’s something to be said that after 14 years, what has happened to our kids’ movies? Why did Disney Pixar feel the need to conform their animated movies to today’s society? What’s wrong with a kid movie that preserves their innocence, in a world where bad language and violence aren’t necessary to drive a positive message home? In that regard, I found Incredibles 2 disappointing.

I hold Disney movies to a higher standard, as a safe place for my kids to watch, learn and make memories. Are we as parents ok with glossing over dark themes and crude language because “everyone else is doing it?” I hope this isn’t the future of Disney movies, because otherwise I’m going to have to prescreen movies a lot more. C’mon, Disney. We can do better here for our future generations.

Hopefully this Incredibles 2 movie review will help put your parent minds at ease as we sit back and watch this 14-year sequel in the making come to life. I’m not convinced just yet that this is the best Pixar sequel ever. But we could always wait for another 14-year sequel…they certainly left it open. Incredibles 3, anyone?