The Incredibles 2 (2018)

"I renounce my renunciation!"

 I watched this film over the weekend with Mrs Llamastrangler and Little Miss Llamastrangler, who is now rather obsessed with Elastigirl. This is, of course, a rather fun little film which has similar fun with superhero tropes as the last movie. It’s a splendid film, this time focusing on Elastigirl leading the heroics while Mr Incredible struggles with handling the domestics at home.

So, yes, one point for trying to be feminist and minus one for continuing the trope of men being hapless in the domestic sphere. Still, it’s funny, witty and charming and had us all entertained. The plot, revolving around the villainous and Saw-like (in a kid-friendly way) Screenslaver, and the tantalising prospect of superheroics being legal again, is also fun, even if the real baddie’s identity is rather obvious if you happen to be 41 rather than four.

Oh, and Jack-Jack now has an astounding number of powers. Good luck with raising that child, although the scenes of Bob trying to control the little sod are rather amusing. You finish the film rather satisfied by an entertaining and well-constructed piece of entertainment. Maybe one day we will have a real Fantastic Four movie that’s this good.

Is it me, though, or does tycoon superhero fan Winston look just like Lee Mack?

The Incredibles (2004)

"And machine washable, darling. That's a new feature."

I'd say that, of the Fantastic Four films I've seen, this is my favourite.

I'm being facetious, of course, but we have a team who are super strong, stretchy, invisible AND with invisible force fields, and the baby's first superpower display is to flame on. Although I don't believe the Whizzer ever graced the pages of the World's Greatest Comics Magazine. But come on, we even have a thinly veiled Mole Man at the end...

Cheeky tributes aside, though, this is wonderful; a realistic attempt at doing the superhero genre in a real-ish world, but as a Pixar cartoon; Watchmen for kids. It has fun with the tropes and may indeed be influenced by a funny book called How to be a Superhero by Mike Leigh and Mike Lepine, which I recommend most heartily to all.

And isn't Bob an everyman? Aren't we all superheroes who heroically keep at the day job, day after day? I suppose, on that front, the film is a bit conservative on the gender roles front, with Elastigirl a stay-at-home mum, but there's very little bad to say about this entertaining little family film.