Incredibles 2 (2018) ****1/2

Way back in 2004, Pixar introduced us to the Parrs, a nice, suburban family who happened to have super powers. Bob, the former Mr. Incredible, was super-strong. Helen used to be Elastigirl, with the ability to stretch her body almost limitlessly. Kids Violet and Dash had powers, too, but they weren't allowed to showcase them. No one was. Superheroes had been outlawed, so the Parrs lived a secret suburban existence of quiet desperation, until a sinister threat arose that required the whole family to use their powers. “The Incredibles” was a fun, funny story,with an Ayn Randian message about excellence.

It took 14 years, but we finally have a sequel. The story picks up right where the first film left off, with the Parrs preparing to take on a tunneling super-villain called The Underminer. Their battle with The Underminer creates a certain amount of property damage, which does nothing to help the public attitude toward Supers. There's still one member of the public who is pro-Super, however. The billionaire CEO of a telecom company, Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk), explains to Bob (Craig T. Nelson), Helen (Holly Hunter), and Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) that their legal problems are all a matter of perception. He believes that he can change that perception with all his TV stations and with the right Super, who he believes is Elastigirl.

Deavor and his sister, Evelyn (Catherine Keener) wire Elastigirl for sound and video and put her on crime-watch in the big city. Almost immediately, a threat arises in the form of the Screenslaver, a Luddite, terrorist hacker who can hypnotize anyone watching a screen, which means pretty much anyone. Helen repeatedly thwarts the Screenslaver's plans, and her heroics turn the tide of public opinion in favor of supers. You can guess the rest.

That's the one weakness of this sequel: You really can guess the rest. Other than the rather predictable plot, though, I loved it! “Incredibles 2” is hilarious and action-packed, with great voice acting. Writer/director Brad Bird has a particularly good time with baby Jack-Jack's new powers. There's a sequence where Jack-Jack takes on a plundering raccoon that could be its own little, hilarious short film.

The strength of “Incredibles 2”, as with “The Incredibles” and really most Pixar movies, is that it doesn't insult our intelligence. It may be a cartoon, but its characters and plot aren't cartoonish. The movie strives for characters with believable motivations and a plot that is not exactly believable, but is at least sensible. This film has the courage to let its villain, the Screenslaver, make some valid points. People are addicted to their screens. People do consistently sacrifice their privacy for the newest, most convenient internet apps. People do yearn for an easy way out of their problems, which, the Screenslaver points out, is why they are so eager to bring the Supers back.

The great thing about cartoon characters is that they don't age. It's been 14 years since the original “The Incredibles”, but the Parrs don't look a day older. Let's not wait another 14 years, though! Pixar, if you can come up with another compelling story to tell in this universe, let's see it! Maybe they should make a Frozone movie. Now that would be Incredible!

4.5 stars out of 5