Incredibles 2

It’s been fourteen years since we first met Pixar’s family of superheroes, yet their story picks up from the moment the first film ended. It opens with the Parr family springing into action to stop The Underminer, while they juggle babysitting Jack Jack, and it ensures us that this film will be full of fun, family focused, fast paced action.

However, the day does does not end well for the Parrs, as superheroes are still illegal. The agent who has been helping them stay undercover for years can only offer them two weeks in a motel before they’re on their own. So when a wealthy, nostalgic benefactor hoping to make supers legal again offers Elastigirl a job, complete with a swanky high tech house for the family, the Parrs take it. Soon a new villain rises, targeting Elastigirl and could jeopardize the plan to legalize supers.

While Helen (Elastigirl voice by Holly Hunter) is off doing superhero work, Bob (Mr. Incredible voiced by Craig T. Nelson)  is holding down the fort taking care of the kids. His challenges add some engaging comedy to this family movie. In his first day he has to deal with his Violet’s first date, Dash’s math homework and a baby who won’t stay in his crib on top of being envious of his wife’s work. It only gets worse as Bob discovers Jack-Jack’s powers.

One of the funniest scenes shows Jack-Jack fighting his first enemy: a raccoon in the yard. Many of his powers are revealed as Jack-Jack moves through the glass door, morphs into his monster-baby form, bursts into flames throwing lawn chairs and splits into multiple clones, chasing off the hilariously bewildered raccoon. And when Bob finds him, the excitement about his baby’s new powers is soon met with the insurmountable task of keeping him safe. Thankfully, Edna is willing to help, in her own fabulous way.

This is a rare superhero movie that is family friendly and still satisfies all ages. I loved the way Elastigirl was allowed to shine on her own, as well as a few new female supers. My kid enjoyed the Jack-Jack scenes. And while my husband enjoyed it, he of course found flaws in how similar the plots of both the original and this sequel are, but I won’t spill any spoilers on that. And honestly, I didn’t mind, the stories themselves are unique enough.

One thing I want to warn viewers about is the fact that the film uses a visual effect similar to a strobe light in multiple parts of the film. For those sensitive to such visuals, beware or wait to watch the film at home. It was pretty intense in a dark, crowded theater.

Through all the action and excitement, the heart of the film is the story of the Parr family. While their powers are super, their problems are wonderfully relatable for many modern families. The combination of stress and support between Bob and Helen when they switch household roles is something many families understand and the results are engaging and entertaining for all ages. And as always, these supers are stronger together. Everyone can leave this film seeing the supers within their own home.

“Done properly, parenting is a heroic act… done properly.”

Poltergeist

Poltergeist scares the shit out of me.  It was one of the first films that gave me nightmares, and kept me awake listening to every little noise at night.  To this day, I worry that my house could have been built on a half relocated cemetery and soon my closet will become a portal trying to suck me into the other side.  This is my favorite horror movie.

Written by Steven Spielberg, the film focuses on a family in a newly built suburban neighborhood.  With typical parents and three kids, I felt like it could have been my family.  The youngest, Carol Anne (Heather O’Rourke), hears people through the TV static.  It seems like just the workings of a five-year-old’s imagination, until in the middle of a stormy night, ghostly hands come out of the television, then shoot like lightning above the parents’ bed, rocking the house like an earthquake.  Only Carol Anne is witness to the event, announcing, “They’re here.”

The next day is less than normal when the parents learn that no one else felt an earthquake.  Throughout the day, Diane (JoBeth Williams) who stays at home with Carol Anne witness chairs moving and even being stacked when her back it turned for only a moment.  By the time Steve (Craig T. Nelson) gets home from work, there is no denying that some sort of disturbance is going on.  The scene where they ask the neighbors if they have had any disturbances is not usual neighborhood banter.

What really scares me is how disturbances go from odd and harmless quirks to full blown violence so quickly.  Just as Diane is getting comfortable with the idea of chairs moving across the kitchen floor, the creepy old tree bursts through the window and tries to eat Robbie (Oliver Robins) and Carol Anne is sucked into a portal that appears in the closet.  Suddenly, the whole family is launched into a nightmare and seek out a paranormal investigator to bring Carol Anne back.

There are two main aspects of paranormal movies that Poltergeist does perfectly.  First of all, it’s not just bumps in the night.  The disturbances are scary enough to still freak me out as an adult and are not designed to just make me jump.  While only a few of the frightening images are a little outdated (the face tearing hallucination and image of The Beast), it doesn’t bother me.  To me, most of the strange images have a timeless sense of fear of the unknown.  The flickering lights, meaty goo that covers anything out of the portal, and Carol Anne flying out of her bed are amazing images that have stayed clear in my mind since I first saw this as a small child.

Second, the paranormal investigation isn’t all science and logic.  While the cameras and gadgets provide indisputable evidence, Dr. Lesh (Beatrice Straight) provides support as well as facts.  The way she describes the situation with the spirits and the light is comforting and easy enough for little Robbie to comprehend.  Tangina’s (Zelda Rubinstein) presence adds an even more mystifying quality to the movie, but now I can never trust anyone who says, “This house is clean.”  To deny this film a spiritual element would make it much less powerful.

Parents should tread cautiously when deciding whether to let the little ones watch Poltergeist.  I grew up watching it, first saw it around age six or seven, and look how I turned out.  I keep a bat under my bed in case zombies, creepy clowns or spooky old trees attack.  However, older, braver kids might really love Poltergeist and it can be a great introduction to horror.  The characters are not violent, they don’t rely on foul language and they value family.  The lengths Steve and Diane go to get their daughter back are astounding and feats of bravery in some real terror.

“Oh, Jesus.  Don’t do that, honey.  You don’t want to see mommy lying in a cigar box covered with licorice.”