‘Incredibles 2’ provides high dose of nostalgia

Childish spirit within adults raised with Pixar can be put to rest, new family favorite

MORGAN LESTER, Evergreen columnist

When my family heard that “Incredibles 2,” a sequel we had been anticipating for years, was happening, I turned to them and said, “You know kids are going to see that, right?”

They asked me what I meant, and I told her that no kids are going to be in that theater because the audience will be all college kids, who are high on nostalgia.

For those who have been under a rock for the past year or so or don’t have a soul, “Incredibles 2” picks up where the original left off, with the Parrs fighting the Underminer. The super family is able to defeat him, but the collateral damage they cause forces the government to shut down the Superhero Relocation Program. This leaves the Parrs without any form of financial assistance and sets them loose.

However, Winston Deavor, a telecom­munications tycoon, wants to restore the reputation of supers and asks Helen to reassume her identity of Elastigirl in a publicity stunt to turn public and govern­ment opinion in the supers’ favor.

While she faces down Screenslaver, a supervillain who uses hypnosis to pull off a variety of heists, Bob starts taking care of the family at home, raising all sorts of mischief as he tries to help his kids out.

“The original is still one of my favor­ite movies of all time,” said Madison Arpin, director of films at the Student Entertainment Board. “It has good mean­ing to me, so I was excited to see that [Incredibles 2] was even being made.”

To be sure, it was that same level of nostalgia and the general place that “Incredibles” has in my heart that drew me into this movie. It was a relief more than anything that the creators didn’t screw this one up, that the story wasn’t forced, that it felt human and relatable even as it reached the height of its action in major battles of its run time.

While the same family fun is there, there is also an added change with Helen no longer being the housekeeper and her husband taking over the duties. For me, this was one of the more interesting parts of the film to watch — seeing Mr. Incredible struggle with math like the rest of us — and it added to the depth of the stories and characters. It was this relatable family dynamic that made this sequel stand up to its predecessor.

Arpin said it was the ability to choose these movies, and bring them to the students on campus, that makes her job worthwhile.

“I was really excited to get this job because of the opportunity to show mov­ies … it’s kind of a fun escape for people, especially students,” she said. “For me, I’ll watch a movie when I’m a little over­whelmed, so “Incredibles 2” was a good choice … and a lot of people are excited for it.”

For those of you in need of whole­someness, I recommend this one. It’s a good family movie with its trips of high-flying action and tender moments that will leave you satisfied and warm.

So grab a blanket and head to the CUB this weekend. “Incredibles 2” will be showing at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday. It’s free for students, $2 for guests and there is popcorn while it lasts. Now, go out there and feel some­thing other than depressed at the state of the world.