Out of all of the Disney/Pixar films to have been made in the past, well, twenty years, The Incredibles is the one that lends itself the most to being franchised. Why Cars got two sequels before The Incredibles even got one is beyond me. Even more beyond me is why it took them fourteen years when that film is the one fans have been screaming for a sequel for from the moment the credits rolled in the theater.

I read somewhere that Brad Bird said he was hesitant to make a sequel for two reasons. One is that he was worried that superhero movies would be played out by the time that the film was completed. Second is that he didn’t want to make a sequel if he couldn’t come up with a story that was just as good, if not better, than the original Incredibles. And, all I have to say about that is that he succeeded. Hell, he surpassed all of my expectations. Incredibles 2 is freaking phenomenal.

Strictly from a story standpoint, I don’t think I’ve ever watched a more relatable animated film in my life. Not in, like, the whole superpower aspect of it, obviously, but the family dynamic and the characters themselves. You can tell that a lot of thought went into the character development and each characters motives behind certain actions. It really is outstanding.

As far as plot goes, it’s good, just as good as the first. The way they incorporated the character of Edna Mode, who has become a fan favorite, (I say as I sit here on the train typing up this review with my computer resting on the top of my MODE bag I bought at Disneyland last week) did not feel forced. Sometimes characters that people love are just shoved into films as a crowd pleaser (I’m looking at you Minions), but this wasn’t the case with Edna Mode. So, that was refreshing.

Taking the route of Mr. Incredible being a stay-at-home dad was smart. It paved the way for, not only character development within his own character, but family dynamic changes within the household that were interesting to see. Interesting and heartwarming and funny.

Animation wise, I’m impressed, as always. Specifically, though, I was impressed by a scene involving strobe lights and a fight between Elastigirl and the villain, Screenslaver. I mean, think about how hard and how long it takes to animate a scene. Now, think about how things look when a strobe light is on. NOW think about having to animate that to look as realistic as possible. See. Super hard. Super impressive.

I would say that my only criticism of the film is in regards to the film’s villain. Screenslaver is predictable and I’m not sure that the motive is the best. But, I mean, how can you compete with a villain like Syndrome. He was one of the best villains Disney has ever created. So, I’ll cut them some slack.

Even though we had to wait fourteen years for a sequel, I’m happy because the film that we got was Incredibles 2 and it’s definitely one worth waiting for.