Overanalysing the ‘Incredibles 2’ poster
Oh boy oh boy oh boy oh boy. Just when Incredibles 2’s impending release was beginning to fade from the frontal lobes of my hype mind, here comes the official one-sheet poster (I assume) to send me into hysterics.
Anyone who’s been keeping up with my commentary on I2 knows that I’m more than a little sceptical about the movie. My enthusiasm has been dampened by the extra month we Irish/UK audiences have to wait for its release, but also by a realisation — at this stage of my life — that a sequel I’ve waited 14 years for can be nothing but bad news. I will not love Incredibles 2, no matter how clever or funny or imaginative it is, because — like the 70s kids having existential crises watching The Last Jedi — I will never, ever be able to recapture the feeling of watching The Incredibles for the first time. This was true of Fantastic Beasts, of The Hobbit and it will be true of Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. I can only be thankful that Incredibles 2 will reignite the world’s love of Brad Bird’s 2004 masterpiece, because the sequel will — surely — not be one.
But morose ramblings aside, we have this here poster, and it ain’t bad. I’m not ecstatic about it, but it’s got some nice touches. For some reason, Bob and Helen look different this time around in a way I’m not entirely comfortable with — there’s a new texture to their skin and costumes that for whatever reason has a new vibe; it’s not triggering my nostalgia like the I1 posters do.
This would appear to be our villain (that’s usually where the villain would be on a poster after all). I’m guessing it’s either Bob Odenkirk or Catherine Kenner’s character, or some creation of theirs. Maybe there’s more info online about this figure, but I haven’t been digging for spoilers. I like the gloves’ similarity to The Incredibles’ own. The beaming eyes are sufficiently unnerving. The shape of the head reminds me of Syndrome’s guards from I1 — one of the coolest pieces of design in the original film.
Obviously some new heroes. We’ll see more of these guys in tomorrow’s trailer I’m sure, but I’m not sure how I feel about this many new faces. I’ve waited a long long time to see more Incredibles and Frozone. Why waste screentime on others? It’s certain, however, that Brad Bird has come up with some pretty cool characteristics for this bunch.
Must we have a comedy animal? I’m merciful that it isn’t a dog, but this nonetheless has an odour of DreamWorks to it. I assume it’s only in one scene (a scene that was, in fact, screened at D23) and it’s on this poster to amuse the kids. I hope.
My boy is BACK, and he hasn’t changed a bit. Frozone is Sam Jackson’s greatest role, fight me.
Bird and Pixar know that Frozone and Edna Mode are the most beloved characters, so I only hope they get the formula right for screentime and don’t overdo it. A little too much Edna could go a long way to making her more irritating than delightful.
Love the train, love the boat, love the more detailed city design in the background. Hope it’s explored in interesting ways and utilised for some great action scenes.
Still not okay with the lack of a definite article in the title. Totally unnecessary and weird (and spoils the THE INCREDIBLES 2 logo design I drew on a school desk when I was 7). But look! Giacchino is back! His score is going to be phenomenal, I’m sure of it. Let’s hope his few Marvel projects haven’t drained him of exciting superhero themes.
That’s all I got. Come back tomorrow for my trailer breakdown. Lu out.
