I recently was able to enjoy the world premier at the El Capitan theater of Incredibles 2, and let me just say, it does not disappoint!
The plot picks up right where the first movie left off, so it's a good idea to re-watch that one, since it's been 14 years. The characters are just as fun and adorable as I remembered, too. The baby steals most of the show, and the moments with Edna are just golden. The family life represented in this is so similar to real life that it's almost uncanny.
Fair warning to those with children, though, is an alarming trend that seems to be popping up in children's movies these days. I'm talking about the use of swear words and saying "Oh my God" in G and PG movies. I heard one use of damn, one of hell, and twice God was used in the movie. I have a feeling people reading this are thinking, is this lady crazy?? That's NOTHING compared to most movies! And it's true. I let my kids watch Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean, where there is loads more violence and language issues. I think the key here, though, in Incredibles 2, is how the language is used and when it is used.
Both instances of "Oh my God" are used with perfect comedic timing. They aren't yelled as someone is running away from a laser blast or jumping off a ship. Instead, they are used in a quiet moment in the film as a line intended to be funny. The line and the moments in the film are funny, and extremely memorable. So memorable, that if your kid doesn't say "oh my God" currently, they most likely will after watching this movie a few times. I would guess that most people out there aren't concerned if the Lord's name is taken in vain, but for the families who do care, this is a fair warning for you.
Quite honestly, the more alarming aspects of this film were the 2 instances I noticed of swear words. There is a character that says "damn" and "hell" in the movie, and again, it's not in a scene with so much action going on that kids can ignore it. Instead, it's said in a sort of trendy way that draws attention to it. The 10 year old in our group noticed both times the character swore and immediately brought it to our attention at the end of the show. The other kids in our group (4, 8, and 11) didn't notice at all. I would say most parents don't want their children learning swear words or saying swear words, and most parents are more concerned with this than saying "God".
You should be extremely worried if you are a parent, because I can pretty much guarantee that your kid will learn hell and damn from this movie. It's not said quietly in the background with a more intense scene commanding our attention. It's not said as many other loud noises are going on, to draw our attention away from the words and to focus on noise. It's said in a regular conversation like it's just any other word. That's what will have kids repeating it, because they won't be able to tell it's different from words they aren't supposed to say (or know) yet.
You might be annoyed reading this 'review'. You might think we shelter our kids too much and that they need to grow up. At least you've read this and can now make an informed choice for your family, regardless if you agree with how I've described my interpretation of words from the movie.
As an adult, I loved the movie. I want to watch it again, and I plan on buying it. For the kids in our family, we'll not be showing this one in the car on road trips. It will be watched as a family on the tv, so that if my kids have a question about any of the words, we can easily press pause and explain what is acceptable language in our family and what is not.
So go, enjoy the movie! I promise you will love it and wish you were a super hero by the end of the show.
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