*Non-Spoiler* I feel like this film is heavily over-rated, I know everyone held their expectations high and in some way this was still Oscar-worthy material but when I watched it in my first viewing I got very bored and disappointed.
I love Brad Bird's works, I loved Incredibles and Ratatouille and they both are my top Pixar movies of all time next to Toys Story 1 and 3 and without a doubt I thought Brad Bird was going to nail the sequel. I love the sense of creativity, wonder and engagement I felt when watching his early two Pixar films and Iron Giant, they were very implicit, had a blur of reality but overall were very engaging. When I saw the kitchen in ratatouille where Remy falls into the Kitchen that was a perfect introduction to the setting and characters as it wasn't some boring expedition, and I also love the fact in Incredibles how it resonates to mid life crisis and household problems even if they are absurd topics like a superhero family or even a rat that cooks, his films work very effectively and deeply. And with all of this, I thought Incredibles 2 would be no different. But the disappointment hit hard to me quite early in the film.
I know everyone loves the boost of animation and the better look of this film compared to Incredibles 2004, but I rather choose the original than the sequel, though it wasn't the animation it was the story. Even with all this detailed animation, textures and overall look of the film it was the story which really got me down, we all have a high standard of storytelling when it comes to Pixar's animated films and they have crafted some of the best classics and modern masterpieces I have seen to date, but at this point it didn't seem like they were trying. The charm of Incredibles 2004 was the excellent story as it was its core and driving force of the film, and to find out this was painfully average really hurt to the expectations I was attaching to this film.
I didn't expect the film to start from where the original left off, as a time jump would had been alot interesting to the plot but the story was like any Disney sequel back in the 2000s. It is like the same story as the original but only with a different character on the main character's seat with the same arc but executed differently, however Incredibles 2 is different, it isn't exactly Incredibles 1 but I can't help feel the similarities between plots. Though it is good Incredibles 2 isn't exactly following the 2000s Disney sequel formula but I didn't expect it to follow it in the first place as it ruins room for an original stories and more characters, it is like Disney being lazy with their properties for the soul purpose like merchandise and franchise cash grabs. As if Jack-Jack getting many powers.
If you think I haven't rewatched the film yet, I rewatched it on countless occasions and I tried to embrace this movie, it exceeds with detailed graphics but it is always the story which bores me and avoids me from rating a 3 star. What is the point of spending millions on heavily detailed animation for an Oscar win if the story is in no help. And speaking of the animation, it is gorgeous but it isn't anything new or experimental, even if it is following the first film I expected more from Pixar. I don't want to put pressure on the company but I supposed they could have done better with their films without just being cash grab sequels for Disney. Which makes me sadder because Pixar used to be a very inventive and creative with their limited use of animation and testing boundaries.