Story

Themes

Superheroes; good versus evil; family relationships

Violence

Incredibles 2 contains frequent intense action violence and peril throughout, some of which is cartoon-like and unrealistic, and some of which is designed to be funny. But this violence is still likely to be scary for younger children. For example:

• The movie’s opening scenes feature intense violence and destruction, as a giant drilling machine breaks through a crowded city street, catching cars and throwing them up into the air. The cars crash down into crowds of people. Explosions destroy buildings, which collapse to the ground, sending rubble and debris into the air. There’s a fight between a superhero and a supervillain, who punch each other on the head and body. The villain uses his jackhammer-like fists to punch the superhero. The villain escapes in his drilling machine, causing more chaos and destruction by derailing a monorail train and destroying a bridge.
• In one scene a narrator describes how intruders break into a man’s house, and we see a gun pointed at a man and hear a shot fired. In a later scene a woman tells how her father was shot and killed while waiting to be saved by superheroes.
• A woman rides a motorcycle through crowded city streets, chasing a train that speeds towards the end of the track. The woman jumps across traffic and rooftops, through a window, and on to the top of the train. She goes through a tunnel on the train and then inflates herself into a parachute to stop the train.
• A woman climbs on to a roof and jumps on to a helicopter to keep it from crashing. She flies low over water and throws all but one of the passengers out of the helicopter, then jumps with the last passenger as the helicopter crashes. They float down to the ground when she turns herself into a parachute. The passenger faints but isn’t hurt.
• After acquiring superpowers, Jack-Jack has a fight with a raccoon. They throw each other around the yard. The toddler shoots laser beams from his eyes, burning up garden furniture. He then multiplies into several toddlers, who surround and tackle the raccoon to the ground.
• In one perilous and intense scene the Incredibles fight off several supervillains to save a boat from crashing and killing dozens of people. The villain crushes pipes where the three children are hiding. Jack-Jack morphs into a giant and breaks out of the pipe, landing on top of the villain.
• A female superhero breaks into an apartment and is attacked by a man with a taser-like device. As she is zapped, she responds with several punches and kicks, and then she chases the man outside as the building explodes.

Sexual references

Incredibles 2 has some sexual references. For example:

• There is some mild verbal flirting between a teenage boy and girl.
• A teenage girl gets upset and moody when a boy doesn’t arrive for a date. Her younger brother asks if she is ‘having adolescence’.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

Incredibles 2 shows some use of substances. For example:

• Adults drink socially.
• Two women drink spirits and behave in a mildly drunk way, slurring their words.

Nudity and sexual activity

Incredibles 2 has some mild sexual activity and partial nudity. For example:

• A husband and wife share a short passionate kiss.
• A female superhero kisses a male superhero on the lips to distract him.
• Elastigirl wears skin-tight clothes.

Coarse language

Incredibles 2 has some coarse language and name-calling.

Ideas to discuss with your children

Incredibles 2 is an action comedy that’s likely to appeal to a wide audience. The movie is full of positive messages and themes with a humorous yet realistic look at contemporary family life. The spotlight is on Elastigirl trying to find a balance between her superhero work and being a mother, while Mr Incredible discovers that parenting requires superpowers equal to fighting villains. All of the favourite characters from the first Incredibles movie are back with fashion designer Edna Mode and baby Jack-Jack having the funniest scenes.

Incredibles 2 isn’t recommended for children under eight years because it has frequent scenes of intense violence and destruction and some disturbing characters. But the rest of the family will probably enjoy it.

These are the main messages from Incredibles 2:

• Sometimes you have to do the wrong thing to do the right thing. To fix a law that was wrong, the Incredibles had to break other laws.
• People can be unwittingly manipulated if they become complacent about screen information, technology and advertisements.
• Parenting is just as challenging as being a superhero.

Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children include teamwork and co-operation.