Incredibles 2

Front Row at the Movies by Shirrel Rhoades

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The best superhero movie is not one about Marvel’s “Iron Man” or “Spider-Man.” Nor is it about DC’s “Superman” or “Batman.” In fact, I doubt you’d recognize their names if I didn’t remind you.

Of course, I’m speaking of “The Incredibles,” the Pixar animation about a family of retired superheroes who must dust off the moth balls and once again save the world. The not-so-secret identities of the Parr family are Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack.

Mr. Incredible (voiced by Craig T. Nelson) possesses tremendous strength and durability. Elastigirl (voiced by Holly Hunter) has the ability to stretch and reshape herself like human Play-Doh. Daughter Violet (voiced by Sarah Vowell) can turn invisible and generate a force field. Son Dash (voiced by Spencer Fox in the first film) can move at super speeds. And baby Jack-Jack (voiced by Eli Fucile and Maeve Andrews) is a cute little shapeshifter.

In this brilliant film the Parrs team up with ice-forming Frozone (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) to thwart a villain named Syndrome (voiced by Jason Lee) and his robot Omnidroid.

One good turn (a worldwide box office of $633 million) deserves another, so Pixar has drawn up a sequel, “Incredibles 2.” It picks up where the first film left off.

“Incredibles 2” is currently flexing its super muscles at Tropic Cinema.

This time around, the Parr Family and Frozone must stop the Underminer when he attempts to rob Metroville Bank. And a tycoon recruits Elastigirl to take on a mysterious villain called Screenslaver, a baddie who uses hypnotic images to brainwash civilians. Little do they know it’s a trap for all the supers.

For “Incredibles 2” Huck Milner steps in to voice Dash. Bob Odenkirk voices the tycoon. Catherine Keener voices his sister. John Ratzenberger voices the mole-like Underminer. Bob Wise voices Screenslaver. And Isabella Rossellini gives us the Ambassador, a government type who supports the re-legalization of superheroes.

“Incredibles 2” was written and directed by Brad Bird, the Pixar animation genius who also wrote and directed the first film.

So, is Bird a superhero fanboy?

No, not at all. As he puts it: “Well, I like superheroes, but I’m not one of those guys who knows what issue 437 is of ‘Whatever.’ And I think people assume that because ‘The Incredibles’ is about superheroes, that I know all that stuff. I kind of got it second-hand, from the movies. I’m happy to hear from anybody that does know that stuff, but I’m fairly oblivious to that really large volume of comic book lore that’s been generated.”

Well, Shazam! Based on Bird’s two incredible homages to the superhero genre, who would’ve known?

Email Shirrel: srhoades@aol.com