Incredibles 2 is the most highly anticipated film of 2018.–At least for my family. And last week my son and I finally got a chance to see it. We had to hold our Incredibles 2 review until today to let you know our thoughts. But don’t worry, these will be spoiler-free. We want you to be as surprised as we were.

Normally for Disney movie screenings I bring my daughter. Or if okayed, I bring both of my kids. For Incredibles 2 I had a limit of one guest, so I had the impossible task to choose just one of my kiddos. Since my daughter has come with me to most of these things we thought it would be fair to bring my son for this one.

New Pixar Short Bao Review

Before jumping into the movie, we got a warmup with the new Pixar short, Bao. It’s an adorable short film about a mother who’s apparently struggling with her little dumpling er… Son growing up. Several parts that had me laughing out loud then feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. I think the message went over my 5-year-old’s head, but he was able to giggle at some parts and follow the humor that’s present for parents and kids alike. Watching the movie as a recovering helicopter parent with my little mamas boy, especially hit home for me. I loved it, but let me know what you think of it!

Incredibles 2 Review: My Thoughts Overall

So while I’ve been waiting 14  years for this sequel, my kids just recently fell in love with the original. If you’ve seen the first Incredibles 50 times in the last month like we have, then this movie will feel like an extension of that. It picks up exactly where the first one left off, replaying a part of the scene in the parking lot after Dash’s track meet when the Underminder comes out of the ground and them relocating to a new home since a jet crash landed on their last one.

There’s a lobby to bring supers back and they want The Incredibles and Frozone to help. The movie is jam packed with lots of action and humor to keep even some of the wiggliest 5-year-old movie-lovers entertained. My son was grinning ear to ear while we watched our favorite super family navigating their new adventures. He seemed to follow along with the storyline and was really rooting for the good guys in the end.

We get a closer look at the entire Incredibles family including Jack Jack who has powers he hasn’t even begun to tame. (Those moments happen to be some of our favorite parts).

If you haven’t seen the first movie (though really–Why not?) you won’t be totally lost. It’s expected you’ll know who the main Characters are–Mr. Incredible, his family, Frozone and Edna (the Super Hero wardrobe designer). Other than that there are several new characters and a couple of old ones you’ll get to know and love.

To say I loved it would be an understatement. Jack Jack steals the show and the family dynamic makes this movie one of my favorite Pixar films to date. It was everything I’d hoped it would be and then some. 

My only gripe about the movie was that I felt I saw the ending a mile away. The storyline seemed a little predictable. Or maybe I’m just constantly guessing those types of things. Or maybe that’s the point and I shouldn’t even brag about it. It didn’t take away from my enjoyment. In fact, I felt a little vindicated watching it play out. My 5-year-old, who hasn’t watched as many action/spy movies as I had was in his own little blissful world just loving all the action.

Classic Incredibles Humor Still Very Present

There’s nothing better than the sound of my kids laughing hysterically during a Disney movie. A close second perhaps are the jokes and humor that obviously go over their head but are for my benefit. This flick has plenty of both. The physical humor is what had my son laughing–Particularly a scene between Jack Jack and a Raccoon. I enjoyed the throwbacks to the original as well as the eerily familiar martial banter.

Is Incredibles 2 Scary for Little Kids?

There weren’t any scenes that had my son covering his eyes or crawling in my lap. That said, this is a kid who wants to go see Jurassic World 2 next week. Still, I don’t think Incredibles 2 is scary for young children. Nor difficult to follow along. There isn’t anything startling like in Zootopia, and the violence was pretty comparable to the first Incredibles. The storyline was a little darker, but there was a lot of upbeat humor and physical comedy to keep things light.

Side note worth mentioning: My son was calling the bad guys “zombies” not because they were, but because some of their motions were robotic or hypnotic. If that sort of thing freaks your kids out then I guess there’s that to be aware of. As always, remember big screens, loud speakers and dark rooms can make movies we know and love feel much more intense.

Incredibles 1 vs 2: Pixar Gets Their Sequels Right

I go into movie screenings with a piece of paper to write down my thoughts, little things I notice about my kids’ reactions and critical points of the film. This was the first time I came out a screening with a near blank sheet of paper. Shortly after it started I was completely engrossed in the movie and enjoying it for what it was. It didn’t feel like a weird spin off of the original, it stayed very true to it’s roots. So much so that it really felt like an extension of the first.

My 5-year-old’s Incredibles 2 Review

Did you like Incredibles 2?: Yea! I want you to put it on the TV. Can we watch it on the TV?

No, not yet. Why did you like it?: Because it was pew in baby Jack Jack eyes. [Laser eyes]

What was your favorite part?: The part when the baby was fighting the… The Squirrel? No, it wasn’t a squirrel. What was the baby fighting mom? A raccoon? Yea! And the part when Dash was running fast. Does he run faster than my dad?

Do you want to see it again? Why? Yea! Because! Because I really liked it.

Should Daddy and [big sister] go see it? Why? You and me, and Dad and [Lil’ J] we’ll all go see it. And when the baby sister comes out. I think [Lil’ J] will like it. She will like when they pew the eyes.

Was the movie scary?: No. When the guy came and turned the movie on it was loud and it scared me.

Which movie did you like more Incredibles Number 1 or 2?: Number 2. Why? Because I hadn’t seen the pewing part.

Cars 3 or Incredibles 2?: BOTH!

So there you have it! Straight from his little mouth. This movie had all of his favorite things: Trains, helicopters, motorcycles, animal battles, jets, boats, laser eyes.

Hopefully you enjoyed our Incredibles 2 review. We may update this post with my 7-year-old daughter’s take after we see it again this weekend.

Yes, see it again! It’s a great way to kick off the summer with a movie the whole family will love. So go see it then come back and let us know what you think!

Free Incredibles 2 Coloring Pages

Click here or on the image for free downloadable Incredibles 2 coloring sheets.

Read our other recent kids Disney movie reviews:

Wrinkle in Time kids review

Coco kids review

Cars 3 kids review

Beauty and the Beast live action kids review

Zootopia kids review

Moana kids review

Finding Dory kids review

Pete’s Dragon kids review

Like many 4-year-old boys, my son has been counting down to see this movie for many months. Last night we finally reached the finish line and got to go screen Cars 3.

We walked in the theater, his 3D glasses in one hand, and his die-cast Lightning McQueen in the other. I was leery of how this would play out. My son has a hard time sitting through movies, especially the first go around (we saw Moana in theaters several times but he’d heard the soundtrack and that familiarity helped him get through). Would knowing most of the characters in this film be enough to keep him sitting still through the entire movie with dare I say… No bathroom breaks? We were about to find out.

If you are a Cars fan, I think this movie will pleasantly surprise you. Especially since Cars 2… No, just no. But if you aren’t a Cars fan and never have been, I’m not sure this movie will blow you away.

I wasn’t into Cars until my son came along and dusted the movie off from our Disney movie collection. Now that he’s seen every movie and Pixar Cars short more times than I can count, he’s inducted the whole family into the Lightning McQueen fan club. His joy brings me joy. So full disclosure– I don’t have much bad to say.

Lou – New Pixar Short

I had the opportunity to screen this short film earlier this year and I already knew I loved it. I also knew it would likely go over my 4-year-old’s head. Not that it’s very complicated. Like most Pixar shorts it had minimal dialogue and the message was conveyed through riveting and emotional animation.

It’s a story about a bully and his redemption after meeting and battling it out with an unusual ally.

It made my 4-year-old laugh, and I whispered to him asking how he thought the characters felt to see if he was grasping the point. It really is a beautiful story with a great moral for every kid about kindness. It’s one of my new favorite shorts so make sure you’re in your seats early enough to catch it.

Cars 3 Review: First Impressions

As far as Pixar sequels go I feel like this one was up there. Way better than Cars 2 or Monsters University, giving us a similar nostalgic and flashback feel that Toy Story 3 brought. (Finding Dory is still my favorite).

Beyond that, this movie is rated G. The last time we saw this for a Pixar movie was four years ago with Monsters University. Before that it was 2011 when Winnie the Pooh and Cars 2 premiered. This movie was made for kids, kid laughs and kid enjoyment. I’m happy to say I enjoyed it too. There was less adult humor than you’ll find in Toy Story, and it was way less deep and far easier for kids to understand than Inside Out.

I went into this movie with MINIMAL knowledge of what it was about. I mean, I knew it was going to have a Rocky-type feel, knowing McQueen gets injured and is trying to make a comeback against new, younger and faster cars. After the fact I read some reviews about it being a film featuring female empowerment (or not)–I had no idea this was something Pixar was going for until after I saw the movie. However, given my surprise, I’m totally here for it and was literally cheering along with the crowd.

Cruz Ramirez (voiced by Cristela Alonzo) is a new favorite and certainly one to watch (I can’t imagine there won’t be another sequel after this as they didn’t close any doors).

All that said, we expected Lightning McQueen to be the star of the film, and no funny spy business like Cars 2.

On “female empowerment”

Like I mentioned, the Cruze Ramirez storyline caught me by surprise. I didn’t expect her to play such a big part in the movie. Without giving too much away (as usual, no spoilers), I feel the storyline charmingly came full-circle.–Giving life-long fans of Lightning McQueen a beautiful outcome, but also shining a spotlight on a new character–A girl at that!

Given McQueen’s history at being stubborn and hard-headed I didn’t expect him to be any different this time around. There are challenges along the way where he and Ramirez get into it–and into lots of trouble (these were some of the funniest scenes that had my son toppling over in laughter). In this journey we get to learn more about Ramirez and her past.

While this plot may not win over new fans, I think little girls who were already champions for the movie will walk away enthusiastic about a new character to cheer for. –(We are all going to see it again on Friday morning, with my 6-year-old daughter, I’ll update this with her review).

As the story moves along we meet an older character based on a female racer from the early days of NASCAR. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that, but I’m not sure my son (or daughter) noticed/cared.

Chick Hicks makes a hilariously annoying reappearance as a retired athlete gone “sportscaster.” Natalie Certain (voiced by Kerry Washington) is a respected statistical analyst, except Hicks doesn’t seem to respect her at all.–Cutting her off to make his own jokes. It seemed like a nod to the unfortunate reflection of how women are treated in the male-dominated, misogynistic industry of sports broadcasting. …Or maybe I’m just over-thinking things.

4-year-old translation: Chick Hicks aka “bad guy” kept interrupting a car that may or may not be Holley Shiftwell.

Nostalgia

Though I haven’t been anticipating a quality sequel for 11 years, I have been for the last 3, and I don’t think this disappoints. It’s everything Cars 2 should have been, even bringing in flashbacks and a storyline featuring Doc Hudson which absolutely tugged at my heartstrings and had my eyes a bit misty. We got answers to questions about Doc’s past and pieces to a puzzle McQueen needed to move on.

All our favorite characters make a re-appearance and get a moment to shine, from Mack, and Ramone and Lizzie down to the tractors. Mater fans may be disappointed that he doesn’t have as as big a part as he did in the first two films. But as a parent, I found it to be a welcome relief.

The moment Doc Hudson hit the screen my son screamed “I TOLD YOU DOC WAS IN IT!” Right again kid.

My 4-year-old’s Cars 3 Review

The movie started EXACTLY like it starts in the first movie my son shouted “IS THIS CARS ONE?”

I was able to pull my hand away from his mouth after a couple seconds when Lightning opened his eyes in the bed of Mack’s truck with a friend in there with him.

“MATER?!” My 4-year-old then shouted. I kid you not he was the loudest kid in the theater. Totally into it.

He laughed and laughed during several parts of the movie, and he came home telling his sister about his favorite part–Watching Lightning McQueen dance.

During the movie, he pointed out things I hardly noticed, like Lightning McQueen spray bottles. And he asked me to repeat what was said a couple of times when he missed a joke. My wiggly 4-year-old was captivated like I’ve never seen before, and that in and of itself was a win.

Having seen the first trailers oh, 567 times, my son knew who all the characters were. The second Rookie Jackson Storm blew by he shouted his name. My husband bought him a random set of the new die-cast characters. Some of them literally named “Rookie 1, 2, and 3”. I criticized my husband for getting plain grey cars with no real names. But they totally have a part in the movie. My son was happily exclaiming “I HAVE THAT ONE!” throughout the movie.

Do you want to see it again? I asked. “YES!” He said, without skipping a beat. And we will, in a couple of days.

Which is your favorite Cars movie: 1, 2, or 3? “Cars 3” he answered easily.

And lat night when I tucked him in, instead of putting on his favorite Nemo PJs he insisted I let him sleep in his new Lightning McQueen outfit. It left a mark my friends.

Scary Scenes and After the Credits

There isn’t anything very scary in this movie, so I’d say it’s great even for kids who startle easily. When I asked my son he did say that the school bus (during a demolition derby scene) was scary and that he wanted to “hit it” but he wasn’t the least frightened during the film.

Like in many Pixar movies, if you wait until after the credits you’ll get a little bonus scene. This one wasn’t much (I didn’t find it worth the wait) but it may be a treat for big Mater fans.

Morals and Concluding Thoughts

Cars 3 will happily join our rotation of Cars films. And I will gladly replace either of the other two movies with this one.

It has a great moral of not giving up, believing in yourself and helping others to shine.

I look forward to seeing which toys my son and daughter gravitate towards these next few weeks. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a lot more yellow around these parts.

Are you excited to see Cars 3? In theaters everywhere June 16th! Have you seen it? What did you/your kids think?

If you’re thinking of taking your family to see The Good Dinosaur over Thanksgiving weekend there are a few things you should be aware of first.

Lil’ J and I had the chance to screen it Monday night before it’s officially in theaters everywhere on the 25th. Here’s more info on advanced movie screenings in case you ever want to try to make one of these!

First of all I feel like I need to introduce you to this movie because it hasn’t been nearly as publicized as Pixar’s Inside Out was earlier this year. I’m telling you that merchandise, the previews, the promotions. It was SO hyped up. And I totally bought into it.

This movie, on the other hand, I feel like many have hardly heard a peep. I keep my eye on all of the Disney Animation and Pixar films but I worried since Disney seemingly wasn’t spending as much effort promoting this film, that it was going to be a big letdown.

Even the local screening was set for RIGHT before the movie release, versus a week or two before, and I only saw one listed when normally there are at least two, sometimes more. All of these signals to me screamed potential flop.

I didn’t watch the extended trailer. I felt like that was a mistake I made before Inside Out. I’d seen most of the good parts before hitting the theater. What little I did watch before this movie made me think there would be more dinosaurs and more people than we saw.

Lil’ J and I went into this mostly unaware of what to expect. But it was still great!

Coming out, I have some questions you should ask yourself in case you’re debating whether or not to take your family.

1. Do you like dinosaurs? If yes, then it’s a no brainer, you must see this movie. It’s lightyears better than the 2000 Disney animated movie ‘Dinosaur’ (which would most definitely be in my top 5 LEAST favorite Disney animated movies). Although the animals looked more realistic in Dinosaur, The Good Dinosaur is much more cuddly, and it should still be appealing to young dinosaur enthusiasts, and definitely not frightening to those who typically have dinosaur aversions. So if your answer is no, there’s a really good chance you’ll still like this movie.

2. Do you like cowboys? Cowboys? I thought this movie was about dinosaurs! Yes, well, if your answer is yes, I have a feeling you will LOVE this movie. Or at least Pixar’s attempt to give some of the characters a wild west flavor.

3. Have you gone to the bathroom recently? You’ll definitely want to make sure you have before sitting down to watch this movie. For one, you don’t want to have to get up and miss any part of this movie! It held my 5-year-old daughter’s attention longer than any movie on the first-run through. I didn’t see her get bored at all (this is rare). And secondly, you are going to laugh so hard you may pee your pants. Seriously, I can’t remember the last time I laughed that much in a movie. The best part was my daughter was laughing too! In true Pixar fashion there was plenty of humor for the adults as well as the kids.

4. Do you or your kids startle easily? This movie is pretty intense. There were SEVERAL times I kept saying “ouch!” Maybe it was the fact that we saw it in 3D, and that the images felt so real, but I was literally gasping and clutching at parts. You know your kids best, if they’re extremely sensitive, or startle easily, you may want to watch it first. The scariest part of the whole movie experience for Lil’ J was the short film that aired before The Good Dinosaur. Edited to add (SPOILER skip to #5 if you want to be surprised): There is death involved (not a huge surprise) but some kids could find this really sad, or scary).

5. Does it take much to make you cry? Happy tears, sad tears, you may want a tissue for both. This shouldn’t be much of a surprise when it comes to Disney/ Pixar.

Lil’ J and I just did our top 5 Pixar Picks a few weeks ago. She now claims The Good Dinosaur takes the top spot from Monsters Inc and pushes UP out of her top 5.

It’s always hard for me to try to rank a film after seeing it just once. I have to try it on over and over a few times to see if it still feels good. But as of now I’d say it’s definitely up there, probably knocking Finding Nemo out of my #4 spot.

Speaking of which… Like Finding Nemo, the animation quality of The Good Dinosaur was amazing. Something that–looking back now–I feel like Inside Out was missing a bit of.

All this to say, I feel like this movie was greatly underrated in it’s pre-release stage, and I hope it does well over Thanksgiving weekend. We enjoyed it so much we’re going to see it again tonight with grandma for opening night.

Alright, enough of my opinion. Here’s what Lil’ J has to say.

The Good Dinosaur: A 5-year-old’s review:

Q: What did you think of The Good Dinosaur?
A: It’s one of my new favorite Pixar movies because it’s funny, and a rock star movie.
Q: What does a rock star movie mean?
A: That it’s so cool.
Q: Should kids who are afraid of dinosaurs see this movie?
A: Yes, because it’s a nice dinosaur and he won’t scare them.
Q: Advice for people going to see it?
A: When you try a movie you get to decide if you like it or not, and I like this movie.

One word to describe the movie:
Lil’ J: Family
Mom: Adventure

Rating:
Lil’ J: Two thumbs up.
Mom: A+

Will you be going to see The Good Dinosaur this weekend? Or what did you think?

My favorite singer when I was growing up? Whitney Houston. Without a question. I wanted to be just like her (ok, this was before the drugs). I thought I had the pipes. I wasn’t afraid to sing in front of anyone. From school talent shows, to karaoke on vacations, and solos in front of neighbors. I thought I had a gift.

My parents never discouraged me, or told me otherwise. It wasn’t until a bunch of teenagers at a family reunion laughed at me that I got a reality check. Actually, even then I still gave occasional performances for friends and acquaintances–Anyone who would listen.

You know those people in the first round on American Idol who are so terrible, but they think they’re good, and their parents totally support them? I was a little something like that. If the show was around when I was 14, I totally would have been ridiculed.

Eventually my parents allowed me to take singing lessons to improve my “natural abilities.” Were my parents wrong for never telling me I sucked? Or were they good parents for allowing me to dream big and go for it?

I met a woman whose mother told her own daughter she was born with a vocal cord abnormality, which is why she didn’t have a good singing voice and shouldn’t try to show it off.

I laughed with her as she told me that story, and how she believed it.–But I wondered if that was the way to go with raising my kids. Should I teach them to dream big, or to be realistic?

No matter how unrealistic my dreams appeared, my parents seemed to back me up. As I grew up, my dreams shifted and became slightly more pragmatic.–but I’ve always been one to shoot for the stars.

Lil’ J’s kindergarten teacher asked each of the class members to write down what they would be if they could be anything. They were instructed to dream BIG! My daughter drew–and I quote: A mermaid fairy princess.

My daughter’s school is following the 7 Mindsets Academy curriculum and the first mindset they’re practicing is “Everything is Possible.” As parents we’re encouraged to resist the urge to give our kids reality checks, no matter what their dream is. The idea is to not be a pessimist or doubt their dreams.

I probably didn’t do the best job of supporting that plan, but I did tell her I thought it sounded cool. She’s five, so this will most likely change at some point. I just have to remind myself along the way that dreaming and believing big along with my kids, can go a long way in shaping who they become.

Carl and Ellie in Disney Pixar’s UP wanted to become adventurers. While they had years and years of adventures together, it was in his old age that Carl had the experience of a lifetime. There’s an UP house in Utah that I had to stop by and take pictures at with the kids. I feel like it’s a great symbol for dreaming big. I’ll share the rest on Wednesday!

Last week Lil’ J and I went to see Disney Pixar’s Inside Out at a press screening. She’s my little review sidekick and now that it’s out we’re finally sharing our thoughts!

I won’t be posting any spoilers so don’t worry about that. She had been counting down for over a week to see it. The commercials just draw kids in I tell ya. It had her wanting some of the Inside Out merchandise that’s been on the shelves for months.

We had some of the magnets on our fridge and yesterday her grandma got her this Disney Inside Out Inside Out 5 In 1 Puzzle at the Disney Store outlet. I interviewed Lil’ J about the movie while she worked on it to give you her perspective.

There was an adorable short film before the movie called Lava. I loved it but Lil’ J wasn’t impressed “because volcanoes scare me,” she said.

Here’s what she said about the main feature:

Mom: What was the movie about?

Lil’ J: They’re creature things, and they make a kid a kid, and her name is Riley. So one feeling that’s like ‘eew yuck’ and one’s joy, she’s happy, and ones scared and ones sad. Want to hear about grumpy? He’s the one that when he gets angry he gets fire on top of his head. Oh, and there’s an elephant one and he sings. Ok?

(The elephant actually isn’t an emotion but an imaginary friend)

Mom: What was your favorite part?

Lil’ J: When they were singing ‘Who’s the friend you like to see? Bing Bong Bing Bong!’

Mom: What didn’t you like about the movie?

Lil’ J: I didn’t like the parts where everyone was laughing and I didn’t understand. I didn’t understand parts of it but I did laugh at some parts.

Mom: Do you think it’s a movie for grownups, that little kids should see it too?

Lil’ J: I think little kids too, because I’m a little kid, and I saw it, and I think little kids would like it too.

Mom: How old?

Lil’ J: Three, or maybe four or five, ok? But no one [year-olds], no babies. Two is ok if he’s not a squiggly worm or anything.–I mean if they are hyper and don’t sit still–If they aren’t like a squiggly worm, that’s ok with me.

Lil’ J ranks Inside Out over Cars, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo and even Brave. She however still likes Cinderella, Wreck it Ralph, Frozen and Frozen Fever (she wanted to be sure I put that in there) more.

I should preface and say that I’m super critical of Disney Animated Movies because I always set the bar SO HIGH. When I expect too much I’m often let down. I’d heard so many high-praise reviews that I was expecting my mind to be blown by this movie. Kinda like that red guy in the middle, but in a happy way.

Since I’ve been keeping up with the trailers for so long, many of the funny scenes I had already seen, however there was still a lot of humor I didn’t expect that had me and the rest of the audience laughing hysterically. A lot of the jokes were geared for an older audience. I’d say maybe 7 and up.

I had an idea of the storyline from the previews but the movie ended up being even better and way more complex than I had imagined. Lil’ J was able to follow along for the most part, but like any other movie we see together, it sometimes takes a couple viewings to catch things she missed before.

We plan to see it again in theaters next week during the day, and of course we’ll be buying it on DVD.

One thing I really thought was awesome about the movie–Like many movies Disney Pixar produces, this film has a deeper meaning within the storyline. It’s been fun to use the characters from the movie to talk about our emotions when we’re working through them. Others have said it’s a great movie to bring awareness to mental illness and depression.

Having heard that before I watched it I think I went into it taking it a bit too seriously, but in the end I was laughing and tearing up anyway. Lil’ J was completely connected and concerned for Riley throughout the movie, and I loved every second of the film. It was awesome, nothing like we’ve seen before, and one I’m excited to see again and again.

Like Lil’ J I’d rank it above Cars, and Monsters Inc. probably even Finding Nemo. I wouldn’t rank it above Wall-E, Toy Story 3, or The Incredibles, but I suspect it’ll grow on me through the years like these have, and if you ask us, it’s definitely worth seeing, especially with your kids!

Do you plan on seeing Inside Out?

If your kiddos want some fun before or after seeing the movie, here are some activity sheets from Disney that I’ve uploaded for you!: Spot the difference game, coloring page, emotional door hangers and my personal favorite: Inside Out inspired nail art tutorials.