If you wanted definitive proof this year’s Incredibles 2 is not a film for kids, it’s arrived straight from the director’s mouth – or rather his Twitter account – which is the next best thing, I guess.
The long-awaited sequel picks right up from where the 2004 original left off with the original characters and their ages remaining the same but the film’s tone taking a slightly more adult approach.
Which makes sense for folks such as myself, as it is a sequel aimed at those who watched the first film all those year’s ago, as much as it is for a new, younger audience.
The first Incredibles film was your straight-down-the-line superhero movie where they had to defeat a jealous super villain (and a blueprint for how to do a good Fantastic Four movie). But the sequel takes on more mature topics, along with a swear word here-or-there, which has not gone down well with parents taking their younger children to watch the second instalment.
Brad Bird, the director who took a break from Twitter to focus on the film, responded defiantly to criticism on the social media platform. He had to remind one disappointed cinema-goer Incredibles 2 was rated PG (parental guidance).
The disgruntled Twitter user to told Bird:
Loved Incredibles 2 but seriously, @BradBirdA113 why the cuss words? I probably won’t buy it now. That was the only disappointing thing in the movie. I just don’t think its appropriate and I shouldn’t have to filter a kids movie. #Incredibles2 #letthekidsbekids
Bird replied back, Tweeting:
With all due respect, it is NOT a “kids movie”. It is animated, and rated PG.
While it was only a few cuss words in the film, some parents would not let the issue rest. One person said:
I didn’t notice cursing, but I was disappointed the movie wasn’t great for kids. So much talking, expositing. My 4-year daughter barely made it through the boredom, after having loved the first one just a week earlier.
Bird fired back stating:
She’s FOUR. Presumably, she watched the first one at home, where she could run around, do other things, etc. Are you really asking me to write to suit your 4 year old’s (age appropriate) attention span? Do you judge 2&1/2 hour Marvel or Lucasfilm movies the same way?
But before the debate could escalate into a full-blown heated argument on Twitter, Bird stepped in as the voice of reason and more importantly stressed the fact that just because a film is animated it doesn’t automatically mean it’s for kids.
He told:
Everybody calm down. All discussions polarize so quickly in social media (what I like least about it). @MonkeyTigerHead doesn’t want his kids to cuss and was respectful about saying so. I respectfully took issue with the idea that animation is a kids medium. No one is bad here!
According to CBR, Bird had always intended to make the second Incredibles flick with a more mature tone. While the language may be a little heavier for Pixar, this isn’t the first time they’ve dealt with adult themes – as proven in Coco, Up and The Toy Story series.
Incredibles 2 is in UK cinemas from July 13.
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