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The Preview Reel: Incredibles 2 and Tag

Scott Davis
The Preview Reel

Welcome to this week’s “Preview Reel” column, wherein we look at the week’s upcoming wide-release movies. Ocean’s 8 enjoyed a solid opening as it walked away with a franchise best $41.5 million first weekend haul, but its reign atop the box office is likely to be a short-lived one. Disney and Pixar’s long-awaited sequel to their tale of a family of super heroes, Incredibles 2, hits theaters almost fourteen years after the original film became one of the studio’s biggest hits. There’s also another lighthearted affair, Tag, although this one is aimed at adults (despite being about a children’s game). Both comedies seem focused on different demographics, but which is more worthy of a trip to the cineplexes?

 

Incredibles 2 (2018)

What we are excited about: Pixar wasn’t originally known for making sequels. Sure, Toy Story 2 (1999) came out early on in their existence, but they never really made follow-ups to their wildly successful original properties. Then the floodgates opened with Toy Story 3 (2010), Cars 2 (2011), Monsters University (2013), Finding Dory (2016), and most recently, Cars 3 (2017). But everyone always kept wondering where the sequel to The Incredibles was. Well, it’s finally here, and we’re hoping it will be worth the wait. The original superhero animated film won Best Animated Feature in 2005 and has gone onto stand the test of time, and might be even more relevant today with all the superhero movies in existence. We’re excited that Brad Bird is back writing and directing this sequel and we’re hopeful that he can make a movie as fun and heartfelt as that 2004 classic. It’s a high bar to meet, but we’re confident that Bird and company have a good idea for a sequel or else they wouldn’t have come back.

What we are worried about: Pixar’s track record with sequels is a little spotty. Yes, Toy Story 2 is great and Toy Story 3 is arguably even better, but remember Cars 3? Yeah, we barely can too. Even Finding Dory seems to have lost its luster just two years later, which begs the question: do we really need sequels to these movies? Pixar seems to strive when they tell original stories (like last year’s Coco [2017]), but we don’t want to see them returning to safe sequels like other studios (DreamWorks) again and again. Yes, we are excited to see the “Incredible” family back in action, but the excitement might not be able to match the quality seen in their original story.

The Buzz: Incredibles 2 is one of the most anticipated movies of the year and the buzz has been growing rapidly over the last few weeks. The film is getting incredible (pun intended) reviews as it sits at 97% on RottenTomatoes and 85 on MetaCrtic as of this writing. With the glowing reviews and the huge nostalgia factor, we think it will debut to an outstanding $135 million and have great legs throughout the summer.

Final Thoughts: The Incredibles is one of Pixar’s best flicks and even though they don’t always nail their sequels, we’re confident Brad Bird can deliver a film that lives up to the expectations.

 

Tag (2018)

What we are excited about: The premise of the movie looks ridiculously silly, until you realize that it is purportedly based on a true story. It’s a great set-up for a comedy; a group of friends have been playing the same game of tag for years, and it has continued into their adulthood. It’s a fun premise that is a set-up for some nice comedic set pieces, especially when you consider the talent involved. Ed Helms, Jon Hamm, Jake Johnson, Hannibal Buress, Rashida Jones, and Jeremy Renner headline the impressive cast and we’re hoping the material gives them plenty of chances to show off their comedic chops.

What we are worried about: While it is a good set-up, we’re a little worried about this plot not being able to sustain a whole film. If the filmmakers and writers can put these talented actors in funny situations, then it could work, but we can see this getting a little old rather quickly. Comedies are hard to judge based off their trailers, and that is precisely the case with Tag.

The Buzz: The trailers have garnered some buzz, but not much to take away from the summer’s biggest blockbusters. This could be nice counter programming to the kid-friendly Incredibles 2, but that seems like it is going to be a hit with all ages. With no reviews as of this writing we think Tag will open to a solid $15 million.

Final Thoughts: This one seems like a solid rental down the road, while Incredibles 2 seems like a must see in theaters.

Scott Davis

Scott Davis is a recent graduate of Oakland University where he earned a degree in journalism. He worked for the student newspaper on campus, The Oakland Post, where he became the paper's managing editor. He also earned a minor in Cinema Studies at OU. Scott enjoys all things film and TV related, especially the blockbuster kind. He might be the biggest Christopher Nolan fan you know.
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