Incredibles 2 (PG)
Directed by Brad Bird

CONTINUING right where The Incredibles — Pixar's best-ever animated feature — left off 14 years ago, Helen/Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) is offered her dream job to front the campaign to legalise superheroes once more in this sequel.

In a stirring gender-swap scenario, she returns to work while Bob/Mr Incredible (Craig T Nelson) becomes a stay-at-home dad looking after the kids and discovering the 17-plus powers of offspring Jack-Jack (Eli Fucile).

Bob feels a little emasculated by the fact that it is his wife out saving the world and not him. He finds himself at his wits’ ends multi-tasking and dealing with the baby — something many parents will relate to.

Turning to designer to the gods Edna (Brad Bird) for help, he’s told that “done properly, parenting is a heroic act.” She agrees to provide babysitting assistance in exchange for total exclusivity in designing their costumes.

Edna's brief cameo is sublime, while Jack-Jack steals the film with his extraordinary antics. Like its predecessor, Incredibles 2 is perfectly pitched at adults and youngsters alike and is as entertaining, rich and detailed as the original. Writer-director Brad Bird was right to wait over a decade until he had a story equal to his previous masterpiece.

To those who say that politics, gender or otherwise, have no place in children's films I'd respond that it's time that they reflect society as it is instead of perpetuating social stereotypes. Enough of female characters being portrayed as damsels in distress — in servitude, in a deep coma or cooking and cleaning for wimpish men — who can only be saved by a strapping hero-prince.

Incredibles 2 has already become the biggest animated film of all time in the US and, deservedly, it looks set for incredible box office success here too.