The Incredibles was a smash hit when it came out back in 2004. It helped further establish that Pixar could do just about anything, and it was also an amazing film in its own right. In fact, comic fans have long noted the irony that Incredibles is the closest we have ever come to ever getting a good Fantastic Four movie! Now, Incredibles 2 is here, and the movie delivers everything that fans wanted: more heroes, more villains, more action. It feels like every frame of every scene is chock full of detail.
In fact, there is so much for people to find that it’s virtually impossible to take it all in upon a single viewing. Pixar did their job a little too well, and fans are going to have to watch this film over and over to try to find it all, and they are guaranteed to discover something new every single time. Don’t worry -- we’re here to give you a jump start on noticing all of these cool details. With our comprehensive guide, you’ll discover the very best secrets and easter eggs hidden within Incredibles 2. And once you’ve read this, you’ll never be able to look at this film the same way again! All you have to do is channel your inner Dash and run right into all the cool things you missed in The Incredibles 2.
15 MOCK MAN BEGINS
Considering how fast his feet are, it’s not that surprising that Dash has a pretty quick wit, too. He gets a lot of good one-liners in the movie, including when he tells his parents that his powers are what defines him. When his dad asks, Dash simply says he heard someone say it on TV one time.
If the line sounded familiar, it should: the movie is basically mocking Batman from Batman Begins, who contended “it’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.” That movie supported the idea that Bruce Wayne was the true mask and Batman was what really mattered. Meanwhile, the Incredibles is all about balancing your powers and your normal life.
14 A113 REFERENCES
If you’re a hardcore Pixar fan, you won’t be surprised that there are plenty of “A113” references throughout the movie. If you don’t know why, here’s the deal: this refers to a very specific classroom at the California Institute of Arts in Valencia. Plenty of animators went to that college, so the reference pops up in plenty of animated work.
It pops up in quite a few places in Incredibles 2 as well. You can see it on the occasional car license plate and on the side of the train that Elastigirl stops. Finally, there’s a partial reference at the end when the movie Violet is going to see is “Dementia 113.” Be warned: once you start noticing “A113” references in Pixar movies, you’ll never be able to stop!
13 NO CAPES: THE STATUE
The whole deal with Winston Deavor in Incredibles 2 is that he (and his father before him) really love superheroes. To help underscore this, Deavor mentions how his father paid for a statue of Dynaguy. It seems like a random plot point, but it’s actually a throwaway reference to some dark humor from the first film.
If you recall, Edna Mode has a pretty simple rule for superhero costume design: no capes! One of the reasons for this is that Dynaguy wore a cape, and he perished when it got caught as he was trying to take off. So, while the statue in the second movie honors his life, it’s also a reminder to the new generation of heroes to not go out like he did!
12 CLASSICAL JACK JACK
Speaking of Edna Mode, she gets roped into babysitting Jack Jack overnight so a beleaguered Mr. Incredible can actually get a night of rest. She ends up designing the baby a suit and bonding with him, including figuring out what music he likes. Mr. Incredible seems surprised at how much Jack Jack digs the music of Mozart when he returns to get the baby.
Of course, Mr. Incredible (and the audience) shouldn’t really be that surprised. In the short film Jack Jack Attack (released back in 2005), we see his babysitter trying to stimulate the baby’s mind with a Mozart CD. Pretty soon, he’s unleashing his full powers... which Edna Mode later attributes to his passion for the classic composer.
11 HIDDEN THEME SONGS
Winston Deavor doesn’t just admire heroes in Incredibles 2. He is a full on fanboy, which he shows by singing the various theme songs to his favorite characters. One of those is Elastigirl’s theme song, and in one scene, she keeps him from singing any more of it. That doesn’t mean you don’t get to hear it, though!
During the ending credits (when a lot of people are busy just shuffling out of the theater), you actually get to hear Elastigirl’s theme song. It’s oddly catchy, and you might end up memorizing it just as Deavor did. Stay through the whole credits and you get the complete set, including theme songs for Mr. Incredible and Frozone!
10 BULLET FOR YOUR THOUGHTS
One of the funnier plot devices in Incredibles 2 includes Mr. Incredible’s old car. He was previously told it was damaged beyond repair, but then he sees that a rich man has now bought the restored vehicle. Without missing a beat, he runs to go dig a remote control for the car out of storage.
There’s a pretty great detail hidden in this scene. As he searches for the remote, you see a jar that looks like a standard jar of coins. Upon closer inspection, though, you can see that it is a jar of bullets that have bounded off his chest. It’s a fun nod to both his bulletproof nature and his need to have mementos that remind him of his glory days!
9 (RE)RETURN OF THE UNDERMINER?
One thing that no one could have predicted is that the Underminer is now the longest-running Incredibles villain. He popped up at the end of the first movie, and the sequel shows us the resulting fight. Unfortunately, the villain manages to get away, which is one of the reasons the Incredibles are in so much trouble with the authorities.
Will Underminer return? The end credits sequence of Incredibles 2 makes it seem possible, as we can see a brief scene of his drill coming up from under the ground. Obviously, it could just be a fun detail to throw in (and the credits are full of great easter eggs), but we like to think we haven’t seen the last of this Mole Man-esque villain.
8 RELEASE DATE
Obviously, Incredibles fans have been waiting a long time for the sequel. The idea that adults are going to be more excited to see this sequel than actual kids has even become the stuff of countless memes. However, is it possible that the wait was part of a crazy easter egg?
If you remember Syndrome, the villain from the first movie, Mr. Incredible first tries to make peace by appealing to his love of heroes. Syndrome tells him it’s too late for that: “15 years too late!” The first movie came out in 2004, and the original release date for the sequel was going to be in 2019. Pixar moved the release date up to help out Toy Story 4, but the original date would have made the sequel come out 15 years after the original film!
7 SECOND PLACE, FIRST WINNER
A big part of the first movie was the Incredibles family balancing being able to use their powers while not getting discovered. The best example of this occurs at the end, where Mr. Incredible reluctantly allows Dash to join the track team. Dash makes sure to get second place instead of using his powers to easily snag the first place prize.
It’s apparently a lesson that stuck with Dash. If you look closely in Incredibles 2, there is a scene where Dash is wearing a shirt that simply has the number “two” written on it. This is actually the same shirt he received for getting second place in the race in the first movie, and he now wears it with pride. It’s a nice nod to the idea that he has learned the lessons (some of them, at least) of his parents.
6 RETURN OF THE RATZENBERGER
While he’s not in the movie very long, we get to see a lot more of the Underminer in Incredibles 2. And we get to hear a lot more form him as well. And for hardcore fans, his voice may sound very familiar. And it should, as no Pixar movie is truly complete without hearing from this guy!
The Underminer is voiced by John Ratzenberger. He has voiced at least one character in every Pixar movie going all the way back to Toy Story, where he voiced the character Hamm. He’s also been the Yeti in Monsters University, Mack in Cars, and Fritz in Inside Out. Sometimes, his role is “blink and you miss it,” but he’s back front and center at the beginning of Incredibles 2!
5 DASH HAS GOOD TASTE
Something that will drive you crazy (if you let it) is trying to figure out exactly when the Incredibles movies take place. On one hand, they have technology (such as Mr. Incredible’s car) that rival anything in our own world. On the other hand, much of the style of these movies is deliberately retro.
And there’s a weird detail about Dash that makes it seem even more retro. While Elastigirl is busy chasing a runaway train in Incredibles 2, Dash covertly calls her to ask where his high-tops are. This, of course, refers to his Chuck Taylor shoes. While it would be fitting for a modern athlete to sport these shoes, they first came into style in the '20s, furthering the idea that these might be vintage films.
4 HAPPY ENDING FOR VIOLET?
A surprising plot point in Incredibles 2 focuses on Violet’s love life... or, more specifically, her lack of a love life. This is because the boy she was going to go out on a date with saw her in her superhero costume and had to have his mind wiped. Unfortunately, the mind wipe went too far and made him forget he had ever met her!
This led to Violet (and the audience) wondering if they would ever be able to get together and be happy. By the end of the movie, Violet asks him out to the movies. Will they work out as a couple? The movie hints this is so, as when she is talking to him we can see a poster for the “happily ever after” dance behind them. Here’s hoping that’s the ending for them!
3 THE COMMON CORE CONUNDRUM
A scene from Incredibles 2 that was prominently featured in the trailers for the film included Mr. Incredible’s frustration at changes made to Dash’s math education. He can’t understand why they changed how it is being taught and keeps loudly exclaiming “math is math, MATH IS MATH!”
Younger viewers may not know why their parents are laughing so hard at this scene. What the movie is poking fun at is the “Common Core” education model. The idea was to make sure everyone receives the same kind of education throughout the United States. However, it included radical changes to math education, confusing many parents who could no longer help their kids because they grew up doing math in a different way.
2 AMBASSADOR'S SECRETS
Early in her revived career, one of Elastigirl’s biggest moments is saving the life of an ambassador for the United League of Nations. In most scenes, she is simply referred to as “the ambassador,” but her actual name is Henrietta Selick. And this name is another sly reference to Pixar’s humble past!
“Henrietta Selick” is a barely disguised reference to “Henry Selick.” Like Incredibles director Brad Bird, he went to the California Institute of Arts and then went on to be a big name at Disney, directing movies such as James and the Giant Peach, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Coraline. It’s a small detail, but her name is just another way Brad Bird is sharing the love with his fellow animators.
1 GOING ON A "QUEST"
One fun detail about Incredibles 2 is that when characters watch TV, they are often watching real television programs instead of ones created for the movie. Mr. Incredible, for instance, tries to sneak in some Outer Limits before Jack Jack wakes back up. Meanwhile, Dash prefers to watch a very specific cartoon.
In a quick scene, we see that Dash is watching the cartoon Jonny Quest on TV. This is interesting (and funny) on a few different levels: Brad Bird claims this cartoon (as well as Outer Limits) motivated his desire to make the first Incredibles movie. And both of these shows are old enough (Outer Limits came out in 1963 and Jonny Quest came out in 1964) that it furthers the idea that the Incredibles takes place many years ago.