The superhero film industry would be wise to look at exactly what Disney-Pixar’s Incredibles 2 has accomplished. Comic book hero sequels typically hinge on the boring formula of a hero, after riding the highs of success, succumbing to a predictable “even more powerful than me” downfall.

But this film has a particularly impressive director: Brad Bird, the animation-storytelling wunderkind behind the emotional likes of The Iron Giant, Ratatouille, and the original Incredibles. Default tropes won’t cut it.

Thus, Incredibles 2 wins by playing its established characters against each other in delightful ways, all while focusing Pixar’s special-effects portfolio on new and exciting cartoon antics.