Disney Trailer Analysis: The Incredibles 2

The trailer opens with a very familiar and relatable situation - the family dinner. As well as establishing the film's theme of family life mixing with superhero life, it appeals to family audiences (Disney 4-Quadrant Marketing Plan)and gives the audience a sense of the ordinary with only a dash (no pun intended) of superpowers, preparing them for the extraordinary things they are about to witness. The sibling rivalry in this scene provides comedy, and is again, very relatable, but with a superhero twist.

After setting up the family dynamic, the audience is shown a montage of the inciting incident and first act of the film, where Elastigirl is recruited to spearhead a publicity stunt to regain the public's trust in superheroes. This montage will appeal to female members of the audience, giving them a powerful (literally) action-hero role model. The rising cinematic action hits in the soundtrack reinforce the superhero genre, and create a triumphant atmosphere, perhaps suggestive of the sequel finally being released into theatres - the wait is over.

Immediately after this, the iconic Incredibles musical motif plays, while the institution information is displayed in an intertitle. The music speeds up, indicative of rising action, and we see the comical gender role reversal of the dad having to stay at home and take care of the kids while the mum is out working. The fast-paced and dramatic music here suggests another of the film's themes, that parenting is just as much of a heroic act as stopping supervillains.

Then, as the trailer reaches its climax, the music and editing pace building, while intertitles saying "It's time to get back... to being Incredible" would appeal to the nostalgia of general adult audiences and hardcore Disney fans, as they would remember the original film from their childhoods. The return of beloved characters Edna Mode and Lucius (Frozone) would also appeal to fans of the original.

The climax of the trailer is interrupted by an almost-fourth-wall-break, as the film's main villain, the Screen Slaver, hijacks the trailer. This creates intrigue and mystery, as the audience would want to find out more about this powerful new villain whose powers have leaked into the real world.

In my opinion, the trailer for The Incredibles 2 is highly successful in selling the film, as it appeals to a broad range of audiences, doesn't give away too much of the plot, and remains faithful to the original.