Ordinary Heroes ... Super Family ...

Rating: 9/10 (30 April 2015)

For his directorial debut in the Pixar Studios, Brad Bird had an idea of genius.
Indeed, "The Incredibles" is two things: a superhero movie genre with all the predictable archetypes and it's a commentary on the restraining uniformity of American suburban life. That "super hero/ ordinary family" contrast is the core of the film and the inspiration for its greatest moments. This achievement is even more remarkable given how familiar we are with these archetypes, yet they work in such a symbiosis that the set-ups are always predictable but not the outcomes, and the starting gimmick reveals itself a never-ending source of fun and entertainment.
The identity of superheroes and their struggle to fit in the real life is an overused theme but because we're watching a family movie, the formula is totally reversed, "The Incredibles" is about a 'normal family' trying to keep their super-heroic background secret, the focus is on the normal identity, not the superheroes. The first scenes are misleading: Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) has an appointment yet finds the time to save a cat, stop a bank robber, and bag thief with the providential help of Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), he meets one of his friends, Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson), he prevents a man from suicide, he intercepts a French villain with the suave name of Bomb Voyage, and one of his fans, a wannabe sidekick named IncrediBoy (Jason Lee) to blew it with his intervention. What a night, but he finds the time to join the church and marry the woman of his life, Elastigirl  the tone is set, the whole super-heroic stunts were just the prelude to a beautiful family story.
But these stunts weren't without consequences, two of them will be particularly dramatic. The suicidal man sues Incredible for having ruined his death rather than saved his life, starting a streak of successful lawsuits where heroes are condemned to pay indemnities for undesired interventions, hence becoming a liability to the Stage government. Finally, it's decided each of them to be relocated in a sort of witness protection-like program, with the order not to ever interfere, and live in anonymity. Superheroes all have weaknesses, Kryptonites, but no one can beat the bureaucracy. The enemy is normality. And this is a constant theme as the father Incredible, now Bob Parr, can't resuscitate the old past glory and is forced to work in a cubicle for a petty boss, Helen is a devoted housewife teaching her son not to run too fast, and fit in the crowd by not being special, not the super-heroic way. This contributes to one of the best quotes : "everyone's special" "which means no one is". I love how they twist the old cliché of the little boy who can't fit, but this time in the other way.
The second consequence was that the rejected sidekick will finally fill his heart with enough anger and resentment to become a supra-villain, in a mix of Lex Luthor and Spectre, in fact, many elements from "The Incredibles" borrows from James Bond and the 60's secret service superheroes classics, and the vintage feeling is a delight for the eyes. Even the setting looks like a futuristic view of USA as it was envisioned in the 60's, on this level, Brad Bird and team did a terrific job. Sensual secretaries, tropical landscape, launched missiles, a scene-stealing little designer, voiced by Brad Bird, and who plays the Q role, the super-heroic element is responsible for the greatest thrills while the family is the heart. This combination is the secret of "The Incredibles". We know the little boy Dash, will have to run faster than ever for an extreme great chase, we know Violet, the shy teenager will sure be capable to use her power to create magnetic field and impregnable bubbles, but how refreshing to share their first frustration. The kid can't run, and she's so shy she makes herself invisible.
It's great to see Mr Incredible reluctant to use his force although sometime he can help it, while he breaks the car window by closing the door too strongly or lifting it out of anger, or doing something we're all dreamed of like squashing the boss in the walls, he has to wait before fully using his powers. And Helen is reluctant to wear her new outfit and when she does, she can't help but notices her curves in the mirror. The script characterization keeps us with the sensation that we're watching real people, and the super powers become almost accessory, they do contribute to a variety of actions but it's all Bob, Helen, Dash, Violet  and yes, the baby Jack-Jack whose powers are unknown yet, but we can figure that they're letting it for the last act. It's a Family film in the real meaning of the word, it's for the family and about a family.
Most of the plot relies on very common clichés, but the film is much aware for them, and never hesitates to show it, denouncing the infamous monologue cliché or the way capes can become a lethal target, not to mention Samuel L. Jackson's performance, so authentic, calling it self-parody would be insult.