It really is incredible.

Rating: 9/10 (21 July 2018)

'The Incredibles (2004)' is a masterclass in character, always putting its central family in front of its superb superhero action. That action is often somewhat counter-intuitively but cleverly conveyed using the tropes and language of the spy genre, giving the movie a decidedly 60s flavour in the process. The piece is a much more mature affair than you might expect, being a family film in every sense of the word - a movie suitable for kids as opposed to one made for them. It is nuanced, affecting and will actually pay off more for the older members of its audience. It plays like a live-action picture with the world's most convincing special effects, since they're rendered exactly like the rest of the flick, and some of the most convincing characters, too. What makes the film so fantastic is that it's genuinely entertaining all the way through. It's properly funny, intriguing, suspenseful, emotionally impactful and exciting. What's so impressive is that it easily rises to the top of its genre, standing amongst the best of its peers (and even, in itself, commenting on them), despite being released when that very same genre was still in its infancy. It stands tall as apparent 'kid' fare that's far more mature than most 'adult' - or, at least, 'teen' - stuff being produced even today (over ten years after its release). It's effortlessly enjoyable and wonderfully conceived. Really, it's just incredible. 9/10