Look up in the sky! Is it a bird? Yes, it's indeed Brad Bird

Rating: 9/10 (8 November 2004)

There's something very homey/cozy about The Incredibles the way Iron Giant (also directed by Brad Bird) was. It had a certain quietness to it where jokes don't need to be happening every few seconds (which Disney tries to do a lot--which also tries to cover up the shallowness of their storytelling), because, well, the whole idea and genre is funny in itself. The whole idea of an overweight, aging superhero working in an ill-fit cubicle with that certain expression on his face speaks volumes. It's not a type of joke you get by trying to verbally explaining it to somebody. Unlike the previous Pixar film "Finding Nemo," this film goes for a more minimalistic, almost 2-D in nature, more expressive and animated. It's not breath-takingly realistic (although there are moments that blew me away) as it's more stylized, cartoony. Some will complain about certain slow spots as the story builds on the characters and situations (not much unlike Iron Giant), but that's where moments of clever ideas and dialogue sets in. While I visually enjoyed "Finding Nemo," I have to say some of the inventiveness of such films as Toy Story series and Incredibles wasn't as prevalent in that movie.
In that sense, I found Incredibles to be much more satisfying than "Finding Nemo", "Bug's Life" and "Monsters Inc." It's not as up there as "Toy Story 2" (which I consider very very high in terms CG movies, and probably one of the best sequels ever made) but comes pretty close. I must say one of the reasons Pixar movies tend to be a step above most animations (even Shrek 2) is that beyond all the technical aspects, there's often something a little more deep, if not poignant, in the stories. Incredibles is no exception. The characters go through human struggles and obstacles that many people (even the fishes in Finding Nemo had human struggles) go through. They may not be exactly the same struggles we are familiar with, but there are certainly parallels. We may not have super-powers, but we all have certain gifts which we can maximize for good, or purpose. Many adults, who grew up with Superman, X-men, and Fantastic Four will find a lot of the powers quite familiar, and I must say I'm happy to see Ice-M..I mean, Frozone, utilize his powers in so many clever ways as well as all the other great characters. The way the film goes, it's pretty inevitable that there will most likely be a sequel, although I'm not sure if that basically means Disney, and not Pixar (which will move on from Disney), will work on the sequel (I'd love a sequel, only if Pixar does it). Overall, "The Incredibles" is clever, satirical, thoughtful, heart-warming, and extremely enjoyable. Among films I've seen this year, this film leaves a nice, satisfying grin in my face. 10/10