Pixar continues to outdo itself; "The Incredibles 2" can't come soon enough.

Rating: 10/10 (7 November 2004)

Every few years, the good people at Pixar Animation Studios see fit to bless us with a new masterpiece; thus has it been since they first revolutionized the world of animation with "Toy Story", one of the films that defined my childhood. For my money, "Toy Story II" was the best Pixar film; up until I saw "The Incredibles", that is. Now I'm not sure. After a second viewing, perhaps, things will be more clear. What is clear is that this is a remarkable film, one of the year's best. "Shrek 2" isn't fit to kiss it's boot. Pixar has always cast actors, rather than stars, in their films, and their outstanding casting work continues here; the only person who sticks out is Samuel L. Jackson, but he's just so cool that it doesn't matter. Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter are superb performers, and everyone contributing does a great job (including the director, Brad Bird). The film deals with some quite mature subject matter for a children's' film, including marital difficulties, midlife crises, and the hardships of normal life. The action in this film is a leap beyond anything that has ever been animated before, and puts most action movies to shame. I look forward to Brad Bird's next project, which I'm praying will be a sequel.