The Unremarkables...

Rating: Null/10 (24 November 2004)

Though well made, sometimes very funny and imaginative, in the end THE INCREDIBLES could just as well be called The Unremarkables. While certainly a nice job is done by all, THE INCREDIBLES has the poor fortune to follow Pixar's other masterpieces to the screen and can't rise out of the shadows of the TOY STORY films, MONSTERS, INC. and FINDING NEMO. THE INCREDIBLES sets it sites higher than those films, as far as its outlandish story goes, but while its save-the-world adventure seems more grand in comparison to the seemingly mundane antics of the other films' miniature characters, the story comes off as being really rather ordinary.
THE INCREDIBLES has really nothing new to offer, just an odd juxtaposition of old ideas and clichés from the two genres it grafts together. In tying together the world of the typical family sitcom with the premise of a routine superhero adventure, the film seeks originality, but the most remarkable thing about the film is that it shows that superhero tales have become just as mundane as your typical family sitcom.
I think the magic of Pixar's previous efforts comes from more than just the wonderful artwork. Those films took us to other worlds or forced us to look at our world from a different perspective. THE INCREDIBLES goes from everyday suburbia to the inner sanctum of a mad genius out to control the world and the sad reality is that we have already been to the latter as often, if not more so, than the former. Saving the world is just not what it used to be; on the heels of James Bond, Spider-Man, Superman and an endless list of others, what The Incredibles do is old hat. And let's face it, in the toon world what these characters do is not that big of a deal either; from Bugs Bunny and Wiley Coyote to Goofy and Roger Rabbit, being indestructible and defying the laws of physics are pretty common tricks.
Everything THE INCREDIBLES offers -- strength, speed, flexibility, invisibility -- has a been-there-done-that quality. All the classic cartoon characters were, to one extent or another, already superhuman.
As such, superheroism in the toon world is a given; it is when the gifts that defy physics and common sense are endowed on real actors that the genre still has a sense of awe. When Christopher Reeve flies, when Tobey Maguire swings, when James Bond whips out Q's gadgets or Indiana Jones cracks his whip, the images still carry a kick -- men doing what cartoon characters take for granted. We can live vicariously through Superman or James Bond, but how often do we fantasize being Donald Duck or even Underdog?
To me, the Incredibles' derring-do pales in comparison to the toys in TOY STORY figuring out how to drive a car or the great aquarium escape in FINDING NEMO. Just as much imagination may have been expended in helping The Incredibles save New York City, but how many times have we seen New York saved in recent years? On the other hand, the trip through the closet to Monstropilis was a wonderful new experience.
This is not to say that THE INCREDIBLES is a bad or unrewarding. Indeed, it was worth it just to hear Holly Hunter as Elastigirl -- with that voice she was born to do cartoon voiceovers.