Very good but hardly great

Rating: 6/10 (11 November 2005)

I am commenting on The Incredibles only because I appear to be in the minority. While I admired the witty writing, the amazing animation, and most of the voice work, I was not as impressed with The Incredibles as were most of the other reviewers.
I had two main problems with this film: First, it is simply too long. There should be far more deleted scenes on the DVD. It must be heartbreaking to cut scenes into which the film makers have poured so much love and effort, both of which are evident here. Nevertheless, had it been, say, 20 minutes shorter, it would have been a better film.
Second, this film does not find an effective balance between being funny and being moving. The silliness is great, but when they get into territory that ought to move us -- and they do appear to be trying to move us, the feeling is one of detachment.
The other reviewers have done a wonderful job of hailing the film's many strengths. I want only to round out the picture with these impressions.