Super(b)! Pixar Does It Again! One of the Year's Best!

Rating: Null/10 (16 November 2004)

THE INCREDIBLES (2004) **** (VOICES of: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Lee, Sarah Vowell, Spencer Fox, Elizabeth Pena, Brad Bird, Wallace Shawn, John Ratzenberger) (Dir: Brad Bird) Pixar does it again! Wonderfully funny and fast-paced animated valentine to comic book heroes with a unique spin: the titular family of action heroes are part of a federal witness relocation program - after society has deemed them too 'special' resulting in far-too-many legal woes  that eventually find themselves back fighting the good fight when Mr. Incredible (Nelson in square-jawed jocularity) faces a new enemy in the form of Syndrome (Lee, having a snarky field day), a former fan of the superhero who has now made it his life's mission to off his one-time would-be mentor, while attempting to raise a family with Elastigirl (the ever feisty and able Hunter) with varied results.
Excellently cast  especially NPR personality Vowell as the Incredible' eldest, painfully shy daughter (love the curtain of hair-one-eye look!) Violet and Fox as the middle, precocious tow-headed son (aptly named) Dash who both are becoming aware of their 'specialness' as adolescence beckons (metaphors aplenty!) Jackson lends able support as fellow hero Frozone, a (literally) cool dude bud of the family as well as the ever irrepressible Shawn as the pip-squeaked 'boss' of Mr. Incredible's alias Bob Parr, an insurance claims adjustor; and Pena as a femme fatale named Mirage who bares more than a striking resemblance to Gwyneth Paltrow morphed with a pipe cleaner. But it is director Bird who steals the show voicing the fashionista/costume designer Edna E. Mode  think Linda Hunt meets Edith Head  in a hilarious no-holds-barred slap of surreality to the reluctantly returning superheroes into the fray. Bird is also no slouch in keeping the breakneck pace and overall retro '50s/'60s look of the film (think those Rankin Bass holiday animated specials) while expertly sifting pop culture in-the-knowisms to the genre at hand. What is most surprising is the warmhearted emotion that is on display with the gut-busting comedy juggling act of breathless action. One of the year's best films.