Pixar, I expected more from you.

Rating: Null/10 (13 November 2004)

After seeing the superb "Toy Story" duo as well as the heartwarming "Monsters Inc.", I went to the movie theater with hopeful anticipation, expecting to be floored by yet another Pixar gem. But I came out only partially satisfied. Maybe I'm old-fashioned; maybe I didn't grow up on superhero/comic book mythology; but to me, notwithstanding the breathtaking computer animation work Pixar has long been known for, the movie lacked one very important element which makes a film memorable - soul. In the end, it turned out to be a soulless movie with amazing graphics. Most of the running time I felt like I was playing an endless video game (which it will undoubtedly become). I laughed twice during the movie, and was genuinely taken with only two characters - the hilarious Bomb Voyage, whose time on the screen was - sacre bleu! - way too short, and the snootily hip fashion designer Edna M. Mode, who added the few degrees of dimensionality and soul to the film.
I still fondly remember the first Pixar short, "Luxor Jr.". Who would think that one could pack some much grace and soul into two minutes, two desk lamps and a bouncing ball? Of course, CGI has taken a giant leap forward since then, but I still get a lump (lamp?) in my throat when I think about Luxor Jr. In my book, that little film has more soul than all the characters of "The Incredibles" put together. ***4.5 or 5 out of 10***