It's Incredible

Rating: 10/10 (9 July 2018)

Before The Incredibles, Pixar made films like Toy Story, A Bugs Life and Monsters Inc. They've always avoided human focused storylines because of the lack of the technology. But they have got the animation down to perfection here from the facial expressions and character movements. The textures of hair and muscle movements are also a great achievement. Looking back today the animation still looks impressive.
There are so many films it pays homage to but to great effect. It's more of a satire of films than a spoof. It mostly deals with comic book films like Fantastic 4 but it actually works as its own movie. It also has a 60s Bond espionage feel to it. These heroes do their work in the shadows like secret agents, our lead character is cool and charismatic and the villain lives in a Volcano. Like every Pixar film before it, it's a cleverly written film because it's not just aimed at kids. It deals with subjects like political commentary, the mundane restraints of work life and letting yourself go. It's a film about family, redemption, rejection and consequences. Some films feel forced whenever they tackle social subjects but the writers manage to balance all of these subjects that work well within the story.
The action scenes are really exciting and inventive. There are so many subtle comedic moments and there are some heartfelt ones too. It takes so many risks and it's a surprise to see some of the darker scenes make it into the film. Voice actors Craig T Nelson, Brad Bird, Holly Hunter and Samuel L Jackson each give memorable performances and the exciting music score by Michael Giacchino elevates the action scenes to another level. Stan Lee once said it was the best superhero film he's ever seen, and he wasn't wrong. It puts a lot of superhero films to shame.