PIXAR continues to prove its skill with this exciting, thought-provoking superhero cartoon

Rating: 9/10 (2 December 2004)

It would seem impossible for an animated film to successfully combine family quarrels, mid-life crises and living in a world that squelches excellence along with the exploits of superheroes, but somehow, Pixar's 'The Incredibles' manages to get it done, and done right.
Mr. Incredible's life is in shambles. Driven underground along with the rest of the Earth's champions, he is forced to live incognito in a world where superheroism has for all intents and purposes been criminalized due to excessive lawsuits from people claiming to have been harmed by their exploits. Using his alter ego Bob Parr (voice of Craig T. Nelson), Mr. Incredible now works as an insurance claims adjuster.
His wife Helen, the superheorine Elastigirl (voice of Holly Hunter) has been rendered a stay-at-home mom, looking after their superpowered offspring Dash (voice of Spencer Fox), who can run at superspeed, and Violet (voice of Sarah Vowell), who can turn invisible and create forcefields. They are all being smothered in the suburban setting, forced to hide their powers and accept life in an increasingly mediocre world.
That is until Mr. Incredible is contacted by a mysterious woman named Mystique, who is in need of a superhero. Deciding to relive his glory days, he sneaks behind his family's back to do super deeds. Helen becomes suspicious, but discovers too late what her husband has been doing. It seems a supervillain named Syndrome (voice of Jason Lee) has been behind the plot to get Mr. Incredible active again. She heads out to rescue her husband, but must also contend with her children who have snuck aboard her plane.
As far as a superhero story goes, 'The Incredibles' is downright amazing. Every cliché is covered, from the island lair to the cackling villain who was a former admirer of the superhero, however they are all dealt with in such a snappy manner that one doesn't really care that it has been done before.
Furthermore, this isn't just a movie about a family of superheroes, it's about family bonding as well. It expertly handles the mid-life crisis angle, having Bob and Helen both feeling stifled. Bob's desire to relive his youth puts him at odds with his family, and he must decide what is more important to him.
Sometimes fantasy can touch on social commentary better than most drama does, and 'The Incredibles' does that fine as well. The filmmakers use the plot as a clever ploy to make some sharp comments on American culture. Such as how excellence is routinely suppressed in favor of conformity, with everyone being forced to lower their standards out of fear of self-esteem damage to the less gifted. Bob remarks at one point 'They're constantly finding new ways to celebrate mediocrity,' and one can't help but nod in agreement.
The voice acting is top notch, with Nelson providing the right tone to suggest both an overstressed white-collar drone as well as a superstrengthed champion of justice. Hunter brings a surprisingly nuanced performance to her character Helen, and manages to handle both the mom and superheroine duties effectively. Lee is wonderfully sadistic in the villain role, reminding us of his smarminess in Kevin Smith's films. Fox and Vowell bring life to their characters as well, which is commendable among actors their age, and Samuel L. Jackson is funny as Mr. Incredible's ice shooting superhero friend Frozone.
Pixar has really outdone themselves this time, bringing moviegoers a film that is, well, incredible. While it's not quite as good as 'Finding Nemo,' what movie could be? It's action-packed, suspenseful, and full of positive family values, plus it's just a hoot to watch. 'The Incredibles' will appeal to anyone with a hero inside of them.