Relatively edgy and violent, but also smart and observant, this is an excellent family feature

Rating: 8/10 (8 July 2016)

As Roger Ebert once pointed out, "On the surface, 'The Incredibles' is a goof on superhero comics. Underneath, it's a critique of modern American uniformity". That it is, a double-objective accomplished by emphasizing the incompatibility between the fantasy antics of the superhero world, and our own. The result is a marked attempt to broaden the Pixar audience, and a stand-out action flick.
Given the central group, it should come as no surprise that family dynamics are the best asset. Of course, to one degree or another, all the Pixar films are about families; the "Toy Story" trilogy made this a progressively emphasized component. What sets "The Incredibles" apart is how observant it is about the subject. Some of the best scenes in the movie simply show the interplay amongst the family members, and throughout we witness marital dissonance, sibling rivalry, parental concern, etc. It's all portrayed convincingly and makes the characters come alive in a down to Earth way rarely achieved in the Pixar movies. More importantly, we care about these guys, because they clearly care about each other, even if they sometimes have a difficult time showing it. Nothing quite like thwarting a villainous plot for bonding time.
Concerning the individual characters, Bob and Helen are the standouts. The former is actually a pretty complex creation for this genre, and the screenplay quite cleverly adapts the whole mid-life crisis element to his circumstances. He has a desire to help people, and tries to do so with what life has allowed him. The problem is that he doesn't feel valued for his efforts. More importantly, he doesn't value his line of work, which he believes wastes his capabilities (that last point serves as an interesting running theme also evident in the kids and Edna), and such a lack of motivation follows him home. A call for parents to draw a more stark line between work and home, perhaps? Helen, I believe, is the stronger character, and one of my personal favorites from the Pixar canon. She's the more level-headed of the two and throughout the movie has to keep everyone else in check. It's a great demonstration of the importance of her role in her family and greatly endears us to her. Not to mention, she's got a real knack for quick thinking.
The other characters serve their purposes adequately. Syndrome is an amusing spoof of megalomaniacal bad guys (e.g. Lex Luthor), while Edna (a delightful nod to Q from the James Bond series), with her seemingly endless resources, dismissive attitude about her height and exacting attitude, may be my favorite supporting character in these movies. Violet and Dash aren't defined much beyond basic attributes, but their presence reinforces certain themes (notice how much more confident they seem after using their abilities in fulfilling ways) and their subplots are resolved well. I particularly liked how Dash's school race at the end was more an exercise in self-control than "being the best by a tiny bit". At that point, his relatives' opinions were the only ones that mattered. How nice.
On the visual level, this one is not quite as fanciful as, say, "Toy Story 2" or "Finding Nemo". There's a good variety of locations and the costumes really pop on screen, largely due to the combination of black with bright red, but overall this movie has a relatively subdued look. Even so, it gets major points for the actions of its key players. Every major member of the Parr family has a pretty standard superpower, but these are all utilized in a wide variety of dynamic and interesting ways. I still remember feeling surprised at Elastigirl's first display of speed and agility, a good indicator of the energy with which these powers are portrayed. Beyond that, it's also worth noting how the characters use their powers for expression (notice Violet hiding from her crush and Helen increasing in height as she yells) or for ordinary, everyday actions. It makes certain scenes that much more interesting to watch. Beyond that, I love the sense of scale. Bob staring up at an absurdly large computer screen almost gives the impression of being in an IMAX theater, while the Omnidroids both look and feel big, thanks to both the quality of animation and camera angles.
All this being said, "The Incredibles" is not perfect. For one, it does take longer to kick off than others in its own line. The first act, while necessary to set-up the main story, doesn't really cut loose in a way one would expect. This is supposed to be the golden age of superheroes; shouldn't there be more seen in action? Once we get to the family dinner scene, things start to get good. What's more, I would have preferred more interaction within the Parr family, which is sparse for a considerable chunk of the running length. The way that Bob comes to appreciate Helen and the kids could have had more thought put into it, but at least, as shown in the prelude to the climax, it's a development treated with weight when it could have easily been perfunctory. But my biggest reservation is how Syndrome is dispatched. I, for one, would have found it more satisfying for the Parrs to coordinate their powers to defeat this guy in a direct fight, rather than just having him undone by an (admittedly funny) wardrobe malfunction.
But, these defects are ultimately of little consequence. "The Incredibles" is a fine and intelligent animated feature, and one of the few from the pertinent animation studio that is fruitful for a continuation.