The Moose Hole - Review of The Incredibles

Rating: 9/10 (6 November 2004)

Superman, Daredevil, The X-Men, and The Amazing Spider-Man  classic comic-book superheroes that have captured the imaginations of not only young children, but those young at heart as well across the world. Though they may have started off small in the two-dimensional world of the nickel comic-books, their popularity began to grow and expanded into spectacular franchises that were developed in the areas of television series, movies, and merchandising. Some have done better then others  as of this writing, Ben Affleck is still not speaking to Tobey Maguire  but no matter what the success, there will always be an audience for these fascinating figures. What is the cause for our fascinating fixation with these individuals and their seamlessly conventional plot-lines that are all basically a regurgitation of the vintage hero myth? In a way, we understand what the hero is going through and connect with the overwhelming obstacles that block his/her path to achieving his/her goal, what ever that may be. These amazing individuals are experiencing the same events we have experiences in our own lives, on an obviously different plane of course, and as they go about achieving their objectives, we look to them for inspiration in do so in our own time and place in the world.
The story centers on a family of superheroes that try and go about their daily, normal lives as civil citizens while at the same time concealing their extraordinary powers in an effort to blend in with the regular populous. Bob Parr, a faithful husband and father of three children, drives every day to work for a sleazy insurance company that cares more about their stockholders then their own clients, only to drag himself back home and repeat the process for the rest of the year. While at work, Bob dreams of the glory days when he was the world's greatest superhero, known exclusively as Mr. Incredible! That all came to an end when he was sued by a man he saved who apparently didn't want to be saved (he leaped off the top of a building in an attempt to commit suicide). This, of course, set off a string of frivolous lawsuits against all superheroes, costing the American government, as well as the taxpayers of this country, millions of dollars. The league of superheroes were eventually forced into retirement and relocated to new locations in order to live out a life of solidarity and blend in with the rest of normal society, never to use their powers for the collective good of humanity again. One night, Bob discovers an envelope in his briefcase that holds a communication device asking him to come to a secret island and take care of a rampaging robot located there that has been terrorizing a scientific organization established on the tropic location. When it turns out to be a trap, the rest of his family, including his wife, daughter and son, must summon up their abilities in order to rescue the patriarch of the Incredible family and save the day before the world is doomed. The story for The Incredibles is, for the most part, unfortunately clichéd and excruciatingly predictable, but, then again, isn't every film about superheroes that way? How so? Within the first five minutes of the film, you've discovered who the villain is and determined in which direction the storyline is heading toward, which, in essence, eliminates any real surprises that would occur within the course of the two hour feature. Don't let this matter bother you too much though. The more appropriate question that should be asked about this film is whether or not The Incredibles still manages to be overly entertaining and the answer would unanimously be yes. See, that's the amazing thing about Pixar  they can take a cookie-cutter storyline, throw in a few dozen lovable characters, mind-blowing visual work, and pure-concentrated emotions, unveiling an absolutely genuine and memorable experience at the movies.
Once again, as was the case with Finding Nemo, Pixar decides to live on the edge and create an animated film featuring few famous voices  actually, the only truly recognizable name would be Samuel L. Jackson  but if it worked before, it is certainly worth a second attempt at least. Craig T. Nelson, best known as for his television series Coach on ABC, fits perfectly into the voice-role of the leading man, Mr. Incredible. Nelson truly puts effort into voicing the emotions of Bob Parr  from being frustrated at work, to uninterested and down in the dumps back at home, to emotionally distraught at the possible loss of his family. This is another prominent area where Pixar excels beyond other studios, namely in choosing figures who are perfect for the leading role, not just because their name would look good on the marquee, but that they effectively move the film forward consistently and thoroughly with their emotional performance. Samuel L. Jackson, who voices the ultra-cool Frozone, is unfortunately underused in the film. Granted, he isn't a central character  he's more of a supporting role, the buddy figure to the Mr. Incredible figure, but still essential none-the-less  but he could have been given more scenes then the ones you can just as easily see located in the film's trailers. An absolute waste of perfectly good talent it would seem. John Ratzenberger, known exclusively as the lucky charm of the Pixar Animation Studios, is highly underused in this feature. This isn't asking for him to be given a leading part or anything of that sort, but let's not wait to use him for the very end, and if you do, not just a mere few words. This was disappointing to say the least but nothing to go ballistic about. And last, but not least, Edna Mode, voiced brilliantly by writer/director Brad Bird  is there anything this man can't do  is the most original and effective creation presented in the film. Viewed as the fashion feminista to the superhero stars, she may not be a central character based on the actions on screen, but audiences won't care as she manages to deliver the most laughs out of anyone else.
Overall, The Incredibles, despite lacking the tenacious punch of such previous Pixar success stories as Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc., still manages to engage viewers and connect with them in such a spectacular and seamless way that it makes them - well, incredible. One of the film's main problems is its serious lack of humor, at least early on, but even when it is able to get revved up by the second half, the laughs aren't as consistent and thorough as they were in either Monsters Inc. or even Finding Nemo. Don't take this the wrong way, there are plenty of amusing sequences to be found throughout the feature  this bears repeating, Edna Mode practically steals every scene she's in  they're just fewer and farther between then has been seen in previous Pixar efforts. In reality though, this helps a lot as it allows the story to be set up properly, as predictable as it may be on the surface, and the emotional attachment to the characters to set in with audience members, so that when things really do begin to pick-up, we are in eager anticipation to witness what comes next. Another problem the feature has to deal with, besides the 'been there, done that' atmosphere it invokes, is the fact that the actions of the film begin to feel like a broken record. It just begins to feel like a continuous loop of sequences  someone's in danger then they get out of it then they're in danger again, etc. As Mr. Incredible said once, 'I feel like the maid  can we try and keep this clean for ten minutes', how about we try something and then move on with a vastly different story idea instead of the same one over and over again. These are relatively minor quips though and shouldn't be taken for too much face value when evaluating this film with your family. The talented artists and animators at Pixar Animation Studios have truly out done themselves this around. And to think, you thought you've seen everything with Finding Nemo! There are moments where you'll believe Syndrome's Island is an actual island  the palm trees, the ocean water, and the daunting aerial view of the location are astonishing. And the waterfalls  truly breathtaking. There are so few words to accurately describe the feeling you get watching the visuals of this film  this after drooling over the latest Star Wars prequel teaser trailer moments before. And finally, in all honesty, The Incredibles has to be Disney and Pixar's most adult-skewed animated feature to date  not only does it showcase an array of dramatic explosions and presumed deaths, the touchy subjects of adultery and suicide are even touched upon in the two hour film. Even though a lot of this material will probably go over the head of youngsters, be well aware that questions may pop into their inquisitive minds and may be asked of you later on, so be prepared to answer them should they come up. Bottom-line, The Incredibles may not be Pixar's most superior film to date  Finding Nemo had more adorable characters and Monsters Inc. had far more laughs  but its an entertaining family film that gives every single member of the family something to talk about for weeks, or even months, to come going into the busy holiday season.
My Rating: **** ½ out of 5 (Grade: A-)