Possibly one of the greatest feats of Animation ever...revolutionary!!

Rating: 10/10 (10 July 2006)

I finally got around to seeing The Incredibles which was exactly that!! Pixar has already struck gold long before The Incredibles came along but they continue to revolutionize animation making it a whole new genre that rakes in the cash and for good reason. Pixar and other recent animated features have managed to create films that kids adore but adults also love seeing and The Incredibles is the pinnacle of that conglomeration. The Incredibles storyline could have been a live action film that adults would have loved, the story, script and premise were as live action and real as it gets but instead it was animated in brilliant CGI that is stunning at times. I have to immediately point out how amazing t he water and fire effects were and I don't even have a high definition television and I was amazed by that effect alone. The story unfolds at a very nice pace without rushing to the action or funny scenes and never tries to hurry through anything. We are introduced to Bob, and Helen in their younger Heroic days and then we see them fifteen years later as the regular every day citizens trying to deal with the fact that they have super powers that they can't use to help people anymore.
The casting for the Incredibles is truly perfection. I've always said it's hard to judge an actor by their voice work mostly because I haven't done a lot of reviewing for animated films but The Incredibles truly captured some talented voice work. Craig T. Nelson IS Mr. Incredible and his alter ego Bob Parr. His entire performance just embodies the character and makes him come to life. His subtle voice changes and reactions and everything is just wonderful!! Holly Hunter is wife Helen Parr and also Elastigirl. She has such a distinct voice and it just melds so well with her character. I am amazed at both Nelson and Hunter's voice over work in this film. They are great together and make such incredible characters. Samuel L. Jackson to a lesser extent plays cool as ice Frozone and his alter ego Lucius Best. Jackson is terrific and his voice is distinct but completely takes over the character. I would love if either Lucius or Frozone played a bigger part in the film because Jackson is great. His voice takes new tones that I wouldn't normally associate to Jackson. Jason Lee is terrifically evil as Syndrome and Buddy Pine. He's horrible and malicious and one of the best villains in an animated film I have ever seen!! Spencer Fox and Sarah Vowell also do a great job as Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl's children each having their own unique powers that are utilized throughout the film.
I can't say exactly how much I enjoyed this film. It's probably one of my favorite cartoons hands down!! The story was brilliant and so not typical of an animated film. It held nothing back with big explosions, dangerous situations, and some very harrowing moments considering young children would be watching it. I think film makers are realizing that children aren't as fragile as initially thought with mature films like Harry Potter, Pirates of The Caribbean making huge splashes with the youngsters. And this is good because it means adults don't have to "sit through" a kid's flick but rather enjoy it as much if not MORE than the kids. The Incredibles is a riveting action flick with drama, tons of laughter and edge of your seat moments. The Incredibles is a must own and a must see classic for you and your kiddies. 10/10