Totally Wicked, Pixar

Rating: 8/10 (27 November 2004)

Greetings again from the darkness. OK, so I felt a little foolish walking into an animated feature without any kids. However, the embarrassment turned into fascination as soon as the short, "Boundin'" started. Nice little parable to start the day. "The Incredibles" is the latest offering from Pixar (and the director of "The Iron Giant") and is bit like "Toy Story" on steroids. Everyone from age 5 and up will enjoy this and some will be shocked at the realism, action sequences and drama of the story. Craig T. Nelson (TV's "Coach" and the "Poltergeist" dad) and Holly Hunter ("Thirteen" and "The Piano") are the lead voices as Mr. Incredible and his wife, ElastiGirl. They are Superheroes forced into hiding and feeble attempts at normalcy with their kids, who were of course also blessed with superhero traits. The action sequences are nothing short of breathtaking and the mix of parental struggles, teen angst, sibling rivalry and hero worship make for a story strong enough to keep one's interest for 2 hours. Pixar continues to flirt with reality in their animation and we get the feeling that at anytime they will trick us with the blurred line between reality and fantasy. Samuel L Jackson and Jason Lee turn in nice voice acting, but little Dash pretty much steals every scene he is in. So, hold your head up high and go see this one. You don't even have to borrow any nieces or nephews!! Also, make sure to stay for the closing credits - they are a delight with the visuals and the score, which blends James Bond, The Avengers, The Pink Panther and Looney Toons all into one sound!