Semi-Fantastic Four.

Rating: Null/10 (15 November 2004)

Superheroes have to go into hiding ala the witness protection program after civilians start to take advantage by suing the gifted ones in crazed lawsuits. Now all superheroes must live as their alter egos in a world where having special powers is frowned upon all of a sudden. The patriarch of the titled family though becomes the target of a deviant individual who was once his biggest fan. Thus it is up to his family to save him so the group can save the world once more. "The Incredibles" is strong with its animation, but honestly the story is hit-and-miss. Hanna and Barbara-styled ideas from the 1960s and 1970s mix with that dark comic book look that was so prevalent in the 1930s and 1940s to form a long (and I do mean long) cartoon that suffers an identity crisis with its tone and pace. The characters have their moments, but most are not as interesting as they look. Director Brad Bird has crafted a film that definitely has more upside than down because of its glossy look and hot visuals. However, I still think that a little more time could have been spent on the script and on the movie's potential uniqueness. Unfortunately, "The Incredibles" really pales to most recent computer generated productions. 4 stars out of 5.