Beyond Incredible

Rating: 10/10 (7 November 2004)

Hardly an inspired header, is it? However, there is not a more fitting summary of this movie's merits. Pixar and Disney have given us some of the greatest animated movies ever created, as the IMDb's own Top 250 can attest.
However, it is not entirely accurate to say that they have raised the bar with every production--from "Toy Story" through "Finding Nemo", since every movie is its own, unique masterpiece. "The Incredibles" is a brilliant movie, a shining example of everything it has attempted to be: children's movie, blockbuster, superhero adventure, animation milestone, voice-acting standard. From a moviegoer who patiently waits the long months between the release of quality movies, this is one worth bragging about, a truly exceptional film.
"The Incredibles" is about a world in which superheroes have been suppressed from public service after a wave of property-damage lawsuits and negative media coverage. The protagonists, husband and wife Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl, are forced into a middle-class suburban life, where they and their children, Dash and Violet, languish in their pretentious lives. However, Mr. Incredible is soon contacted to don his costume again in secret, and soon the entire family is engaged in a battle against the sinister Syndrome, bent on revenge against all superheroes. The movie has plenty of excellent dialogue, clever humor, heartfelt emotion, and high-octane action. The general message of the movie (obligatory to every Disney production) is to never hesitate to be proud of your talents, and to not hesitate to be the best you can be.
I suppose this movie is, first and foremost, is a well-executed and entertaining kids' movie, fully in keeping with Disney's tradition of delighting children. Some say that the superhero theme, with so much violence and death, does not lend itself well to a movie for little kids. I say that superheroes have been a fundamental part of every generation since World War II, and that they have been a source of entertainment and role models in spite of, or perhaps in part because of, their serious aspects. Furthermore, this movie does an excellent job of keeping the violence non-threatening and generic; while there are cascades of explosions, there is no blood at all, and the few deaths are subtly implied. In fact, I would say that this movie takes the lightest tone throughout of all Pixar movies (there is nothing like the barracuda scene from "Nemo" in this one). Children will love the hilarious and heroic protagonists in this movie without being sacred by the antagonists, and at no point does the story lose their interest. The good and evil are clear and the moral is wonderfully delivered. As a children's movie, this is a definite classic.
While "The Incredibles" takes the cake for children's entertainment, "Finding Nemo" and "Shrek 2" have set box office records by being appealing to adult audiences. With explosions, colors, and an advertising blitz, this movie fits the characterization of blockbuster. Fortunately, it shares with "The Return of the King" and "Spider-Man 2" the distinction of being a brilliant job of screen writing and directing. The motivations of the characters as they exercise their powers are very real, and the James Bond-like plot takes its time on the establishment of backstory, character, and setting. This film is that rare wide-release that is driven by plot and character, not action sequences, yet has enough graphical and choreographical eye-candy (the latter must be a director's dream when done in CGI) to appease the most die-hard "Die Hard" fan. This is a movie with all the right ingredients for a blockbuster with staying power in the box office and in the years to come.
The past few years have been a blessing for the comatose superhero genre, with the production of Marvel Comics' "Spider-Man" and "X-Men" series, which have brought new credibility to the cape and cowl. "The Incredibles" is at once the superlative superhero adventure and an excellent spoof of the genre. The superheroes and villain, primarily Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, Dash, Violet, and Syndrome, are at once familiar (translations of Captain America, Mr. Fantastic, the Flash, Invisible Girl, and Lex Luthor), and yet innovative, with their powers both pertinent to the story and also used in innovative ways. The action sequences are captivating, inspired, and expertly executed, and the conflict, though generic, seems entirely original in this interpretation. Yet, the movie makes hilarious digs at the staples of the genre, scoring big laughs off of the impracticality of capes and villains' tendency toward "monologuing". Faithful but funny, this is exactly what a true superhero fan wants to see.
As regards animation, I have never seen a movie with better graphics. While we have been impressed by the milestones of "Final Fantasy" and "Monsters Inc.", "The Incredibles" touches on the superlative. The streamline world within the movie is accurate right down to the reflections on the windows and the smoke from the explosions. The technology of the heroes and villains (the planes, the weapons, the doom robots) are inventive but as convincing as the latest in military technology. Though caricatured and stylized, the characters are genuine: Dash's movements are dead ringers for those of a little boy, Mr. Incredible's face expresses emotion as well as any actor's, and Violet's hair and Syndrome's cape are managed with astounding detail.
Finally, the casting and acting is superb, and not just the main characters--while Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter play both hero and parent flawlessly, and Jason Lee is a terrific villain, the minor characters, Wallace Shawn as Mr. Incredible's diminutive boss and director Brad Bird as costume designer Edna Mode (a lampoon of fashion icon Edith Head) make the movie complete. The dialogue, particularly amongst the family, is witty yet realistic, and the characters are no more outlandish than the characters you know in everyday life. Simply terrific acting, as it were.
That pretty much sums it up. "The Incredibles" is everything it wants to be, and everything that this viewer wants it to be.