OK, but not a good kids' movie

Rating: 3/10 (24 August 2006)

I wasn't expecting a classic comparable to my favorite Disney movies when I saw this - nothing could surpass Toy Story in my view - but I wasn't expecting what I saw either. I enjoyed this movie somewhat when I first saw it but for each time I watched it afterwards, my opinion of it lowered rather than remained good. The plot is an interesting one with only a few problems: after being held accountable for several misfortunes such as injuring passengers when stopping a train heading for a bomb-made track gap, or "rescuing" but injuring a suicidal man (in a kids' movie?), Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) becomes the victim of lawsuits while his fellow "supers" are convicted or at least suspected of causing other problems (the most specific I can recall is that their masks let them spy on women - what a dark subject!), until it's declared they must hang up the suits and live as private citizens. 15 years later: though some of Mr. Incredible's last public words were his wishing to have less work and maybe a family, Bob Parr bitterly resents the fact that he's no longer a hero, or even a philanthropist (apparently illegally trying to literally play hero several times, he's been relocated enough that his current job, 1 of the few he hasn't tried his hand at, is insurance agent, which the 8-year-old I saw this with didn't get). He does more for his customers than his greedy boss Humph (Wallace Sheen) allows, and to compensate for his job he still attempts upholding justice while dragging best friend Lucius, once Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson), along for the ride, and meanwhile seems little more than indifferent to Helen/Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) and their 3 kids, except he wants his 10-year-old son who has the gift of speed to compete in sports where he'd have an unfair advantage. When Humph catches on that he's illegally helping customers and Bob loses his temper enough to throw him through a wall, he declines the offer to relocate again - but accepts an offer from "Mirage", claiming to be a fellow ex-hero who needs his help in destroying an amok robot. Having done this, he actually feels fine about life and does become closer to his family - until he's duped into meeting his employer (Jason Lee), who reveals himself to be a jealous, obsessed fan who wants revenge for his rejection of him when he was a kid. He learns that Buddy Pine, now known as Syndrome, has in fact gone mad, killing off many heroes (maybe all, since the only 3 shown definitely alive are himself, Elastigirl, and Frozone who appears to be his next target). Learning that his real goal is to "defeat" his own creations after unleashing them and thus becoming the world's sole superhero, the protagonist, now filled with regret over neglecting his family and endangering his friend (maybe their being seen together when Bob's discovered is why Frozone's location is known?), must call on his family to help him and outsmart Syndrome. Really, it's not a bad story except for a few dark elements here and there - still, there are other things to look at. Acting was good, but it couldn't improve the uneven tone of the movie; Syndrome joked about the heroes' having "got busy" as far as having kids, another joke which youngsters won't get, yet earlier the idea of his taking out heroes is underplayed - it's only a certainty when 1 whom we never meet but is mentioned as missing (noted since he too was resistant to adjusting to life without a mask) is shown on his list of targets dealt with, and was hard even for the adults I saw watching it to believe. There are some good scenes such as the daughter, who unlike her brother adheres to the family rule about ignoring her power (forcefields), gains self-confidence to use it for help, or Mirage's knowledge that indifference isn't strength, but these lessons are almost completely forgotten in other, twisted messages: (SPOILERS) Parr disregards the law and attempts to remain a hero (admittedly to a point one can sympathize since the community has gone far enough to crush individuality by making a ceremony of a grade's being passed) - and ends up protecting and being thanked by the ungrateful community that once rejected him; (SPOILERS END) Helen's advice of humility is tossed aside, while Dash (SPOILER), who does unfairly beat his track competitors (SPOILERS END), is "right" in his reminder that everyone's being special means nobody is, when Syndrome echoes it later. It seems even the youngest kid could realize faster than Helen that it wasn't pride but concern for his family that made Bob want to fight solo in the climax. For some reason the writers don't explain, crimes (obviously) continue in the decade-and-half long absence of heroes - though villains, such as the poorly-worked cliché French joke that is Bomb Voyage (and I'm sure there are some just as stupid as Underminer, who pops up later declaring war against peace and happiness), are also out of business...but I doubt they retired from growing bored with having nobody to oppose them! Lucius/Frozone is the coolest and my favorite character, but he has too little screen time even if it makes sense that he is absent for most of the middle since he never learns of his friend's imprisonment. (SPOILER); But why isn't he honored with a limo ride with the main family after their works? (SPOILERS END) I still see the true morals and his character as highlights of the movie, but I wish there was more I could enjoy.