Best superhero movie ever!

Rating: Null/10 (7 November 2004)

Pixar continues its winning streak, with an assist from Brad Bird, director of the wonderful Iron Giant. This time, we have a superhero family story, ala the Fantastic Four, plus some nice homages to James Bond and Jonny Quest.
Spoilers: Mr Incredible and Elastigirl are retired superheroes, raising their kids in the suburbs. Bob (Mr Incredible) works for an insurance company, but longs for the old days. Helen (Elastigirl) has her hands full with the kids. Son Dash has super speed and a personality to match. Daughter Violet creates force fields and can turn invisible, which matches her shy nature. Baby Jack-Jack does what babies do.
A secret benefactor offers Bob a chance to relive the glory days; but, all is not what it seems. It will take the entire family to save the day.
The film features the dazzling computer animation we have come to expect from Pixar, but they have added subtle nuances. Human characters are the hardest to render, especially with realistic hair and expressions. The Incredibles features new triumphs in character animation. The colors are dazzling and the effects are stunning.
The characters are brought to life vocally by Craig T Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L Jackson, and Jason Lee. Nelson brings an everyman quality to Bob, while Hunter shows flair for both the spectacular and the mundane. Wallace Shawn brings some Rex-mojo to a supporting role, while Jason Lee indulges his inner-Brody.
The design is wonderful, with nods to Ken Adams' James Bond sets, Modern architecture and design, and a little Jonny Quest for good measure (spiders!). The music also hearkens back to the 60's jazzy sound, part John Barry, part Hoyt Curtain.
This is the ultimate superhero film, replacing Superman and the X-Men. It remains to be seen if the upcoming Fantastic Four feature can live up to this; but, here's hoping for more adventures from the Incredibles.