The Incredibles (5 November 2004)
directed by Brad Bird
starring Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Lee, Wallace Shawn, Spencer Fox, Sarah Vowell, Brad Bird
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MPAA rating: Studio: Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios Script: Brad Bird Music: Michael Giacchino Running time: 115 minutes Awards: 2005 Academy Awary for Animated Feature Film, 2005 Hugo Award for Dramatic Presentation Tags: Action; Adventure; Animation; Comedy; Family Film; rockets; Science Fiction; superheroes Tactical strength: [9/10]
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for action violence
I really thought Disney had reached its pinnacle of animated movies with The Lion King. I know a lot of people really love Toy Story -- and I do like Toy Story -- but I really thought of The Lion King as a nearly unsurpassable production. Even with good products like Finding Nemo and Monsters, Inc. in the midst of all the trash (Bambi II, Lion King II, Jungle Book II), I still considered The Lion King the best animated Disney production. Before seeing The Incredibles in the theater, I was skeptical after hearing all the hype from the media and friends about the film. Without even a grudge, I have to say the movie lived up to most of the hype, and it has taken its place in my mind as Disney's all-time best animated movie.
Where to start on my rant about how much I like The Incredibles? Let's start with the visual. The Incredibles takes place in a send-up world of the 1950s, but not the 1950s of our recent past, but the 1950s vision of the 21st Century. So we have furniture and architecture with odd shapes, and yet we have Bob (voice by Craig T. Nelson) working as a clerk in a mini-cubicle of the modern-day office. Then we have exotic locals like a tropical island, and we get to watch the leaves bend as Dash (voice by Spencer Fox) zips by at at superhero speeds. We have austere supervillain facilities with all the empty tunnels and automatic doors of a James Bond film.
Let's talk about characterization. We have a regular family that also happens to have superpowers. The kids argue about regular kids stuff, the parents worry about their kids' progress in school, and everyone worries about trying to fit and remain unrecognized as "supers." In very few superhero movies do we get to see the motivation for the evil super genius. In The Incredibles we see Mr. Incredible snub Buddy (voice by Jason Lee) giving Buddy the motivation to develop his evil identity, Syndrome.
I loved The Incredibles. It's worth watching repeatedly. The background has incredible details so you see something new every time you watch. And, it's worth owning the DVD. The two-disc edition has very interesting interviews with Brad Bird and several special productions about the development of the story and the technology behind the animation. The DVD also includes an "animated" storyboard presentation of Bird's original concept for the opening scene.
Since Disney seems to always want to make sequels, I'm surprised that Disney hasn't already released The Incredibles II, and if we're lucky, the never will, leaving this great movie untainted by a second-rate attempt to cash in on the success of the original.
