The Incredibles Movie Review:


Wow. I mean, really -- Wow!

I have long admitted to kneeling at the altar of Pixar, so I knew I was going to enjoy “The Incredibles.” However, how could I predict I was going to dig this film so much that I lamented not being able to watch it again immediately after the credits rolled at the screening? Why did this movie defeat my usual biases like a washed-up villain being taken down by a great superhero? Is this more about what Pixar has -- yet again -- done right, or more about what just plain works for me?

Perhaps it's both. Pixar took a new chance with “The Incredibles” by accepting the story of someone who wasn't a current member of the club and allowing him to direct it. That someone is Brad Bird, the lauded creative talent behind Warner Bros. “The Iron Giant,” a stylish exhibition of animated '50s nostalgia. Bird's current story deviates from the usual Pixar path by being based on people (albeit ones with special abilities) and not on the usual imagination-rich populations of toys, bugs, monsters, and fish. It also includes a stronger, more mature edge.

The gamble paid off, and “The Incredibles” is the first Pixar film to feel like a blend of two styles, one old and one new. While it retains the trademarks of Pixar's other movies (most notably the facial expressions and the fast, emotion-driven dialogue), it adopts a smooth, dynamic aesthetic that should be familiar to fans of “The Iron Giant.” It's driven by distinct shapes and solid colors, and the film makes everything look fast, even when no one's moving. The adaptation of this style turns the movie into the first 3-D animated film that truly feels like a cartoon and takes advantage of what drawings have to offer. The emphasis is not on the detailed, snapshot duplication of realism, but on comic book motion. The characters move like comic book characters in a cartoon universe. When I think back on the movie, I picture the characters as 2-D -- and I mean that as the highest of compliments.

The story itself seems an amalgam of a zillion familiar elements; in fact, much of what happens feels so borrowed that it should bother me. But it didn't, probably because the formulas were applied so well that I was reminded of what made them successful as formulas in the first place. And perhaps this is where my reaction becomes more about me than about the movie. The story emphasizes the value of family, teamwork, and good intentions. It's about being true to one's self while also making the effort to do what's best for those you love, and being appreciated for it by those same people. For me, that's a sucker-punch. Maybe I'm really just a softie, but tell that story convincingly and my eyes will tear up every time.

That harder edge I mentioned before also helps a great deal. There's perhaps as much cartoon-style violence in this movie as in many others, yet “The Incredibles” gets a PG rating (as opposed to a G) because of the intensity of the danger. Death plays a significant role in the story, and it's utilized so effectively that I worried for the safety of the good guys. Also, the villain appears too mad and powerful to reason with, which makes him a real threat and a representative of life's unfairness. And that serves to strengthen the message of learning to be able to count on the ones you love.

Because the story carries such an undercurrent of sadness, I wonder if Bird isn't somehow also lamenting the loss of awe and wonder that was used to counteract the paranoia in the '50s, or the hip, tough coolness that responded to Cold War fears in the '60s (which is this movie's main timeframe). Cynicism, selfishness, pettiness, and unexceptionalism are the enemies here, manifested by an unwillingness to believe in fantastic heroism anymore (the heroes' first-act downfall occurs when the citizens they're protecting begin to sue them for accidental injuries). Bird may have chimed in with this sentiment a little too late -- this was definitely a valid concern in the '90s, but, with movies like “Spider-Man,” “Lord of the Rings,” and “The Incredibles,” this decade is turning into a terrific decade to invest in heroes again. These days, our heroes struggle with their consciences and bleed a lot more, but they manage to turn their sacrifices into triumphs. Tell their stories well, and we'll have new sources of awesome wonder and tough coolness to believe in.

Personally, I'm loving this little renaissance. I'm pleased Bird has joined in with his contribution -- and I can't wait to experience the action, humor, warmth, and fantastic style of “The Incredibles” again and again.

Jeffrey Chen

Why is there still a stigmatism when it comes to talking about animation? Animation seems to still invoke the word “cartoon” and “cartoon” meaning it’s only for the kids.

Over the past decade, believe it or not, we have started to see a new evolution in the world of animation as these so-called “cartoons” have come to look more and more real. And there seems to be a division beginning between “cartoons” and “animated films”.

Why can’t an “animated film” express and explore any kind of genre or situation? As filmmakers and animators move closer and closer to as real as the technology allows, they seem to push audiences away. Look what happened to the photo-realistic CGI-animated flop, “Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within”.

In Japan, animation explores all sorts of subjects from how to prepare sushi to spy thrillers to sex to outer space exploration. Why do Western audiences panic when a “cartoon”, as they call it, becomes as close as it can to reality?

One of the computer-animated industry leaders is Pixar and the studio’s last film, “Finding Nemo” was utterly photorealistic and every aspect of the film seemed real. Well, except that the fish could talk and they all had cute little cartoon faces. The biggest thing that blew me away about Pixar’s “Finding Nemo” was that it looked and felt so real. I kind of wished the animators were allowed to keep the characters looking as real as their environment.

In Pixar’s latest project “The Incredibles”, the animators have been allowed to use the genius they had for backgrounds and environments to help amplify a world that used to have superheroes.

You see we did use to have superheroes but eventually people started suing the heroes after people were saved from burning buildings and attempted suicides. One of those heroes was Bob Parr aka Mr. Incredible (Craig T Nelson).

Now heroes have to live incognito and conform to a normal human existence. This makes Bob very uneasy especially when he is married to fellow superhero, Helen Parr aka Elasti-Girl (Holly Hunter) and they have three children Dash (Spencer Fox), Violet (Sarah Vowell) and Jack-Jack Bob works a medial job as an insurance adjuster and its hard sometimes to keep his super-strength and eagerness to save people in distress under wraps.

Now 15 odd years after Bob had to hang up his tights, he gets a mysterious message from a slick and uber-thin blonde named Mirage (Elizabeth Pena) which calls for Bob to spring back into action as his alter-ego “Mr. Incredible”.

What is Mirage’s plan for Bob? Will Bob ever tell his wife what he is doing? Who is Syndrome (voiced by Jason Lee)? How does Bob’s whole family get sucked into the action?

“The Incredibles” is the brain-child of animator Brad Bird, who brought us the much beloved animated classic, “The Iron Giant”. Like “Giant”, Bird is able to bring all sorts of levels and new dynamics to the world of animation.

Probably Bird’s greatest gift is how he tells a story using his chosen medium.Bird is able to cobble depth, feeling and emotion from his characters and allow them to do things we have never seen in an animated film or in a superhero film to date. The family dynamic, the dead-end job, the fractured family, loss and love are just some of the topics Bird explores in this film.

I also really was blown away by the amount of detail and animated hybrids from previous films that seem to ricochet through the film’s landscape. There are nods to films ranging from James Bond to Jonny Quest and The Fantastic Four to Return of the Jedi.

Of the many film nods in the film it was the James Bond ones that left me speechless. Never has an animated film of this caliber ever tried to tackle the “spy genre” like this (at least this side of the Pacific). The film is sort of an animated spy thriller with superheroes and Bird must have loved a lot of the Roger Moore Bond films because there is so much of them in his film. Because there are so many Bond influences in the film it is logical that some viewers will experience déjà vu or have a been there done that feeling. It just will depend on how the viewer looks at the final product.

Bird also does take on a lot of the superhero clichés from the debate over capes, to where do they get their costumes, villain monologues and annoying sidekicks. Some of his solutions for these clichés left me in stitches while some of these inside jokes may not play well with all audiences.

I also adored the “fashion designer” character Edna ‘E’ Mode whose specialty is designing superhero outfits. Every scene with this 4-foot nothing woman was hysterical. Uncannily she is also voiced by the film’s writer-director Brad Bird, himself.

Brad Bird’s superhero family brings the medium of computer animated films to a whole new level as it takes on a non-traditional story and succeeds on so many levels. Now that they have graduated to animating pseudo-humans, could they get rid of those cutesy cartoony faces?



So Says the Soothsayer.

Dean Kish

After lawsuits are brought against superheroes by the disgruntled people they have saved, the government decides to outlaw them from performing heroic deeds. Now they have to live out their lives in the witness protection programme as their normal, everyday alter egos. For Bob Parr (Nelson), formally known as Mr Incredible, life had become far too mundane for him and hiding his abilities is becoming more and more difficult as he wilds away his time at his dull insurance job. His family are also finding it difficult, especially his kids Dash (Fox) and Violet (Vowell) but when Bob gets the call to do some freelance hero work, he jumps at the chance. All he has to do is keep it from his wife Helen (Hunter).

With an impeccable record so far, can Pixar deliver another super movie with The Incredibles? The answer is a resounding yes!

Pixar continue their remit of producing movies that are filled with memorable characters and stories that both kids and adults can enjoy, as well as pushing the technological envelope. Their films are the epitome of family entertainment that appeals to every age level. Kids will revel at the superhero characters and the action. Adults will marvel at the dark underpinnings of the story, the development of the characters and the abundance of references to comic book lore that are scattered throughout the movie. The Incredibles is as super as the heroes that populate it.

Bringing these characters to life are some superb vocal performances from the cast. They actually create a character and are not just a caricature of the person providing the voice. This is what Pixar do extremely well, by selecting a person to fit the character not designing a character to fit the vocal artist. This is why their characters are so memorable and that is why you think of Woody, Marlin, Dory, Mike and Buzz and not the stars that provided the voices. For The Incredibles we have more classic characters to add to that list. Craig T. Nelson voices Bob Parr/Mr Incredible brilliantly. The character is an extraordinary man shackled by the law from expressing his true potential. Nelson’s performance makes the character instantly accessible and likeable, making him the hero we can all get behind. Holly Hunter brings Helen/Elastigirl to life and makes her the perfect mother and a formidable superhero. The character is the one coping best with giving up her superhero lifestyle but any mother would struggle to control two children with superpowers and a baby at the same time. Jason Lee almost steals the show as Syndrome, the megalomaniac villain with plans for world domination and revenge. The character gives Lee real scope to explore his comedic skills and he creates quite a nasty villain for a family movie. Samuel L. Jackson is his usual cool self as Lucius Best/Frozone, Bob’s best friend and another superhero struggling to give up the pursuit of daring-do. He has one of the funniest scenes in the movie, as he argues with his wife while the city is in peril. Spencer Fox and Sarah Vowell are also good as Dash and Violet, the Parr children who are discovering what their powers can really do.

The animation bar is raised again, as Pixar keep surpassing themselves with every picture. For the first time the company has human characters as their protagonists but instead of going for the photo-realistic look that many productions have tried to do, The Incredibles takes a stylised view of the human form, giving them a real comic book appearance. This means Mr Incredible is huge man to reflect his strength, Elastigirl is thin but a little mumsy, Dash is compact and made for speed and Violet is a quiet, nervous type who looks a bit like a Goth. Pixar then throws the characters into a glorious 1960s version of the future where everyone travels on monorails, drive two-seater sports cars and live in one story condos with all the latest modern appliances. This captures the golden age of comics perfectly with all the grandiose splendour of what they thought the future was going to be like.

Many of the plaudits have to go to writer/director Brad Bird. As well as providing the voice for Edna Mode, the superhero fashion designer, Bird follows on from the potential he showed with the marvellous and very underrated ‘The Iron Giant’. It is his writing and attention to detail that makes the film so special for both the family and comic book fans alike.

The Incredibles is another triumph for Pixar. Capturing everything that is super about the comic book genre and throwing in the alter egos of character development and story, Pixar shows again that they are the superheroes of animation.

Jamie Kelwick

 

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