After sitting through the putrid Shark Tale, The Incredibles is like a welcome breath of fresh air. Let me tell you kids right now, The Incredibles is not only a title… it’s an appropriate one as this movie is one of the best superhero movies ever made.
Really!
The Incredibles takes place in a world where superheroes are real and save lives on a daily basis. The top dog of heroes is Mr. Incredible who, with his strength, his slick crime-fighting car, and his invulnerability, takes out villains determined to make life miserable for us normal folk. Joining him in saving the world is Elasti-girl, a shape-changing stretchy woman who not only protects innocents, but you know also has to be dynamite in the sack.
Hey, I’m just saying what every man is thinking.
However, where your bomb toting supervillain failed, sleazy lawyers win, and after a series of lawsuits and trials against them, the superheroes are forced into a life of normality, retreating into their secret identities and retiring for good. Mr. Incredible and Elasti-Girl marry and become your average everyday parents to average everyday kids… who have superpowers too.
But when a mysterious benefactor urges an already antsy Mr. Incredible out of retirement, it leads to an adventure that will not only have mom and dad back in tights, but the kids as well!
At the risk of sounding cliché – or at least moreso than usual – this movie is, quite frankly, incredible! Aside from the ground-breaking animation that Pixar is known for, The Incredibles also boasts a story to match the visuals… a story with comedy, drama, and dialogue that would shame most live-action superhero movies.
This film is just a treat from start to finish. An absolute joy! Some of the funniest parts are just watching these super powered people try to pass off as a family as the shy Violet – who can turn invisible – ironically tries to be noticed by guys and the super-speedy Dash begs to try out for the track team – something he can’t do because of his powers – and places tacks on his teacher’s chair in the blink of an eye. Great stuff!
The Incredibles also features some very spiffy action as well that get the adrenaline pumping and that run neck and neck with some of the more exciting live-action sequences. In fact, come to think of it, it pretty much surpasses them as well.
This movie is just another example of how Pixar keeps raising the bar a little bit more each time they offer a new movie to the public. Where PDI and Disney seem to do nothing but take gigantic leaps backward, Pixar – by marrying state-of-the-art animation with a story that is actually worth something – consistently crank out movies that only get better and better. Yes, kids, The Incredibles is Pixar’s best movie yet, but given their track record, it won’t stay on top long.
Though, how the upcoming Cars could possibly surpass it is a mystery. For now, at least.
The Incredibles is not only a movie about heroes, but it’s a movie about finding peace in yourself and your place in the world. Yeah, it sounds like the movie would be mired in a sticking sugary sweet moral, but it really never does. This is a story about likeable characters that you grow to love during its runtime. Heck, you might even find a twinkle of love for the villain, Syndrome, as well.
The Incredibles is a work of genius. Pure bloody genius. It pokes fun at the superhero genre while also serving as a gigantic love letter to it. It’s smart, it’s clever, it’s sly, it’s wry, it’s sarcastic, it’s heartfelt, it’s original, it’s imaginative, it’s stunning, and you know… I’m not sure I have enough positive adjectives in my head to describe it.
Let’s just settle on incredible. Everything about this movie works. In fact, I’d say the only thing about The Incredibles I didn’t enjoy was having to sit through the mind-numbingly dumb animated short, Boundin’, that preceded it. What the hell was THAT all about?
The Incredibles isn’t a hollow kiddie movie, it isn’t a soon-to-be dated star vehicle, and it isn’t something that you should overlook. It’s the best family film of the year. Hands down.
Jason Gaston 