175. The Incredibles

The Incredibles (2004)

Director : Brad Bird

With the Voices of: Craig T. Nelson

Holly Hunter

Jason Lee

IMDb Rating : 8

My Rating : 7.5

"No matter how many times you save the world, it always manages to get back in jeopardy again. Sometimes I just want it to stay saved. You know, for a little bit? I feel like the maid, I just cleaned up this mess! Can we keep it clean for... ten minutes!"

Synopsis

Bob Park used to be one of the world's greatest superheroes, Mr. Incredible, that was until he was forced into "retirement". He now lives with his wife, who also used to be a superhero, and their three children in a common city suburb. Life is pretty mundane, that is until Bob receives a mysterious message about a top secret mission. This tempts him out of superhero hiding and back into action. When Bob's secret mission turns out to be a trap, the whole family must journey to save the man that they love.

What's so great about The Incredibles ?

Pixar has a way to bring a very realistic emotions to their animated films. In The Incredibles, they essentially give us a man struggling with the world around him. He is stuck in a job where his greatest skills are of no use. He struggles balancing his family's happiness with his own personal well being. While this might be normal theme for many live action films, this was basically uncharted territory for animation when The Incredibles was released. It's simple to relate to Bob's problems on a personal and emotional level. His problems are handled with the maturity and realism like any family drama. Don't get down on all the emotions though, this movie is still great fun. The underlying messages mentioned earlier are tied into a comedic and overall visually stunning presentation.

Anything not so great?

While the approach might be original, the actual story is far from that. The Incredibles greatly borrows from films like the James Bond series to parody. While they say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it's also not very original. Still since it's animated, it gets away with these minor faults a little easier.

Best Scene

Dash's chase scene across the island brings to mind a similar scene in Return of the Jedi. The only difference being that the enemies chasing dash have vehicles, and well Dash has his left and right feet. The scene is equally thrilling and funny.

Does The Incredibles belong in the 250?

No. Now don't get me wrong, The Incredibles is an excellent time at the movies. However, it is essentially a spoof movie with a little added heart. We've seen the family dynamic approached like this in film, this film just has the luxury of animation to lean back on.

Final Words

I liked this film, much as I do your guilty pleasure summer blockbuster. Luckily though, there is more substance here than your typical Michael Bay action film. It ranks towards the bottom on my Pixar list, but in no way is that a bad thing. Pixar Studios continues to turn out excellent animated works that appeal to all ages, and The Incredibles is well an "incredible" example of that. This film does come recommended.