The Incredibles (November 5, 2004)

The Incredibles is like a kid version of the Fantastic Four (a stories marvel comics family that deserved better than the three movies it has gotten). Pixar has finally perfected creating lifelike human beings- a universe away from their first attempt with Toy Story. That being said its cities look barren and dull- like they are entirely made of concrete instead of reflective materials. The story itself follows Mr. Incredible, a former superhero, and his super family. He and his wife, Elastigirl (real names: Bob and Helen Parr), were forced to quit being superheroes on account of numerous lawsuits filed against them due to the damage caused to the city as well as unwanted savings. The decided to settle down and live a normal life, with Elastigirl becoming a housewife while Mr. Incredible works at an insurance company. However, He is unhappy with this arrangement, hating having to hide his powers and stop being a hero. When an offer arrives at his doorstep with the chance at reliving his glory days as a hero he instantly accepts and begins living a double life running between missions and his familial duties. This precarious arrangement falls apart when Mr. Incredible is captured by a villain who turns out to be a former superfan of his and imprisoned on a volcanic island. This spurs his wife and kids (who stowaway) to don their super suits and rescue him and, in turn, the world (or at least their hometown!) I can imagine Mr. Incredible’s frustration. He wants to help people, use his super strength for things other than helping around the house. But I can also see his wife’s argument that they cannot risk their family’s safety by exposing their abilities. They would be forced to relocate and thus uproot their lives. Their children, Violet and Dash (and Jack-Jack but he does not factor into this film much as he is a baby who has not yet developed his powers) are torn between wanting to fit in and wanting to stand out. Why should they be forced to hide their powers (Invisibility/ force shield generation and super speed, respectively) when it is as much a part of them as breathing? Their family dynamic is chaotic- just like a real family. But there is also genuine love and affection. They may be super, but they are still only human; They are fallible and vulnerable and are stronger as a family unit than they are apart. The villain, Syndrome (aka Buddy Pine) is also great. He was shunned by his hero, Mr. Incredible because of his misguided attempts to become his sidekick. So, he devised a way to give himself powers through technology. His plan was to destroy the city using robots but at the last-minute swoop in and save the day. I suppose in his case the saying “Never meet your heroes” rings true. He went about things the wrong way, but Mr. Incredible should have encouraged him instead of spurning his admiration. Even regular people can be heroes. Two final characters of note are Edna Mode and Lucius Best (aka Frozone). The former is a fabulous fashion designer who created the costumes for the incredible family and numerous other superheroes. She is hilarious with her sass and attitude (and her aversion to capes!) The latter is Mr. Incredible’s best friend and is equally as humorous as Edna. He can from ice from humidity and honestly deserves his own movie (for his interaction with his wife alone). Overall, The Incredibles is a fantastic children’s superhero film with humor and heart, action, and antics. It is one of Pixar’s best- humanizing and grounding superheroes in a way few have.

Final Rating: 9/10