REVIEW: The Incredibles

Tonight I went to see The Incredibles with Kimmi. The movie is the second last of the Pixar/Disney partnership, and I have wanted to see it for a long time now. I had great expectations for this movie, first because it is from Pixar, and second because it got a 96% fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes. And I am happy to report, it did not disappoint.

First, how about a couple of facts? This is the first Pixar film to receive a rating higher than G, as The Incredibles is rated PG. It also happens to be the longest CGI film ever made, running a full 120 minutes. This movie also marks the first time Pixar has used only human characters in a film. While these facts make the movie much different than previous Pixar films, don’t be fooled, they take nothing away.

The Incredibles is, in a word, incredible. Tons of stuff to love about this movie. The story is superb as I have come to expect from Pixar – like giving life to the “monsters in the closet”, they have given life to the “superheroes are normal people” idea. The animation has once again improved, and is quite stunning. The explosions look realistic, the dust and water look realistic, everything looks so realistic (within reason of course, Mr. Incredible’s proportions are obviously not realistic). The voices are excellent, with Samuel L. Jackson as Frozone, Craig T. Nelson as Mr. Incredible, Holly Hunter as Elastigirl, Jason Lee as Syndrome, and John Ratzenberger (who, by the way, has been in every Pixar film, including the upcoming Cars) as Underminer. All of the actors bring the characters to life very convincingly.

But the most incredible thing about this movie? Pixar once again succeeds at including just enough material to keep parents as interested as their kids. While the superheroes in this movie have some special powers, it is amazing at how super-normal they really are. Mr. Incredible is going through a mid-life crisis. Elastigirl (his wife) has gained some weight and feels as though she is losing her husband at the same time as trying to deal with her kids. Violet (their daughter and eldest child) is the typical teenage girl timidly trying to find herself. Dash (their son) is the typical brat kid, getting in trouble at school and annoying his sister. There is even the “Maggie”-style baby in this movie. The characters are more than just superheroes. You become attached to them. You feel Mr. Incredible’s pain when he thinks he’s lost his family. You snicker at how Dash gets away with his pranks. Altogether it adds another dimension to the movie that is just irresistable.

In fact, if I had any complaint about the movie, it would be that it didn’t take advantage of every opportunity to poke fun at the superhero/supervillain genre. When Syndrome first tries to kill Mr. Incredible, he makes fun of the fact that he was caught monologuing as so many villains do before they attempt to kill the good guy. Why didn’t he poke fun when he had the family locked up forcing them to watch the destruction of the world as so many villains do? There were other opportunities too, but really, I am searching for something to be wrong here.

Before The Incredibles, my favorite Pixar movie was Monsters, Inc., but that has now changed. I absolutely loved this movie – almost perfect! I will definitely go see it again, and so should you! Check out the official site, Pixar’s Incredibles site, some Incredibles trivia, the trailers, and over 170 reviews.