Should I just say I loved this movie and leave it at that? Of course not…
The Incredibles is the best of Pixar. It’s funny, it’s touching, and unlike any of their other movies it would have worked with a live cast. It starts with a dynamite idea: a society that has become so accustomed to superheroes they begin suing them for damages. The first victim is our hero, the blonde giant Mr. Incredible, who saves a suicide victim on his way to a wedding (his own) and finds himself hit with a series of lawsuits. This starts a tidal wave, and eventually the supers head underground, usually with the help of a government run and funded Relocation Program. Fast-Forward 15 years, and we find Bob Parr, the former Mr. Incredible, as an insurance agent for a heatless firm, along with his wife (the former Elastigirl) and three super powered kids.
Just about everything works in this movie. The design of the movie is spectacular, a very stylized pastiche of early-60’s America and modern tech. This is the first Pixar movie to use humans in leading rolls, and it works. The look is both vaguely realistic and wonderfully fantastic at the same time. There are little touches throughout, such as Elastigirl always speaking out the side of her mouth. This movie has a lot of easily recognizable influences, such as the obvious Fantastic Four vibe, Dash’s Return of the Jedi like run through the jungle or the Q homage of Edna the fashion designer. Edna, voiced by writer/director Brad Bird, might be the funniest thing in the movie. Pay close attention to her quick dissertation on why capes are always a bad idea.
The best movie I’ve seen this year. The best one you'll see too.
Posted by Frinklin at November 8, 2004 08:28 PM