I was 11 when The Incredibles made its cinematic debut in 2004, and I am 25 now in 2018 as I eagerly await/see Incredibles 2. Unfortunately for me in 2004, I never got to see it in theaters as a punishment for talking back to my mom. Thanks to proper parenting, I instead saw it when it finally hit Blockbusters (RIP) for rental in early 2005. At the time, I enjoyed the movie just fine, but it did not quite fulfill my expectations for a Pixar movie. Being 12 at the time, the Pixar movies I knew were Toy Story and Toy Story 2, A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc., and Finding Nemo. I expected more jokes and thought that the superheroes and villains would be "goofier."
With The Incredibles, Brad Bird brought a more mature tone to a Pixar movie, which I did not fully understand or appreciate until I was 17 revisiting the film. First of all, I have nothing but love and affection for the other works of Pixar that I named. They are films targeted at both kids and adults, with mature themes and sly jokes that adults appreciate, as well as plenty of heart. The Incredibles continues this tradition, except that it seems to be made primarily for adults, yet teenagers and younger kids can still enjoy it. And it is treated like any live-action, big budget superhero film would be treated in terms of camerawork, musical score, and scope. Throughout his career, Brad Bird has often stated that animation is a medium, not a genre; in other words, it is merely an alternative technique to live-action filmmaking rather than its own genre of film. This means that with animation, it is possible to make comedies, westerns, science fiction, horror, and alas, superhero films.
As with every Pixar film at the time of its release, The Incredibles featured breakthroughs in computer animation, in terms of hair and human facial expression and body movements. It holds up even 14 years later, although the progress made since is evident. One of the standout visuals is a curtain of lava that both separates and comes together. The action sequences are absolutely exhilarating, from Mr. Incredible's opening heroics saving civilians to his first confrontation with the villain, Syndrome, to Mrs. Incredible/Elastigirl outmaneuvering missiles in an airplane to 10-year-old Dash discovering he can run on water (arguably the film's standout scene). The final confrontation with Syndrome's bot in the city, as well as seeing baby Jack-Jack use his assortment of powers to defeat Syndrome, are nothing to sneeze at, either. The animators use "camera tricks" to full effect here, having the camera kinetically follow characters during chases sequences, for instance. All of these moments are accentuated by Michael Giacchino's incredible (pun intended) score. The film has many quieter espionage/spy film moments akin to Mission: Impossible featuring either Mr. Incredible or Elastigirl. And the main theme that plays at the beginning action scene and at the start of the end credits is an instant classic heroic riff.
While all the technical elements of a film help it "sing," without a great story and characters, they don't amount to much. Fortunately, for all its technical achievements, it's the story and ensemble of The Incredibles that has helped it endure as a classic. At its core, aside from being a family movie, it is the story of a man enduring and overcoming a mid-life crisis. The themes are handled in a very real and honest fashion, and while they occasionally make for comedy, it is never reduced to parody or slapstick. Rather, it is funny because of how relatable it is. Bob Parr, being super strong, at one point accidentally makes a dent in his car door and breaks its windows. He has arguments with his wife, Helen, aka former superhero Elastigirl, over how to deal with the current superhero situation. Meanwhile, they struggle to raise their superpowered kids Violet, Dash, and unbeknownst to them, Jack-Jack. Each of the Parr's powers reflects their roles within the family/their lives. Bob Parr has super strength, having to be strong as the man of the house. Helen has elastic/stretching powers, stretching every which way to keep her family together and healthy. Violet can turn invisible and create invisible protective barriers, Dash can run at incredible speeds to match his energy level, and Jack-Jack is just full of metaphysical surprises. Add to the basic premise a very naturally worked-in subplot of Helen fearing that Bob is having an affair, and you have a truly unique American animated film.
Then there's the villain, Syndrome. We first meet him as a young teenager, Buddy, in the prologue. He christens himself Incrediboy, equipped with no superpowers but with technology and a costume, naming himself as Mr. Incredible's crimefighting partner. To Mr. Incredible, Buddy is an extremely obsessive, annoying stalker of a fanboy, so he rejects Buddy's offer to be his partner moment after moment. What appears to be throwaway comedy with a goofy kid becomes the origin of a supervillain, Mr. Incredible's archnemesis, Syndrome. Buddy becomes Syndrome, a villain using technology rather than powers to hunt down and kill retired supers, and to render ordinary people with the ability to be superheroes, thus taking away the power and exclusivity of "supers." Syndrome is truly where Brad Bird excels, once again. What could have been a slapstick idiot of a villain is actually a psychotic, socipathic genius. Syndrome breaks Mr. Incredible and pushes him to the very limits of his moral code, and his actions impact the story and stakes.
Supporting the great story, characters, and voice cast (which features the likes of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Spencer Fox, Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Lee, and Brad Bird) is the intelligent, witty script. The family scenes play out very realistically, and the dialogue flows naturally due to both the writing and delivery from the actors. Then there's moments such as Mr. Incredible and Frozone reminiscing about supervillains "monologuing" (when the villain won't shut up about their master plan while having the hero trapped, only to let their guard down and have the hero escape and defeat them). And who can forget Lucius Best's/Frozone's "Where is my super suit?" scene with his unseen wife, Honey?
I would like to be the brilliant, unbiased, objective critic who manages to find a flaw or two with The Incredibles. However, there is nothing to dislike here from a fan or critical standpoint. This film fires on all cylinders, and it earns nothing less than a 10/10 from me! What do you guys think of The Incredibles? Do you hold nostalgia for it, and does it hold up to that nostalgia? Where does it rank for you among other superhero films? And who is your favorite Incredibles castmember. I'll elaborate more on that in my upcoming review of the recently released Incredibles 2! See you there!
