The
Incredibles
By Sean Chavel
Cast: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, Jason
Lee, John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn, Sarah Vowell, Brad Bird
There is something exhilarating about the limitless possibilities
of what animation can create that other filmmaking forms cannot,
and "The Incredibles" takes the medium to new, pleasurable
heights. This latest entry by Pixar Entertainment features everything
that audiences love about action-adventure films: it's just
that this time it's in the animation format. This film proves
that it is possible for a talent like writer/director Brad Bird
("The Iron Giant") to create an animated film that
can rival the big boys of live action. In terms of superior
writing, visual spectacle and sharply defined characters, this
film succeeds and surpasses expectations. This could be the
most fun you will have at the movies this year.
It is possible, though, that many audiences might be wary of
plowing down cash to see an animated action-adventure no matter
how good it is. But in the proof that $100 million-plus worth
of audiences decidedly paid to see the unexceptional "Shark
Tale," anything is possible. But anyone that paid to see
that one and will not go see The Incredibles would be making
a mistake. The Incredibles is really an affectionate throwback
to everything we love about superhero and action-adventure films:
The treacherous fortresses, the daring rescues, the false alarms
of doom and the ultimate triumph of good over evil. Each superhero
has their own special abilities, and through some imaginative
concepts and compelling confrontations, each superhero actually
uses their abilities for some fantastic use (there have been
too many low-level qausi-superhero movies where a special ability
or gadget is introduced but never creatively exercised into
the plot).
There are five members of the Parr nuclear family: dad, mom,
two adolescent kids and a toddler. Bob the patriarch is Mr.
Incredible (voiced by Craig T. Nelson), super-strong and nearly
impenetrable. Helen the mom is Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), who
has an aptitude of super-stretch ability. Dash has super-speed
while Violet has an invisibility cloak and force-field capabilities.
Jack Jack, the toddler, has a secret power not revealed until
the end. The twist in the story is that Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl
were once among the world's most beloved superheroes, but circumstances
put them into hiding for more than 15 years. Bob becomes an
insurance salesman while Helen becomes a domesticated housewife.
The family is housed by a government protection program, and
they are cautioned not to reveal their super identities to the
public or they will face reprimands and penalties. Lucius Best
(Samuel L. Jackson) is the best friend down the street, known
as Frozone in his heyday, and he has powers like the Silver
Surfer of Marvel Comics.
Bob comes out of hiding for a new assignment when he is approached
by the mysterious Mirage (Elizabeth Pena). She is working in
affiliation with Syndrome (Jason Lee), the nemesis of the story,
a character from the long-ago past who has spent 15 years building
a grudge against Mr. Incredible. Part of his mastermind plot
is to rid the world of superheroes so he can come out and rule
the world, and Mr. Incredible is at the top of his hit list.
At his desk job, Bob has a fussbudget of a boss (voiced by Wallace
Shawn), and now, applied with an excuse to go back into superhero
work, he has a chance to avenge corporate slave driving before
he faces any new challenges.
Part of the film's sly sophistication is that it plays up the
adult drama at home. Bob and Helen have economic problems, they
are caught up in slight but present marital lies with each other
and the kids themselves are fraught with problems at school.
Yet the underlying sarcasm of the film keeps everything light
and moving along. The surprising supporting characters are also
a delight. Edna Mode is a superhero fashion consultant (voiced
by Bird himself) who gets some of the biggest laughs of the
film - she has arguments against why superheroes shouldn't wear
capes. There is also some good poking fun on other movie trends:
the Pulp Fiction monologue, the scant application of an eye
mask as a way of hiding an identity (it's obvious who these
characters are under the masks!), the consequence of being saved
by the bad girl seconds before the wife comes in. The Incredibles
doesn't ridicule these cliches but embraces them, sends them
up and smacks them with an all-new freshness.
The action has speed and breakneck pace in the jungle scenes,
like the cycle chase through Endor in "Return of the Jedi."
The henchmen themselves look like Stormtroopers, they're efficient
yet dim-witted. The giant robotic spider is the biggest hurdle
for Mr. Incredible, since the only way to defeat it is to make
it kill itself. This is top-notch action excitement whichever
way you put it, and this year's "Spider-Man 2" is
the only live-action film in recent times that has similarly
managed to put thrills, laughs and cutting-edge spectacle into
its full-throttle synergy.
It's definitely worth declaring that "The Incredibles"
is the best animation film of the year, and that's no easy feat.
A few months ago, it looked as if animation couldn't get any
better than "Shrek 2," but "The Incredibles "rises
above the realm of all 3-D animation achievements previous to
it and shames any live action film out there made from weak
and exhausted parts. The film is written with snap and bite
and made with some of the same zeal that has gone into the best
of the James Bond pictures. It's deliriously funny and exciting.
"The Incredibles" has set a new bar of animation excellence.
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