This week I've already shared quite a few reviews, but I didn't want to pass on reviewing The Incredibles when I've waited fourteen years to see its sequel. I actually saw both films at an Incredibles IMAX Double Feature Wednesday night so I'll be sharing a review for Incredibles 2 shortly, but in the meantime, go ahead and read my thoughts on the original. As for the near future, I'm preparing my Throwback Thursday Review of The Lost World: Jurassic Park to share while I'm away next week and I'll certainly be reviewing Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom when I return.
'The Incredibles' Review
Nominated For: Best Animated Feature, Best Original Screenplay, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing.
Won: Best Animated Feature and Best Sound Editing.
Fifteen years after the government banned supers, The Incredibles accompanies the married super-couple Bob and Helen Parr (formerly known by the alter-egos Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl) who have been relegated to the suburbs to live normal lives with their three children. However, Bob misses the day-to-day heroics and is having a difficult time adjusting to the mundane nature of normalcy. When an opportunity comes his way to put his super-suit back on and get paid by a mysterious organization to fight a rampaging robot, Parr takes the gig and ventures to the island without a second thought. As Bob soon finds himself in over his head, it's up to his family to rescue him.
It's crazy to think I was seven years old when The Incredibles was released in theaters. I can recall it was released during the hey-day of Pixar as the studio's sixth feature, coming off a string of hits including Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc., and Finding Nemo. I remember being all jazzed to see what story the studio in store involving superheroes because there were hardly ANY superhero films in 2004. I'm twenty one, Pixar has now released twenty animated features, and I can't even tell you how many superhero movies exist if that gives you any indication about how much time has passed... As I'm sure is the case with most people around my age, I hold The Incredibles in very high regard and consider it to still be one of Pixar's best original offerings fourteen years later. Last year, I even placed it among my personal list of Fifty Favorite Films ever made (animated or otherwise) if that tells you anything. So, why is The Incredibles so great and well-beloved to this day? That's precisely what this review is going to explore.
The Incredibles was written and directed by Brad Bird as his second feature film following The Iron Giant. Bird brought a tone, style, and sensibility that the superhero genre had simply never seen before. He made an animated film that was an ode to parenthood and reminiscing on the glory days of old. Revisiting The Incredibles, it's very surprising to notice the mature subtext surrounding it all. The film hits all four target demographics because older audiences can relate to Mr. Incredible's mid-life crisis while children are wowed by the sensational spectacle. Family is the thing that ties it all together though. Without its focus on family, The Incredibles may have lived on in everyone's mind as an entertaining animated superhero affair, but it never would have become the animated classic its known as today.
The names, power-sets, and personalities of the Parr family all reflect their various "roles" in the traditional family structure, which enables audience members at various stages of life to empathize with these character's struggles. However, underneath it all is a valuable message about embracing your identity, togetherness, and the importance of family. This is unique because there's yet to be any other superhero film that's tackled this subject matter this well. I guess you could say that teamwork's been covered plenty, but the family angle is almost exclusive to The Incredibles.
Aside from family, Bird distinguished The Incredibles from the rest of the genre by setting it in the fifties and sixties to give it an atmosphere all to itself. Michael Giachinno's exceptional score fits accordingly with its jazzy, heroic espionage angle. One thing I noticed in particular while rewatching the film is that Bird and Giacchino brilliantly matched the film's atmosphere to however Mr. Incredible perceived the setting at that point-in-time. While the protagonist's point-of-view is always the lens in which we view a film's events, I noticed something unique in this respect. Take Bob's visit to the island for example. When he first arrives and later returns for subsequent visits, the island framed as a luxurious island resort. However, as soon as he learns the true nature of Syndrome's work, the facade vanishes and the aesthetic of the evil lair is much more clear. The tension escalates and things become more unsettling as the plot proceeds. Giacchino's score perfectly parallels and enhances this shift in perspective. On top of merely sounding cool, Giacchino's music serves another purpose and so it has the makings of a great film score in its very DNA.
Beyond that, I noticed so many parallels in the film's visual language and dialogue. The image shown above contrasts Bob's reminiscing about the glory days in his office, as Buddy looks in hatred at the hero and wants to do everything in his power to make him pay. It's also kind of creepy how relevant the film's depiction of toxic fandom is to the toxic corners of internet fandom today. This is just one example, but there's so many more spread throughout the film and I find it fascinating how those two contrasting stills were able to tells a story on their own.
I'm also going to outline an example of one particular bit of dialogue resurfacing that I found to be quite clever. Early on in the film, when Helen is taking Dash home from school, the mother and son are arguing about whether he should use his powers or not. Dash makes the claim that their powers make them special and Helen remarks that "Every one's special..." and Dash retorts with "Which is another way of saying no one is." Later on, when Syndrome has the super-family captured, he monologues about his evil plan and has some back-and-forth with Mr. Incredible. He tells Mr. Incredible that he accomplished everything without their "oh-so-special powers" and he'll sell his inventions when he's done with it all so that everyone can be superheroes. He then follows this up with a maniacal laugh and the lines "And when every one's super, no one will be." It's a recurring beat that wasn't included unintentionally. It's laid into the groundwork of the film early on and returns to reinforce Syndrome's point-of-view. You hear all he has to say and think "Wow. This is seriously messed up, but he's onto something and I can see where he's coming from."
In other respects, The Incredibles features the top notch animation, superb sound design, meaningful storytelling, and formidable voice cast that Pixar is well-known for. Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Spencer Fox, Sarah Vowell, and Samuel L. Jackson all turn in solid work as the various Incredibles and Frozone respectively. Nelson, Hunter, Fox, and Vowell in particular authenticate their family dynamic in addition to selling themselves as superheroes. Oh, and Brad Bird does a simply fabulous job providing the voice of everyone's favorite superhero designer Edna Mode.
As I've touched on, Syndrome is a terrific villain largely because his backstory and motivations are understandable. Regardless of whether you agree with what he's doing or not, you can see his faulty reasoning behind it all. However, it's the campy, over-the-top voice performance from Jason Lee that really brings his character home. Starting as Buddy, Lee convincingly captures the happy-go-lucky fanboy attitude only to later relish in Syndrome's sadistic villainy later on. It's almost like the flip of a switch when he eventually emerges with the evil persona.
All these years later, The Incredibles isn't simply remembered for being a fun flick though. Its focus on family keeps it in the conversation and I have no doubt it will maintain its status as an animated classic for years to come because of just that! After fourteen years, The Incredibles is still exhilarating, action-packed, full of heart and humor, and even lives up to its namesake as one of the most incredible superhero stories ever told.
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