CORPORATE LINE: From the Academy Award ®-winning creators of “Toy Story,” “Monsters, Inc.” and “Finding Nemo,” comes this hilarious action-packed animated adventure about superheroes. Bob Parr used to be one of the world’s greatest superheroes (known to all as “Mr. Incredible”), saving lives and fighting evil on a daily basis. But now, fifteen years later, Bob and his wife (a famous former superhero in her own right) have adopted civilian identities and retreated to the suburbs to live normal lives with their three kids. Now he’s a clock-punching insurance claims adjuster fighting boredom and a bulging waistline. Itching to get back into action, Bob gets his chance when a mysterious communications summons him to a remote island for a top-secret assignment. Pixar Animation Studios stretches the boundaries of the art form with this stylish and entertaining film. Acclaimed filmmaker Brad Bird (“The Iron Giant”) directs.
THE GOOD: You have to wonder when Pixar movies will start stealing scripts away from live-action films—if they haven’t done so already. “The Incredibles” could have been a fantastic live-action movie—sure it would have cost a fortune—but it would have been a blockbuster. Even as a cartoon “The Incredibles” it’ll still be a hit.
This isn’t just for kids. Pixar has made this one for all crowds. Rarely do you find a cartoon—Shrek—that caters to all crowds irregardless of age. Not only is it funny, but again Pixar comes through with an interesting, unique, and completely original storyline. You almost wonder how no one came up with it sooner. There is a lot of action; even though it is a cartoon you still can’t help but watch in anticipation wondering how it’ll all end.
The animation is brilliant. The characters are similar to the cartoons I grew up with and took that cel-animation and made it 3D. This is a oft used method in video games and pixar made it work in “The Incredibles.” This is a great looking animated film.
THE BAD: Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Forgettaboudit.
DVD FEATURES:
Disc One: Two commentaries are the featured bonuses on disc one. The first commentary with Brad Bird and producer John Walker is interesting as we learn what is happening on-screen and the ideas that went into the final production. The second commentary features many of the Pixar animators.
Disc Two: The deleted scenes are long in comparison to the usual couple minute fare of most films; however a good portion of that time is Bird and Walker discussing the scenes. There were scenes cut for many different reasons and one interesting note is that the beginning was to be completely different.
“Behind the Scenes” features Bird, John Lasseter, and Walker discussing everything from the movement of the characters to the music. Following that is another similar feature called “More Making of the Incredibles” which is centered on the technical aspects of the movie. This feature is 40 minutes and it makes little sense why there are two similar features that go behind the scenes.
“E Volution” is about the wacky costume designer—you’ll be surprised to see who does the voice. “Building Humans” looks at the making of the characters. “Incredi-blunders” is less than two minutes long and is often intentional. The “Top Secret” menu features a short movie called “Mr. Incredble and Pals.” Included is a commentary featuring Mr. Incredble and Frozone. It’s worth a look.
FRANKLY: “The Incredibles” is a hit. Disney and Pixar have to be waiting in anticipation for this blockbuster to come out. This family of “The Incredibles” is sure to own the box office for the rest of the year.
+ Charlie Craine
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