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Pixar’s latest attempt at a smash fit falls short for some audience
members.
“The Incredibles” begins with mega superhero, Mr. Incredible,
who’s at the height of his career. That is, until he’s hit
with lawsuits from rescues that went amiss. Years later, Bob “Incredible”
Parr sits at a boring insurance job married to also-retired superhero,
Helen “Elastigirl” Parr and their two kids, Violet and Dash.
This not-so-normal suburban family tries to fit into society, while
Bob wishes he could return to his crime-fighting duties.
Bob’s wish is granted when he receives a message from a top-secret
yet very suspicious company. He’s flown to an island to fight a
creature that almost seems unstoppable. Meanwhile, unknown to him, he’s
bringing himself and his family into a secret evil plot to rid the world
of all superheroes.
When I first saw the trailer in June 2003, I was on the floor laughing
when an overweight Mr. Incredible was trying to buckle his belt. From
then, I counted down the days until I could see this seemingly hilarious
movie on the big screen. As I saw more and more commercials, nothing
lived up to the belt fiasco but it remained funny. I was suspecting
this movie to out-do “Finding Nemo,” which, in my opinion,
is one of the funniest animated movies out there. I sat down in the
packed theatre, expecting to be laughing hysterically within the first
10 minutes of the movie. Not so.
I walked out of the theater disappointed. Yes, there were funny parts
(nothing like the belt situation, but still funny) but nothing had me
rolling around on the ground with tears in my eyes. For the first hour
and a half, the movie told the entire back-story from Mr. Incredible
meeting Elastigirl to his boring job at the insurance company. There
were a few giggles here and there, but nothing gut wrenching. The only
breakout character I can see, or at least a quotable character, would
be super suite designer to the stars, Edna Mode. With her eccentric
movements and even more lovable yet loud personality, Edna stands out
amongst the superheroes. Almost like a new version of other Pixar characters,
Nigel from “Finding Nemo” or Roz from “Monsters Inc.”
A loved, yet under-appreciated, character.
What killed me was the lack of character development. I hardly knew
any of the other characters besides Bob. Violet was your typical shy
teenager, Dash was the generic annoying younger brother, and Helen was
the nagging voice in the back of your head. We saw Bob’s struggles
but what about the rest of your family. I think Pixar needs to concentrate
more on the characters than the actual animation (which remains amazing).
Violence was also very apparent in this movie, and that left me shocked.
Yes, it was a movie about super heroes but it’s also a Disney movie.
People were left shocked after the “Lion King’s” single
death, so I’m curious why mothers aren’t creating an uproar
about the gun use and constant explosions.
All in all, this movie falls short from “Finding Nemo” for
me. While I can quote “Nemo” on a drop of a dime, it takes
me a little while longer to find a single, hilarious quote from “The
Incredibles.” Sorry Pixar, maybe next time.
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“The Incredibles” was nothing less and so much more.
It’s a story about a family of superheroes forced to hide their
powers from the rest of the world. But Bob “Mr. Incredible”
Parr longs for the glory days where he could use his super strength
for the good of mankind instead of work for an uptight insurance agency.
His wife “Elastigirl” sympathizes with him, but reminds him
that he now has a family to care for and no time for heroics.
When Bob is contacted for a secret mission that requires the full use
of his skills, he can’t resist one more chance to relive his old
life and become Mr. Incredible again. But he soon learns he has been
duped by the evil genius Syndrome who has a chip on his shoulder that
even Mr. Incredible would have trouble lifting.
As moviegoers have come to expect from a Pixar movie, “The Incredibles”
is wet-your-pants funny. It might not have the constant comic momentum
of other Pixar movies, but the parts that are funny really hit their
mark. No one will forget the comic rants of Edna Mode, supersuit designer
extraordinaire. This short, eccentric character is eager to outdo herself
and to show off her superb supersuit making abilities. But for all intents
and purposes, she can be a little pushy and not the least bit presumptuous,
which only adds to her flair.
Besides a cool plot and lots of comic relief, “The Incredibles”
offers fans a view into the advances made in computer generated graphics
(CGI). I remember being disgusted with how people moved and looked in
“Toy Story,” but it is safe to say that Pixar has made leaps
and bounds with skins and biological motion since then. As Syndrome
would say, “I’m still geeking out over it!” The characters
look like an actual being is moving instead of a marionette, and the
colors have texture instead of just being all shiny. If people knew
how many lines of code and algorithms go into making it look like a
real person is in the movie, they would be bored to tears. We haven’t
seen many people in a Pixar film because those attributes had not been
perfected, but it is clear that “The Incredibles” serves as
a showcase for CGI advances.
“The Incredibles” is a great movie I can’t wait to take
my sister to see. Ever since “Finding Nemo” came out, the
students at her college in Georgia have quoted practically every line
from the movie. But it’s only a matter of time until a passing
stranger comes up to her and says, “Woman, where’s my super
suit?”
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