This review will have spoilers, you have been warned although it has been 14 years so you had more than enough time.
The Incredibles is directed by Brad Bird and it tells the story of the Parr Family and their abilities and what happens when once praised heroes have to live among the civilians as a “normal” people. It includes the voice talents of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Spencer Fox, Jason Lee and Samuel L. Jackson.
14 years ago in 2004, this movie was huge, you would see it promoted everywhere. The Incredibles was iconic (still is). My experience with the film is not one I am particularly proud of. For starters, I never saw this in cinemas and the first time I saw it in it’s entirety was today. The reason being was that once it was airing on TV and I thought it had just started when really over 20 minutes had passed and so I thought to myself, it’s just a couple of minutes, they were probably not even important, little did I know! I was in awe at what I was watching.
The Incredibles treats it’s audience with respect, this is one of the most sophisticated and mature animated movies I’ve ever seen! I loved every minute of it. One thing I have to get out of the way is that I was shocked by the suicide attempt at the start. I didn’t expect them to go far, you would usually think that animated movies are a safe zone from stuff like this, and that’s why I was so gobsmacked that not only did they show it but they used as integral part of the story. It distracted me for a while. Looking back on it now I admire Bird for doing that, it was bold, it wasn’t just for shock value it was relevant to the plot and just by doing that he proved that this is a film for adults too.
This movie gives me so much to love about it, apart from a few plot holes which every movie has, this movie is truly incredible. I love what Bird did with the characters, the family dinner scene is one of my favourites, it’s a perfect example of reaching the full potential of a concept. I love the family dynamic with the superhero twist, if I had superpowers I would definitely use them on my siblings. Apart from the characters, Brad excelled at another aspect, detail. This little details this movie has, honestly make this movie even better. For example, the little laugh Dash does when he finds out he can run on water or just even when Violet moves her hair from her face after getting her confidence back. Most movies animated or not usually don’t pay much attention to stuff like this but when a film does pay attention to them, it makes all the difference.
One thing every great animated classic has in common is a great score and Michael Giacchino outdid himself with this one. Who would’ve thought jazz would make for a great superhero theme?! I love how dramatic, heroic and upbeat this score is, I love the tracks “Kronos Unveiled” and “100 Mile Dash”. Also the action sequences are mind-blowing. One of my favourite scenes is the plane scene when the two jets are aiming for it and Violet can’t produce a force field, it was intense, for a moment it felt like there was an actual sense of danger. That is something few animated movies have achieved. At times it doesn’t even feel animated, which is remarkable.
This movie also has some of the best voice-casting decisions ever! I love Nelson and Hunter as Mr. Incredible and ElastiGirl, they are great in the role especially Hunter who really feels like she’s acting. I love how the director himself, Brad Bird voices Edna Mode, her character just became even more funnier and enjoyable. As for Frozone, I loved his character, he should’ve had more screen-time, this movie is almost two hours long, even though it feels shorter than that. What do I think about Syndrome? While I loved his origin, it’s realistic and clever, I do think that he isn’t as smart as he makes it out to be. There were some obvious holes in his plans, some of which he could’ve fixed easily but I guess the movie wouldn’t have progressed if he didn’t ignore the flaws in his plans. I like his motive, I love his appearance, the orange and black and white combo really works out, he makes for a memorable villain, even without the appearance. I like how quirky and cocky he was. “You sly dog, you got me monologuing!”
All in all, this is one of Pixar’s best movies ever! With unique style and animation, a jazzy theme, amazing characters and an important story to tell, this is one movie that lives up to it’s title. The mature nature of The Incredibles separates this movie from the other superhero movies we have today, even after a decade and a half later and that’s why The Incredibles gets this rating.
owen is a filmaholic 