Just weeks after Dreamworks creatively floundered with
Shark Tale, their follow-up to the indisputably better
Shrek 2, Pixar, the folks responsible for the best films of the digital era, step in to show them how CGI animation is done right. Like all Pixar films,
The Incredibles bears all the hallmarks of their past classics: sharp characters, a well-written story, great animation and enough color and style to attract the attention of audiences from 5 to 50. But this film carries the distinction of being the first in the company's history to attack more adult material—such as
Spider-Man-style action—and roundly earns its PG rating.
That isn't to say the film is designed exclusively for parents instead of kids; rather, instead of giving characters googly eyes and cutesy conflicts, writer-director
Brad Bird (
The Iron Giant) embraces the pulpy comic-book origins of the material and allows for some truly incredible action scenes. At the same time, the story explores mature themes recurrent with the underlying motifs in
Toy Story 2 and
Finding Nemo—namely, parental responsibility, aging and the realization that not everything can be controlled—and packages them in such a fantastic visual setting that you hardly realize that you're actually learning something while being entertained.
The voice casting in this film is particularly strong, featuring less familiar actors like Craig T. Nelson (TV's
Coach) alongside stalwart performers like Holly Hunter, not for the purposes of stunt casting but for the best reason of all—to make the characters come to life. Nelson, whose actual career is on the wane, lends gravity and heartfelt sentiment to Mr. Incredible and reflects with remarkable power the feeling of obsolescence that people get when they realize their gifts just aren't in demand anymore. Hunter turns a shrill housewife role into something hugely more substantial and gives the film an emotional dynamism—and a genuine sense of conflict between the heroes' super and regular lives—that brings Bird's fantasy world back down to earth for us mortals to relate to.
Each Pixar movie that comes out brings with it a whole new world of imaginative ideas, catch phrases and memorable characters, and The Incredibles is no different—I marveled at Brad Bird's intricate design for the superheroes, their gadgets and the seemingly limitless imagination of their world (revealingly, there's even a costume designer around to accommodate each character's special needs). I was a little concerned that parents might find it more intense than previous Pixar movies—the first lawsuit comes from a guy who was rescued while trying to commit suicide—but Bird's steady hand keeps the tone even throughout the family drama and breakneck action. Without completely acquiescing to cliches, I'll just say that the film lives up to its namesake. — Todd
