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With their contract with Disney just a few films from being completed, Pixar has delivered what I myself, and it seems most critics, have deemed to be their most “grown up” and completely well rounded movie to date. In The Incredibles we are taken behind the scenes into the inner workings of a family of super-heroes…on their day off; or in this case, after they have served their purpose to humanity and are just trying to lead everyday normal lives. Once, we mere mortals relied on these heroes to get us out of every scrape and to pull us through every jam. A purse snatching? We are going to need someone in a cape to come take care of it! A bank robbery? Well, that is the sort of stuff that only a mask and a transformable super-car will be able to resolve! Giant robotic menace threatening the city? That’s gonna take someone with a chiseled profile, great hair and square jaw! But when a daring feat of heroism goes slightly haywire, the same people who once stood in the streets shouting their praises, are now crowding those same streets calling for the end of all things “super”. Forced into a veritable hiding by angry throngs and a back-pedaling government, the super-heroes of old are put into a witness relocation program and forced to live “normal” lives. For Bob (Mr. Incredible), his lovely wife Helen (Elastigirl), super-son Dash, and daughter Violet, the change into the “normal” Parr family does not come easy. The once proud do-gooder now holds down a menial job at an insurance office, doing more to quell the needs of the average citizen than to offer them hope. His wife now spends less time saving the city and more time just trying to get the kids to not use their powers at school! But when a new villain arises and the proverbial poop hits the fan, there are no heroes around to come to the rescue of the common man. Will the heroes rise again and come to the aid of those who spurned them, or will the length of time that has passed and the harsh treatment that they received keep the super folk in hiding? A tremendously brilliant premise combined with top notch scripting and the best voice actor ensemble that has come along in a long, long time makes The Incredibles shine like no other Pixar/Disney release has. Never before have so many elements of quality moviemaking come together into one package that contained so much for adults and kids alike. But just what sets this film apart from the other Pixar/Disney films that audiences have adored for the last several years? The family dynamic is an amazing tool; used here to reach all ages with in-jokes and fun-poking. Parents will chuckle at the child-rearing techniques of a set of “super” parents. Elastic arms wrangle the trouble making youngsters and super strength is utilized to move furniture in an attempt to stop a squabble. Younger audience members will laugh out loud as the kids use their powers to terrorize teachers at school or get away with mischief at home. It is amazing the trouble you can get into when you can turn invisible or move faster than the eye can follow! Bob’s inability to deal with not using his powers, and his desire to be doing something with himself instead of wasting away as a company man is familiar to all of us 9-5ers. Helen’s struggle to keep a family together despite the distant nature of her husband will strike a chord with many housewives and mothers. Dash’s feeling that his parent’s are stifling his life, and Violet’s self-consciousness at being “different”, will be immediately identifiable with nearly every youth of today. All ages, old and young, will marvel at the absolutely unbelievable computer graphics which Pixar is pumping out these days. There is a tremendous amount of high-speed action in this film and every single frame of it is rendered perfectly and well beyond what has been available previously. Of special note is the fact that The Incredibles also features a great deal of water and smoke on screen; two notoriously difficult effects to achieve realistically with computer graphics. Both are handled so well here that even my girlfriend (a casual movie watcher…not CG savvy by any means) was repeatedly spurred to ask, “Did you see that water!” or “Wow, is that all computer?”. Hollywood, however, has a way of making films that look fantastic but that don’t deliver in the slightest on any other level (Lucas, I’m eyeballing you, man…). The Incredibles was not going to be a smash success without more than well-rendered liquid effects. Luckily, this is where the voice cast comes into play. I could rave on about each and every member of the cast, or I could just cut to the chase and tell you the two heavy hitters. Samuel L. Jackson as Frozone is funny like you have never seen. Each line is delivered with a seriousness and believability that translates into hilarious screen moments. Hearing a hero call out to his wife, “Woman! Where is my super-suit?!” is a moment of screen genius. Despite Jackson’s periodical interludes of laughs, the real guffaws are the result of Edna. the ultra-chic super-suit designer with as much flair for fashion as she has for fire-proof fabrics and bullet-proof capes (actually…no capes). This fashionista helper of the costume challenged super-set gets the best lines and generally has the most humorous screentime…to the point where you will be waiting until the next time she appears on screen, just to see what she has to say. What makes this role especially memorable, however, is the fact that Edna is voiced by the writer and director, Brad Bird!! Terribly funny writing, grand and inspired directing, talented voice actors and some amazing computer graphics makes this a movie you simply have to see! But it is the extra features that have been created and assembled into this 2-disc collector’s edition which make it a movie that you simply have to add into your DVD collection. The second disc of this set holds enough treasures to almost warrant being sold separately! In “Jack-Jack Attack”, the youngest member of the Parr household finally gets his due! This infant super is largely looked over in the film, but is the star of this animated short. In a very clever move by the guys at Pixar, this bonus feature is tied in with the film you have just seen and is like getting dessert after a great meal. Jack-Jack’s babysitter Kari stands no chance against the fiery fury of a playful super-baby, and while we may feel a little bad for her ensuing nervous breakdown, we also are forced to laugh as it unfolds! But “Jack-Jack Attack” isn’t the only animated short included here. There is a wonderfully innocent little short called “Boundin’” which was created by Pixar animator Bud Lucky. Mr. Lucky was one of the very first animators brought into the studio and came complete with about 30 years of hand-drawn animation experience. Credited with creating the Toy Story character of Woody. Bud uses his distinct talent and combines it with his old-school sensibilities and puts together a delightfully western musical and dance piece featuring a sad little sheep, a perky jackalope and a host of other desert animals. There are tons and tons of deleted scenes, “making of” materials, and behind-the-scenes discussions and interviews. My personal favorite extra feature is an NSA dossier which includes every single super hero of The Incredibles’ world, what their powers are, what their current status is and most fun of all, an audio clip from their last government interview! It takes a good long time to go through all of these files and super-team affiliations, and this feature alone will keep you and the young ones busy for a good long time. There is much, much more included on this disc, as is usual for Pixar films, but I will simply suffice it to say that there are hours of enjoyment. This fun combined with the fun of watching the fantastic film makes this collector’s edition DVD a must have. If you are a fan of the film, you already are going to buy this; and let me be the first to tell you that if you are not a fan of this film, then you certainly will be after taking this DVD home. This is Pixar’s finest movie, if I do say so myself; and that is quite a compliment as every single Pixar film is a wonderful experience. Gather your family around, or call up the friends…everyone is gonna love this one. It’s super. -aaron-
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