The Incredibles on DVD (2004)

Incredible is the right word

Philip Concannon from London , 28/10/2004

You save a guy's life and what thanks do you get? In 'The Incredibles', the latest wonderful offering from Pixar, superheroes are being put out of business when injured pedestrians start filing lawsuits against them. Mr Incredible(Craig T Nelson) has been forced to shelve his superhero antics and settle down for a 'normal' life as lowly insurance clerk Bob Parr. 15 years later he's living with his wife Helen(Holly Hunter), the former Elastigirl, and their three kids.

Bob occasionally stops a few minor crimes with his friend Lucius(Samuel L Jackson), who was once Frozone, but the thrill isn't the same. All that soon changes though, when he receives a mysterious request to fly to a volcanic island and save it from a rampaging machine. But when he finds himself in trouble, it's time for his family to put their superpowers to the test.

Brad Bird and Pixar always seemed like a great mix and 'The Incredibles' delivers beyond all expectations. As you'd expect, the film looks sensational with the animation techniques appearing sharper and brighter than ever before. But the strength of Pixar's films has never been down to the way they look. It's all about the script which once again is tight, witty, intelligent and full of surprises.

The characters are memorable too, with the distinctive voices of Nelson and Hunter breathing life ito Mr Incredible and Elastigirl, and Jason Lee doing a good job as the chief villain Syndrome. Brad Bird himself offers a hilarious cameo as Edna, the eccentric designer of The Incredible's outfits, but Samuel L Jackson doesn't really make much of an impression with his brief screen time.

Bird handles the numerous set-pieces with a master's touch(Elastigirl's door trouble and the moment the kids first use their powers are particular highlights) and the villain's world-domination plan is more believable, and developed with more skill, than in many live-action superhero films.

This is truly breathtaking stuff, one of the films of the year and one of the best animated films I've ever seen. Thrilling, hilarious, tense and often quite moving, it's an exhilarating and completely satisfying experience. When the credits have rolled, there's only one nagging question which remains...

...How the hell are Pixar going to top this?

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My evening's in danger!

JediSi , 07/09/2007

The Incredibles are the family of Mr. Incredible and Elasti-girl, living in a nightmare future where superheroes have been sued and regulated to the point that they are either forced underground or into protection programs complete with assumed identities and mediocre jobs. Mr. Incredible himself is invincibly physically strong, but emotionally drained by the uselessness of his new life as an insurance claim examiner, and his depression is so complete that he feels as if he is detaching from all that he loves. The children are 'Dash' - a miniature Flash clone, 'Violet' - who has all of the basics of Sue Richards, The Fantastic Four's Invisible Girl, and infant Jack Jack - about whom little can be said. Eventually, the entire family gets swept up into a crisis of vast proportion as a forgotten piece of Mr. Incredibles past comes back to threaten the very world which has rejected them all.

The film really does derive a lot of its archetypal character points from Marvel's classic Fantastic Four, but adds brilliant humour, a very positive message, and some voice work which really is nothing less than Incredible. Sarah Vowell’s Violet especially impressed me. The voice talent in general, however, is exceptionally good, and the supporting cast doesn't slip a centimetre. Brad Bird's Edna is also a memorable standout.

Visually, the film is as good as any of the recent animated features most movie fans have enjoyed, though perhaps slightly less inventive and a bit less pretentious.

This would be a great film to see with your kids. It's clean, fun, and yet serious enough to engage even the most angst-ridden teenager. It also contains some very positive messages about the value and meaning of heroism, family, and 'sticking together' through the worst and the best of times.

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Jaw-droppingly abysmal

Stephen Gosling from Chesham, Bucks , 19/01/2005

Did I see the same film as these people? This film starts flat and weak and graduates to bum-numbingly tedious. Judging from the audience response at the cinema (less than a quarter full, depite being a Saturday) where I watched it, I wasn't alone in my opinion. Even the kids didn't laugh and quite a few left early. This film is totally deviod of the richness of the Shrek series. I can't imagine why they thought this script was worth filming. Clearly most of the budget went on the advertising. One to aviod.

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Disgusted

Nick666 from West Yorkshire , 30/11/2004

Quite frankly I don't know what Pixar were thinking - I suspect there are going to be a lot of out-of-work animators and scriptwriters around after this, because this is quite simply the BEST animated film I've ever seen! I just don't know how anyone is going to follow it up except by making a sequel!

The checklist of what they've got right?

Excellent animation - CHECK

Funny script - CHECK

Superheros that are 'super' (yet still human) - CHECK

Villains that are 'villainous' (yet misunderstood) - CHECK

Fantastic future meets retro plot - CHECK

Subtle homages to James Bond, Superman, etc etc - CHECK

And what they've got wrong? Well, you'd have to be a superhero yourself to find it.

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did not engage

A customer from the mild side , 07/10/2005

Surprisingly little visual humour for a cartoon. The whole 'insurance guy angst' was dull. A country not fit for super heroes - I don't think so.

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The Incredibles

A customer from Dorset, England , 20/10/2005

Rubbish, not a point to it at all. If you have any bonus disks on your selection delete them now.

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