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| The Parr family, former super heroes, live the life of 'normal' civilians, hiding their special abilities. When the head of the household Bob receives an invitation to a secret meeting on a remote island, the family finds itself on the front line once again only this time, fighting to save the world.
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 |  | "No matter how many times you save the world, it always manages to get back in jeopardy again. Sometimes I just want it to stay saved! You know, for a little bit? I feel like the maid: ‘I just cleaned up this mess! Can we keep it clean for ten minutes?!’"
A computer-generated marvel blending outrageous superhero action with a cool James Bond vibe, The Incredibles is easily one of the best looking, funniest and most exciting animated features ever made. Certainly the most adult-oriented Pixar movie produced to date, the film was recently honoured with an Oscar for Best Animated Feature, and came ninth in Channel Four’s hotly contested countdown show The Hundred Greatest Cartoons.
Mr Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) is a superhero. Or at least he used to be, before a torrent of lawsuits forced him and his kind to quit saving people and pose as the normal and powerless, living safely anonymous lives in the heart on suburbia. Fat, frustrated and bored with his career as an insurance claims specialist, he is no longer Mr Incredible. He’s Bob Parr, family guy. His wife Helen (Holly Hunter) also used to be a superhero, the very stretchy and sassy Elastigirl, much like the Fantastic Four’s Sue Storm, only with a personality. And since the parents are both super-powered, their kids are too: fast as a flash Dash (Spencer Fox), invisible girl Violet (Sarah Vowell) and baby of the group Jack Jack, whose powers have yet to reveal themselves. When a mysterious employer offers Bob the opportunity to squeeze into his tights and do a little freelance hero work, he jumps at the opportunity, but when it turns out to be a trap set by budding arch enemy Syndrome (Jason Lee), the Parrs are forced out of hiding to save their dad, as well as countless innocents, with a little bit of help from frosty family friend, Frozone (Samuel L Jackson).
The brainchild of animation legend Brad Bird, whose credits include The Simpsons, King of the Hill and the virtually perfect Iron Giant, The Incredibles lives up to its name, and then some. The initial idea for the film came to Brad in the early Nineties, basing the story on his own experiences of juggling family and career. "They are a family learning to balance their individual lives with their love for one another," says Bird. "The Incredibles is a comedy about superheroes discovering their more ordinary human side. As I wrote, I wanted to create a world filled with pop culture references – with spy movie gadgets and comic book super powers and outrageous evil villains using ingenious devices – but at the same time, to create a story within that world that is very much about family. I really poured everything in my heart into the story. All these personal things – about being a husband, being a father, the idea of getting older, the importance of family, what work means and what it feels like to think you’re losing the things that you love."
Besides his writing and directing duties, Bird also served as the voice of pint-sized supporting character Edna ‘E’ Mode, a brilliant, eccentric designer of resilient and eye-catching superhero costumes. Movie buffs might like to know that Edna was based on renowned costume designer Edith Head, who worked on hundreds of movies for more than fifty years, earning 25 Oscar nominations and winning seven.
Packed to overflowing with laughs, excitement and eye-popping visuals, The Incredibles marks the first time that Pixar has only used human characters to tell a story. No living toys, no talking fish; no friendly monsters or heroic bugs - just people with powers doing their thing, battling colossal robots, trashing henchmen and learning a bit more about themselves in the process.
Armed with an ingenious screenplay and a spirited voice cast, The Incredibles is particularly notable for its extended, astounding action sequences, every bit as epic and exciting as live action. Comicbook fans are further rewarded with multiple in-jokes and references to the likes of Superman, Captain Marvel, The X-Men and Fantastic Four. To cap it off, there’s a slick Sixties style soundtrack, a homage to the early Bond scores of John Barry. In fact, Barry was approached to score the movie, but was unable to find the time to do it. Standing in for the great man, composer Michael Giacchino does such an amazing job it’s unlikely that Barry could have done any better. Just like the movie, it’s practically perfect in every way.
The Incredibles lives up to its name... an incredible movie! Add it to your list now!
The Incredibles is released to rent onto Special Edition Disney DVD from the 18th March 2005.
(C) Disney / Pixar
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