Pixar’s Latest Is More Than Worth The Price Of Admission

Comic book adaptations and super-hero movies have been overthrowing Hollywood production schedules for a few years, but a subtle, yet significant tonal shift has occurred.

Perhaps two of the most telling images from a couple of 2004’s biggest hits thus far are a downtrodden Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) haplessly pulling his red-and-blue stained laundry from a washing machine in Spider-Man 2, and an aggravated Lucius, a/k/a Frozone (voiced wonderfully by the ever-cool Samuel L. Jackson in the new Pixar/Disney hit, The Incredibles), frustrated that he can’t find his spandex outfit, wailing to his wife, “Where... is ... my... super suit?”

It’s a case of both films trying to tell us that super powers notwithstanding, these heroes are actually people just like you and me, with the same everyday problems and frustrations, trials and travails. Oh yeah, they also happen to battle multi-tentacled maniacal geniuses and giant, metal super robots too.

Directed by animation veteran but Pixar first-timer Brad Bird (his first film was the beloved but little seen The Iron Giant, and he has also worked on the acclaimed series The Simpsons), The Incredibles is the tale of Bob Parr (Craig T. Nelson) and his wife Helen (Holly Hunter), formerly known as Mr Incredible and Elastigirl, who have been forced into retirement from do-gooding due to an increasingly litigious society and a government thereby required to put all specially powered beings into a type of witness protection program.

They now live in a ranch-style home in suburbia with their three kids, baby Jack-Jack, who appears normal, 10-year-old son Dash (Spencer Fox), who is gifted with super speed, and moody teenage daughter Violet (Sarah Vowell), who can turn herself invisible as well as project force fields. But the children are forbidden from using their powers in public; Bob and Helen have instructed them to simply fit in because apparently no one welcomes their super-powered antics anymore.

But secretly, Bob, who now labors at a tedious desk job with an insurance company, longs for his former glory and the chance to use his extraordinary gifts. But as the old saying goes, be careful what you wish for... you may get it.

From the moment the teaser trailer was unveiled over a year ago, from the second after that hilarious short gag featuring a paunchy, past-his-prime Bob, trying vainly to suck in his gut and buckle the belt of his form-fitting costume from his super-heroic salad days, it was clear that The Incredibles would be a highly-anticipated film. Now that it has arrived and conquered the box office (it remained in third place last week, behind National Treasure and The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, with a three-week tally of $175.5 million), perhaps the most incredible aspect of this fantastic film is that it more than lives up to all the hype. In fact, as an esteemed colleague said to me, “Within 15 minutes I knew I wanted to see this movie again!” I agree.

Bird takes some risks with the Pixar formula (the film runs nearly two hours, and it’s rated PG), but really scores with this clever, touching and extremely funny take on a dysfunctional family that comes to terms with their own identities individually, but also their relationships with each other.

The Incredibles makes you care about its characters and it’s actually a bit surprising how much true jeopardy, real feeling and extreme tension Bird and his creators are able to ratchet up. It’s very unusual to experience in an animated film the kind of drama found here.

But make no mistake, this is also just as sharp, witty and fun as other top-notch Pixar outings including as Finding Nemo and Toy Story. For example, the film’s scene-stealing character, the diminutive Edna Mode (voiced by the director himself), a cross between James Bond’s gadget guru Q and silver-screen costume designer Edith Head, is absolutely hilarious. A  sequence where she explains why she refuses to design a caped costume is a riot.

The Incredibles, rated PG for intense action sequences, is a joy to watch and an exciting, early treat for the holiday season.

More than worth the price of admission, this deserves to be seen more than once.