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I am Bob Parr. I sit in my office performing incredibly mundane tasks as part of my job. I look out the window and see a world that is far more interesting, if only I were allowed to be a part of it. I know lots of Helen Parrs. I remember what it feels like to be Violet and Dash Parr. I'm attached to the Incredibles because I can identify with them. In an animated movie, as people of extraordinary ability, Bob, Helen, Violet, Dash and even baby Jack-Jack, the third child of the family, are all identifiable with every member of the audience. If moviegoers don't see themselves in one of these characters, they most certainly know someone who reminds them of one of these characters.
Much has been made about Pixar's ability to computer generate humans for this film. But the reality is that the look of most of the characters is still somewhat cartoony. It is the characters' personalities that are all so real. That's what makes The Incredibles such a good movie -- and not just a good animated movie. The Incredibles is a good movie because it tells a great story with loving and believable personalities. You care about them and you root for them. And that's because they are real.
Of course, like every Pixar animated film, the entire movie is eye candy. The architecture is retro, transportation seems futuristic. Jungle environments must have been incredibly difficult to render. Same with the hair. It is beautiful to look at.
The soundtrack really added to the overall appeal of the film. It sounded like a 1960s Bond film. And as much as I like a good song in my movies, this one didn't lack for not having one.
This film was a little more adult than past Pixar movies. Though adults have always had something to appeal to them in Pixar films of the past, a lot of the story, character interaction and humor were actually directed towards adults. I totally had to laugh at the argument between Bob and Helen as they tried to navigate the city's freeways and streets to meet up with the pending robot attack, having just had a similar disagreement with my wife about the best route to take around town. While I was fine with the length of the picture and the pace, I think it might be a little on the long side for the youngest of viewers.
But the kids in the audience seemed to really enjoy it. I remember when I was younger always declaring which character I wanted to be after a movie ended. And after this film, lots of kids were declaring their role. It sounded like Jack-Jack was the most popular, followed by Dash.
The vocals were top notch with Craig T. Nelson doing a great Mr. Incredible. I'm not always a big fan of Holly Hunter but I thought she did a great job as Elastigirl, as did Jason Lee as Syndrome. A little bit of Samuel L. Jackson goes a long way and luckily they used him just enough in the role of Frozone. And Brad Bird, the film's director, as Edna Mode truly stole the show.
After such an amazing success in rolling out hit movie after hit movie, I'm always afraid that the other shoe is going to drop and that Pixar is going to produce a subpar movie. It won't be with The Incredibles that this will happen. Naming a favorite Pixar movie is like naming a favorite child. And while Monsters, Inc. still ranks at the top of my list, The Incredibles sits just below. I wish I didn't have to be as clichéd as every other movie reviewer out there but this film truly was incredible.
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