The Incredibles (2004)

Plot: A family of undercover superheroes are forced to go back to their superhero ways to stop a super villain.

Review: Another great Pixar movie.

For me, the story is what held the film together. It's so layered and touches on so many different subjects. I'm going to point out certain aspects of the plot that I really liked and thought made the film so memorable.

What I like about this movie is that it takes the superhero story and turns it around and makes it unique. In this films, most superheroes are known and they work for someone. In some superhero movies, most of the heroes work in isolation and the government is their enemy. In this case, the government helps the superheroes. They help them create their "normal identities", erase the memories of those that know who they are and relocate them. So I like the premise of superheroes working and being known to a government.

I like the huge variety of superheroes that we got in this. We had Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl/Mrs. Incredible, Frozone. They're all so different, in terms of their powers, motives. Yet, they all unit for the same purpose- to bring peace into the world.

Syndrome, the villain of the film, is captivating and impressive. What I like about him is that he's very much human. He's been rejected by his own hero and is now determined to bring not only that hero down, but every other hero possible. The audience is able to relate with him because Syndrome the representation of those that have been put down and said they can't do what they want to do. He's the person who's dreams have been crushed and is determined to avenge that. To prove those people wrong.

In addition to all the superhero aspects, we have the human side as well. We have the family relationships. Bob (Mr. Incredible) and Helene (Elastigirl/Mrs. Incredible), whose marriage is becoming strained. Bob is tired of the same old routine and longs to live back the glory days. It's very real and the parents watching this with their kids can realize that. 

We also get the kids point of view in this. Typically, we don't see the true point of view of a superheo's child. In this case, we have a teenager and a pre-adolescent and a baby. We have Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack. Violet, the teenager and Dash, the preteen, long to be normal. They want to fit in society but realize that they have their limitations because of possible exposure. We have the kids realizing that the world is a dangerous place and learning the harsh truths that come with being a superhero. It's life or death. 

Unlike most Pixar films, especially before this came out, I was genuinely surprised at the amount of violence and violent images. It's not overly traumatic for kids, but there are a lot of explosions, punches thrown, implied deaths and such that some the really younger kids might find unsettling.

Now I'm going to move from the story and touch on a few other things. The animation, like all of Pixar's films, is fantastic. From the multiple explosions, to the town, Frozone using his powers, Violet becoming invisible, Dash running on water, the chaos that Syndrome brings to the town, is all flawlessly down. It's incredible.

The Incredibles is an entertaining, exciting and thrilling animated film that is without a doubt one of Pixar's best works and will probably go down as being one of the best animated films ever created.

Rating: 5/5