The Incredibles

When it comes to animation I am a sucker, I have no illusions. Maybe my love for fine art, allows me to appreciate the visual images more than a movie depicting real life, or maybe watching an animated feature is the only real way to escape from reality, and lose yourself in the moment. Aside from my undying appreciation for the genre, I can still tell when an animated film falls flat, such as Barnyard, Open Season and some transitional Disney pieces. But I can proudly say that The Incredibles is far from this categorization and is the best animated of its era. The distinction for best animated features still belong to such absolute classics like The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast, but as for the era of digital animation, this film stands to be a benchmark that will be hard to rival.

Directed by Brad Bird, who also helmed the sensational The Iron Giant, and did fantastic work on the Simpson’s in its prime, he has not only created a masterwork of animation, he has given birth to a film that rivals films of any genre, as well as seamlessly meshing action, fantasy and comedy into a cohesive original. We first descend into a world where superheroes are very much real, and are respected by all, until a man attempting suicide is saved, and subsequently sues the young Mr Incredible ( Craig T. Nelson) and the glory days of the caped crusaders is drowned in a sea of lawsuits. As superheroes are forced into exile, they assume normal lives, trying not to disclose their true identity to the world. Mr Incredible however, along with Frozone, played by the always hilarious Samuel L. Jackson, try to recapture their glory days, skipping out at night to secretly foil bank robberies and other crimes without letting his wife, Elastagirl (Holly Hunter) or his two children Dash and Violet know what he is up to. One day Mr Incredible is approached by a mysterious woman named Mirage, who wishes to recruit our ex-superhero to conduct some private chivalry. Subsequently things go awry and the Incredible family is thrust back into action.

The Incredibles also has the distinction of being able to please both children and adults. The slapstick humour and flashy animation will please the younger ones, but the content is clearly geared to more of an adult audience. The story has real content, and it is at times gritty and violent, but by no means in a sadistic way. The moments of comic relief hit the mark hard, and at times you will be holding your gut, and at others when the action starts you will be gripping your chair arm. The voice work is impeccable, the animation flawless and crisp and truly leaves nothing to be desired. I enjoyed this movie more with each subsequent viewing and made an instant star, at least to those who appreciate movies, of Brad Bird, who without doubt the best director of animated films since Walt Disney.

So is the Incredibles aptly named? Absolutely. It is a film that will transcend time and demographics and will sit in infamy as a fantastic animated film that can throw punches with the best.

© 2008 Simon Brookfield