The Incredibles (Collector's Edition) [2004]

Amazon.co.uk Review

After creating the last great traditionally animated film of the 20th century, The Iron Giant, filmmaker Brad Bird joined top-drawer studio Pixar to create this exciting, completely entertaining computer-animated film. Bird gives us a family of "supers," a brood of five with special powers desperately trying to fit in with the 9-to-5 suburban lifestyle. Of course, in a more innocent world, Bob and Helen Parr were superheroes, Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl. But blasted lawsuits and public disapproval forced them and other supers to go incognito, making it even tougher for their school-age kids, the shy Violet and the aptly named Dash. When a stranger named Mirage (voiced by Elizabeth Pena) secretly recruits Bob for a potential mission, the old glory days spin in his head, even if his body is a bit too plump for his old super suit.

Bird has his cake and eats it, too. He and the Pixar wizards send up superhero and James Bond movies while delivering a thrilling, supercool action movie that rivals Spider-Man 2 for 2004's best onscreen thrills. While it's just as funny as the previous Pixar films, The Incredibles has a far wider-ranging emotional palette (it's Pixar's first PG film). Bird takes several jabs, including some juicy commentary on domestic life ("It's not graduation, he's moving from the fourth to fifth grade!").

The animated Parrs look and act a bit like the actors portraying them, Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter. Samuel L. Jackson and Jason Lee also have a grand old time as, respectively, superhero Frozone and bad guy Syndrome. Nearly stealing the show is Bird himself, voicing the eccentric designer of superhero outfits ("No capes!"), Edna Mode.

Nominated for four Oscars, The Incredibles won for Best Animated Film and, in an unprecedented win for non-live-action films, Sound Editing.

The Presentation
This two-disc set is (shall we say it?), incredible. The digital-to-digital transfer pops off the screen and the 5.1 Dolby sound will knock the socks off most systems. But like any superhero, it has an Achilles heel. This marks the first Pixar release that doesn't include both the widescreen and full-screen versions in the same DVD set, which was a great bargaining chip for those cinephiles who still want a full-frame presentation for other family members. With a 2.39:1 widescreen ratio (that's big black bars, folks, à la Dr. Zhivago), a few more viewers may decide to go with the full-frame presentation. Fortunately, Pixar reformats their full-frame presentation so the action remains in frame.

The Extras
The most-repeated segments will be the two animated shorts. Newly created for this DVD is the hilarious "Jack-Jack Attack," filling the gap in the film during which the Parr baby is left with the talkative babysitter, Kari. "Boundin'," which played in front of the film theatrically, was created by Pixar character designer Bud Luckey. This easygoing take on a dancing sheep gets better with multiple viewings (be sure to watch the featurette on the short).

Brad Bird still sounds like a bit of an outsider in his commentary track, recorded before the movie opened. Pixar captain John Lasseter brought him in to shake things up, to make sure the wildly successful studio would not get complacent. And while Bird is certainly likable, he does not exude Lasseter's teddy-bear persona. As one animator states, "He's like strong coffee; I happen to like strong coffee." Besides a resilient stance to be the best, Bird threw in an amazing number of challenges, most of which go unnoticed unless you delve into the 70 minutes of making-of features plus two commentary tracks (Bird with producer John Walker, the other from a dozen animators). We hear about the numerous sets, why you go to "the Spaniards" if you're dealing with animation physics, costume problems (there's a reason why previous Pixar films dealt with single- or uncostumed characters), and horror stories about all that animated hair. Bird's commentary throws out too many names of the! animators even after he warns himself not to do so, but it's a lively enough time. The animator commentary is of greatest interest to those interested in the occupation.

There is a 30-minute segment on deleted scenes with temporary vocals and crude drawings, including a new opening (thankfully dropped). The "secret files" contain a "lost" animated short from the superheroes' glory days. This fake cartoon (Frozone and Mr. Incredible are teamed with a pink bunny) wears thin, but play it with the commentary track by the two superheroes and it's another sharp comedy sketch. There are also NSA "files" on the other superheroes alluded to in the film with dossiers and curiously fun sound bits. "Vowellet" is the only footage about the well-known cast (there aren't even any obligatory shots of the cast recording their lines). Author/cast member Sarah Vowell (NPR's This American Life) talks about her first foray into movie voice-overs--daughter Violet--and the unlikelihood of her being a superhero. The feature is unlike anything we've seen on a Disney or Pixar DVD extra, but who else would consider Abe Lincoln an action figure? --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews:

Good fun, and suspenseful too........2007-11-23

I watched The Incredibles with my 4 year old son this afternoon. This was the second attmept at watching it after we had to switch it off some months before because the film became too intense for him. He wanted to watch it again ("All the way through this time!") and so we settled down, turned down the lights and amped up the 5.1 surround sound.
The first ten minutes had me laughing at Mr Incredible's attempts to do his duty as a superhero whilst aiming to attend what is obviously a very important function on time.
This sequence is hectic, exciting and fun. The film then slows down somewhat, and I thought my son might begin to fidget and become bored, but he didn't and the film soon livened up again.
Some later sequences are genuinely suspenseful and filled with a sense of real danger. The music score (very James Bond in places) adds to the atmosphere and the animation is superb. I was especially impressed with the scenes in the tropical jungle, the rendering was, uh, incredible.
The 5.1 is punchy and effective, the story entertaining, and you grow to care about the characters and their ultimate fates.
Great entertainment for 4 year olds and 43 year olds alike!

ANOTHER PIXAR FILM TO ENJOY.......2007-08-19

Superman, Daredevil, The X-Men, and The Amazing Spider-Man - classic comic-book superheroes that have captured the imaginations of not only young children, but those young at heart as well across the world. Though they may have started off small in the two-dimensional world of the nickel comic-books, their popularity began to grow and expanded into spectacular franchises that were developed in the areas of television series, movies, and merchandising. Some have done better then others - as of this writing, Ben Affleck is still not speaking to Tobey Maguire - but no matter what the success, there will always be an audience for these fascinating figures. What is the cause for our fascinating fixation with these individuals and their seamlessly conventional plot-lines that are all basically a regurgitation of the vintage hero myth? In a way, we understand what the hero is going through and connect with the overwhelming obstacles that block his/her path to achieving his/her goal, what ever that may be. These amazing individuals are experiencing the same events we have experiences in our own lives, on an obviously different plane of course, and as they go about achieving their objectives, we look to them for inspiration in do so in our own time and place in the world.

The story centers on a family of superheroes that try and go about their daily, normal lives as civil citizens while at the same time concealing their extraordinary powers in an effort to blend in with the regular populous. Bob Parr, a faithful husband and father of three children, drives every day to work for a sleazy insurance company that cares more about their stockholders then their own clients, only to drag himself back home and repeat the process for the rest of the year. While at work, Bob dreams of the glory days when he was the world's greatest superhero, known exclusively as Mr. Incredible! That all came to an end when he was sued by a man he saved who apparently didn't want to be saved (he leaped off the top of a building in an attempt to commit suicide). This, of course, set off a string of frivolous lawsuits against all superheroes, costing the American government, as well as the taxpayers of this country, millions of dollars. The league of superheroes were eventually forced into retirement and relocated to new locations in order to live out a life of solidarity and blend in with the rest of normal society, never to use their powers for the collective good of humanity again. One night, Bob discovers an envelope in his briefcase that holds a communication device asking him to come to a secret island and take care of a rampaging robot located there that has been terrorizing a scientific organization established on the tropic location. When it turns out to be a trap, the rest of his family, including his wife, daughter and son, must summon up their abilities in order to rescue the patriarch of the Incredible family and save the day before the world is doomed. The story for The Incredibles is, for the most part, unfortunately clichéd and excruciatingly predictable, but, then again, isn't every film about superheroes that way? How so? Within the first five minutes of the film, you've discovered who the villain is and determined in which direction the storyline is heading toward, which, in essence, eliminates any real surprises that would occur within the course of the two hour feature. Don't let this matter bother you too much though. The more appropriate question that should be asked about this film is whether or not The Incredibles still manages to be overly entertaining and the answer would unanimously be yes. See, that's the amazing thing about Pixar - they can take a cookie-cutter storyline, throw in a few dozen lovable characters, mind-blowing visual work, and pure-concentrated emotions, unveiling an absolutely genuine and memorable experience at the movies.

Once again, as was the case with Finding Nemo, Pixar decides to live on the edge and create an animated film featuring few famous voices - actually, the only truly recognizable name would be Samuel L. Jackson - but if it worked before, it is certainly worth a second attempt at least. Craig T. Nelson, best known as for his television series Coach on ABC, fits perfectly into the voice-role of the leading man, Mr. Incredible. Nelson truly puts effort into voicing the emotions of Bob Parr - from being frustrated at work, to uninterested and down in the dumps back at home, to emotionally distraught at the possible loss of his family. This is another prominent area where Pixar excels beyond other studios, namely in choosing figures who are perfect for the leading role, not just because their name would look good on the marquee, but that they effectively move the film forward consistently and thoroughly with their emotional performance. Samuel L. Jackson, who voices the ultra-cool Frozone, is unfortunately underused in the film. Granted, he isn't a central character - he's more of a supporting role, the buddy figure to the Mr. Incredible figure, but still essential none-the-less - but he could have been given more scenes then the ones you can just as easily see located in the film's trailers. An absolute waste of perfectly good talent it would seem. John Ratzenberger, known exclusively as the lucky charm of the Pixar Animation Studios, is highly underused in this feature. This isn't asking for him to be given a leading part or anything of that sort, but let's not wait to use him for the very end, and if you do, not just a mere few words. This was disappointing to say the least but nothing to go ballistic about. And last, but not least, Edna Mode, voiced brilliantly by writer/director Brad Bird - is there anything this man can't do - is the most original and effective creation presented in the film. Viewed as the fashion feminista to the superhero stars, she may not be a central character based on the actions on screen, but audiences won't care as she manages to deliver the most laughs out of anyone else.

Overall, The Incredibles, despite lacking the tenacious punch of such previous Pixar success stories as Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc., still manages to engage viewers and connect with them in such a spectacular and seamless way that it makes them - well, incredible. One of the film's main problems is its serious lack of humor, at least early on, but even when it is able to get revved up by the second half, the laughs aren't as consistent and thorough as they were in either Monsters Inc. or even Finding Nemo. Don't take this the wrong way, there are plenty of amusing sequences to be found throughout the feature - this bears repeating, Edna Mode practically steals every scene she's in - they're just fewer and farther between then has been seen in previous Pixar efforts. In reality though, this helps a lot as it allows the story to be set up properly, as predictable as it may be on the surface, and the emotional attachment to the characters to set in with audience members, so that when things really do begin to pick-up, we are in eager anticipation to witness what comes next. Another problem the feature has to deal with, besides the 'been there, done that' atmosphere it invokes, is the fact that the actions of the film begin to feel like a broken record. It just begins to feel like a continuous loop of sequences - someone's in danger then they get out of it then they're in danger again, etc. As Mr. Incredible said once, 'I feel like the maid - can we try and keep this clean for ten minutes', how about we try something and then move on with a vastly different story idea instead of the same one over and over again. These are relatively minor quips though and shouldn't be taken for too much face value when evaluating this film with your family. The talented artists and animators at Pixar Animation Studios have truly out done themselves this around. And to think, you thought you've seen everything with Finding Nemo! There are moments where you'll believe Syndrome's Island is an actual island - the palm trees, the ocean water, and the daunting aerial view of the location are astonishing. And the waterfalls - truly breathtaking. There are so few words to accurately describe the feeling you get watching the visuals of this film - this after drooling over the latest Star Wars prequel teaser trailer moments before. And finally, in all honesty, The Incredibles has to be Disney and Pixar's most adult-skewed animated feature to date - not only does it showcase an array of dramatic explosions and presumed deaths, the touchy subjects of adultery and suicide are even touched upon in the two hour film. Even though a lot of this material will probably go over the head of youngsters, be well aware that questions may pop into their inquisitive minds and may be asked of you later on, so be prepared to answer them should they come up. Bottom-line, The Incredibles may not be Pixar's most superior film to date - Finding Nemo had more adorable characters and Monsters Inc. had far more laughs - but its an entertaining family film that gives every single member of the family something to talk about for weeks, or even months, to come going into the busy holiday season.

Brilliant animation feature.......2007-07-03

One of the better animated features around, 'The Incredibles' also has the added benefit of a useful set of extras such as the mini storyline of Jack Jack and the goofy babyminder.
This film has many inspirations; the most noticeable being 'Fantastic Four', where powers of force fields, stretching at incredible lengths, superhuman strength and speed are similar with this particular quartet.
Another uptake is based on X Men's Iceman with Frozone.
The missions are picturized in a 'James Bond'style with a secret agent touch to the rediscovered hero in Mr Incredible.
The tale itself is of a couple of super heroes who, with other super heroes, got banned from helping people. Here is another uptake on the American legal system where every other incident seems to be an apt case of litigation.

They then have to live a "normal"life which is very funny to watch. They start a family with 3 kids all with super powers as well. Mr Incredible is assigned (And trapped) to a secret mission to a volcanic island run by a megalomaniac who was once Mr Incredible's No. 1 fan.
The rest of the family end up trying to save him with a combination of their various powers. Not once does the action let up, and the film's repeat value is very high.

Very Surprising - a film the boys/girls/mums and dads can enjoy!.......2007-01-25

To be honest I thought this film would be too much of a kids film to enjoy with my boyfreind but with the plot being based around a family's problems it was a great watch. Loads of action, funny scenes, some clever adult humour, brilliant gadgetery and great animation. quite stylised too! kept me entertained the full hour and half!

Overall I would reccommend this film to anyone!

Great film for all.......2006-12-11

This is well worth getting, especially if you can pick it up cheap.
The film itself is great for people of all ages. However, as it says on the DVD case if the kids are very small you might wish to watch it with them the first time.

Theres much for adults to enjoy here, including some perceptive stuff about work place frustration, which Mr Incredible fails to keep under control! The family scenes will also remind adults of the joys and the difficulties of running a family household. Like a lot of modern digital animations this film works on different levels for different people. The kids on the other-hand will love the superhero fights and the exciting set-piece battles.

I haven't watched the extras yet but they look interesting and combined with the main film will give you hours and hours of entertainment.

DVD:

DVD List

DVD