Film Reviews

The Incredibles

• Rating:
• Director:
• Starring: Craig T. Nelson
• Details: US/ 115 mins/ (PG).

Aptly titled, The Incredibles is the latest movie from Pixar, the studio which has already delivered the uniform excellence of Toy Story 1 and 2, Monsters Inc. and Finding Nemo. The Incredibles, however, is quite probably Pixar's finest moment, a wonderfully funky, vibrant marriage of groundbreaking animation and an action packed storyline that echoes adult themes, but never at the expense of its core audience.
After years of serving his city and saving its citizens, Mr Incredible aka Bob Parr (Nelson) is forced to hang up his superhero clobber, thanks to the slew of lawsuits being taken out against his peers. Though he's still prone to doing a little undercover work with his buddy Lucius (Jackson), Bob can't stand the daily grind of his insurance gig. His two kids aren't exactly fitting in with the superhero-fearing world either, the resentment they feel beginning to fester within the home, run by the uber chirpy Helen (Hunter, fantastic). But when Bob gets an opportunity to become Mr Incredible again, he seizes it with both hands, not imaging the consequences of his actions.
For a film that the kids will flock to, The Incredibles is surprisingly mature thematically - mid-life crisises, martial disharmony and unfulfilled potential are just some of the subjects that The Simpsons' old boy Brad Bird is most interested in. Eschewing the photo-realism approach, the film's animation is dizzyingly complex but strangely familiar, combining cutting edge technology with a warmth and witty delivery. The only downside is that at almost two hours, The Incredibles is a trifle long and probably could have done with 15 minutes trimmed off, but that's a minor, almost inconsequential quibble when you're faced with a film as sparkling and inventive as this. Utterly marvellous.

Review by Garreth Murphy