Combining a family-oriented superhero adventure with the brilliant animation of Disney's Pixar (the creators of MONSTERS INC. and FINDING NEMO), THE INCREDIBLES charts new territory in the technical wizardry of computer-generated cartoons. Using complex angles and a filmic sensibility, the animation feels like live action, and smart techniques such as cuts to "grainy film stock" give this movie instant sophistication. Writer-director Brad Bird, with his creative storytelling and well-paced character development, does the rest. This tale is set in a slightly futuristic society where superheroes are no longer appreciated (Read: But I didn't want to be saved!) and are forced to assume a very low profile. So, for Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson), his wife Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), and his three fledgling superhero kids, maintaining a lifestyle of mediocrity in order to appear normal causes constant friction. When the opportunity suddenly arises for the Incredibles to use their powers to fight evil, it's trial-by-fire to learn to work as a superteam. Together they must stop the maniacal Syndrome (Jason Lee) from unleashing a murderous robot in a big city. Fast action and violence involving large explosions make this a film that is better suited for older children rather than the very little ones. Yet family themes and comic episodes prevail, with eclectic characters like Edna the fashion designer (voiced by Bird himself) and the iceman Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) adding extra moments of fun.
THEATRICAL RELEASE: NOVEMBER 5, 2004
Executive Producer
John Lasseter: American director, TOY STORY
Voice
Brad Bird: Screenwriter
Voice
Craig T. Nelson: American Actor
Voice
Elizabeth Peña: Cuban American actress, BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED
Voice
Holly Hunter: American Actress, RAISING ARIZONA (1987)
Voice
Jason Lee: American actor, MALLRATS/My Name is Earl
Voice
Jean Sincere: Voice, THE INCREDIBLES (2004)
Voice
John Ratzenberger: Actor, CHEERS
Voice
Samuel L. Jackson: American actor, PULP FICTION
Voice
Sarah Vowell: Actor, THE INCREDIBLES (2004)
Voice
Spencer Fox: Voice, THE INCREDIBLES (2004)
Voice
Wallace Shawn: Playwright/Screenwriter/Actor
Special Effects
Pixar: Computer animation studio - "Toy Story"
Review 1:
"[O]ne of the year's most clever and visually arresting computer-animated films, enlivened by a well-developed and credible cast of characters who just happen to be superheroes."
Source: USA Today
p.1E 11/05/2004
Review 2:
"[A] piece of animation that's involving across a spectrum of comedy, action, even drama....Blessedly funny, there is also a surprising air of poignancy about much of it..."
Source: Los Angeles Times
p.E1 11/05/2004
Review 3:
"[A] film that breaks fresh ground....Bird has crafted a film -- one of the year's best -- that doesn't ring cartoonish, it rings true."
Source: Rolling Stone
p.100 11/25/2004
Review 4:
"[A] light comedy at heart....[The film] manages a great deal of genuine excitement..."
Source: Sight and Sound
p.55-6 01/01/2005
Review 5:
"[V]isually splendid and ethically serious....The movie is also refreshingly quiet, using music sparingly and showing as much attention to aural nuance as it does to visual detail."
Source: New York Times
p.E1 11/05/2004
Review 6:
"[A] great story, a rich micro-universe of pixel-driven cartoon characters with more depth, complexity, and emotional maturity than those in most live-action dramas....Indeed incredible."
Source: Entertainment Weekly
p.89 11/12/2004
Review 7:
"[Bird's] ingenious self-penned script is heaving with brilliantly realised characters, snide putdowns and sharp one-liners that enhance the head-spinning action sequences with razor-sharp wit."
Source: Uncut
p.155 01/01/2005
Review 8:
"The storytelling is as witty as it is brisk."
Source: Premiere
p.50 02/01/2005