The Incredibles

In the vein of Mystery Men and Unbreakable, the Incredibles is about modern sensibilities applied to standard superhero tropes. In this case, it's the golden age of superheroes in the 1950s. The timing is critical, because the government informally backs the superheroes and attitudes shifted in the 60s to skepticism and outright distrust of Big Brother. Several things happen at once as the plot is set up: Mr. Incredible (voice with kindness and strength by Craig T. Nelson) repeatedly rebuffs the preteen president of his fan club (Buddy Pine, voiced to perfection by Jason Lee), makes a date with his wife-to-be (Elastigirl, voiced by Holly Hunter's soft Midwestern purr), and saves a man who was trying to commit suicide.

All in a day's work, right?

Well, times change on the superheroes, but they don't change with them. The person he saved sues Mr. Incredible. The insanity of a man trying to commit suicide by plunging to his death and then suing a person who saved him from himself is an apt parallel for the madness of frivolous lawsuits. Soon, every superhero is being sued and the general populace doesn't WANT to be saved anymore.

So the government packs them all off to relocation programs, and suddenly the superhero personas are inversed. Their daily personalities are the masks they wear at work, while their superhero personalities are unspoken, dark secrets.

Fast forward to years later (late 60s maybe?). Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl now have three children: Violet (Sarah Vowell), a teen with the power of invisibility and force fields, Dash (Spencer Fox), a precocious preteen who can run at lightning speed, and the baby Jack-Jack (Eli Fucile) who...doesn't have any powers.

The family exhibits all the behavior of a normal American family - or at least, the normal family we wish we all had. Mr. Incredible, as Bob Parr, is frustrated by his insurance job and the inability to actually help people. As a superhero he seemed larger than life; as a working slob, he literally bursts from his tiny cube and can barely fit in his stuttering car. And of course, he has an irritating speck of a boss named Gilbert Huph (a character Wallace Shawn voices to irritating perfection) who harasses Bob at every turn for helping customers, not shareholders.

Bob's wife, Helen Parr/Elastigirl, has a different set of problems. She struggles to help her incredible children blend in a mediocre world. Dash acts out because he can't join any sports. Violet struggles to be noticed but hides in plain sight behind her hair. And of course, the two of them fight like crazy.

And thus Pixar has perfectly captured the American family tropes. How many parents have boys who they just wish would tire out? How many teenage girls wish they were invisible? What mother hasn't felt stretched in all directions? And every cubicle dweller (guilty as charged!) finds a Matrix-like connection with Bob, trapped by the most diabolical villain of all: real life.

Bob hangs out with his buddy, the very cool Lucius Best, AKA Frozone (Samuel Jackson) in a role as an African-American hero who has also been retired. The contrast between this role and Jackson as villain in Untouchables should amuse fans of both films. In the evenings, these two guys lie to their wives and go fight crime. It's the only thing that makes them feel alive.

Eventually, Bob's flirt with the dangerous life comes to a climax when he's finally had enough of his job. He takes on freelance work and finds a new zest for life. He loses weight, he starts wearing suits to work, he buys a new car, and he keeps Ms. Parr very happy. In other words, Bob acts like he's having an affair.

And in some sense he is. Mr. Incredible is doing what makes him feel young again. That there does happen to be a beautiful woman (Mirage, voiced by Elizabeth Pena) who lures him into that lifestyle only makes the indiscretion all the more riveting. When Bob disappears on one of his missions, it's up to the family to rescue him.

Throughout, there are a variety of threads that tweak the superhero genre. Edna Mode, voiced by Brad Bird, is the Dr. Ruth of superhero fashion designers. She repeatedly demonstrates the liabilities of wearing a cloak and opines about the challenges of crafting a superhero's costume. Superheroes are disappearing, literally, for reasons that become apparent later. And the government gets tired of keeping their heroes quiet. Indeed, there's a hint of Vietnam in the ambivalent relationship between the former superheroes and their keepers.

What's amazing about this film is the depth of the characters. By now it's expected that each animated personality will perfectly embody the mannerisms of the actors who play them. Syndrome is a masterful interpretation of the actor who voices him, with every mannerism and sideways glance. Only James Woods' Hades in Disney's Hercules comes close. Elastigirl manages to come across as strong, vulnerable, protective, fiery, and even playfully kittenish - Hunter has her down pat. Elastigirl, a stay at home mom mind you, has made such an impression that there are several threads discussing her on the Internet. No seriously, go check and you'll see what I mean.

Equally as important is the relationship between the characters. Elastigirl inadvertently flies her children into danger and then desperately struggles to keep them alive and calm. Violet worries about being grown up enough while Dash freaks out over - and then just as quickly embraces - fighting bad guys who want to kill them. Mr. Incredible's mettle is repeatedly tested and by overcoming each challenge we understand that he is a genuinely good, if frustrated, father and husband.

All throughout, the movie never stops taking itself seriously. Elastigirl tells her children to use their powers to save themselves and that the bad guys WILL kill them. Bad guys do not conveniently hop out of their aircraft, but rather go up in flames. That's right, they die. And there is a lot of tension (the good kind) between Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl, early in their relationship and even years later. They love each other, like each other, and sometimes piss each other off, just like a married couple.

The part that made me laugh out loud the most involved Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl, arguing over directions as they drive a battered RV through city streets on the way to battle a super menace. The kids whine "are we there yet?" Elastigirl shouts, "take the exit!" Mr. Incredible shouts that he thinks he knows a faster way. And for a brief second, despite the fact that the entire family is wearing bright red costumes and possesses superpowers, we understand that this is YOUR family, shouting, arguing, and loving each other.

With the advent of The Incredibles, it has become apparent that the last haven of quality filmmaking is to be found not in cable television, but in animation. Pixar consistently creates compelling stories that teach as well as entertain. Whether it's the joys and fears of fatherhood ("Finding Nemo"), the fear of children outgrowing their parents ("Toy Story"), or the pressures of being a creative person in a regimented world ("A Bug's Life"), Pixar has consistently demonstrated that they understand our greatest hopes and our worst fears. The Incredibles is Pixar at the top of their game and should not be missed by anyone who loves superheroes...or has a family.