Thursday, November 27, 2008

The Incredible Incredibles

By Fabian Toulouse

Walt Disney released THE INCREDIBLES in 2004 to worldwide acclaim. At heart it is a story about a superhero family forced into denial. Once the greatest superheros ever, they have to live a quiet, stifling suburban life. This clever story was penned and directed by Brad Bird, fresh from his stint at THE SIMPSONS.

This film was the sixth Pixar co-production under the Walt Disney banner. Not only did it enjoy tremendous box office success, THE INCREDIBLES launched a massive merchandising campaign that had children and adults scrambling for everything from cups to pajamas to toys to watches. In a relatively short amount of time it has climbed its way to the Disney animated classic designation.

The film starts with a bang as Mr. Incredible, on his way to his wedding, swoops in to save a man falling from a building. In the process of saving him, Mr. Incredible inadvertently damages a passenger train. Following his wedding, he and his superhero cohorts are slapped with lawsuits. It turns out the falling man was trying to commit suicide and feels his rights were infringed and the train passengers filed for millions in damages. Reacting to the public outcry, the government is forced to declare superhero-ism illegal and forces them to live in hiding.

Craig T. Nelson famously voices Mr. Incredible, while Academy award-winner Holly Hunter voices his wife, Elastigirl. They have settled down to raise their two children, Dash and Violet, who were born with super powers but are forbidden to use them. Their baby, Jack Jack, seems to be a normal child, much to Mr. Incredible's disappointment. Forced to live as "normal" people, working normal jobs, and going to normal schools, life is one dreary misfortune after another.

A crazed ex-fan of Mr. Incredible is determined, after being inadvertently snubbed by his idol, to reek vengeance. He begins to lure unsuspecting superheroes to his island lair as fodder for his indestructible superhero killing machine. Mr. Incredible, eager to get back to his former life, accepts a mission to the island to investigate. Little does he know he is being lured to his death.

In the meantime, Helen (Elastigirl) does her best to hold down the home front. She is oblivious to the significance of his business trips (she starts to worry he's been unfaithful) until she notices a tear in her husband's old superhero outfit. Furious that he's put the family in jeopardy, she hops a plane to confront him.

As it happens, Dash and Violet stow away on the plane. Before they touch down, however, the plane is attacked and the children find themselves in a life and death situation. Helen has to quickly train them to work together to survive. This brings each character out of their respective shells, enabling them to use their powers. Can they band together in time to save Mr. Incredible? Can they survive long enough to save the planet? This Disney animated classic is a must-have for the entire family. - 15275

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