The Incredibles Live up to their Name
Ever since Pixar first wowed us with "Toy Story" back in 1995 I have slowly become more bored by the influx of digital animations. Oh they are well crafted and often amusing but so many work on simple visual humour rather than something more clever. But then you get "The Incredibles" which is both visually entertaining but also clever with a fun storyline and a sense of nostalgia about it with its cartoon super heroes. As such "The Incredibles" is one of my favourite animations from this new breed of digital creations and whilst others are more spectacular when it comes to visual entertainment it is the whole package which works for me.
Whilst Mr. Incredible (A.K.A. Bob Parr) and his wife Helen (A.K.A. Elastigirl) may help keep Metroville safe from crime they do occasionally end up upsetting people. And after Mr. Incredible is sued for hurting someone whilst saving their life not only are their days as super heroes numbered but all super heroes as they are forced to stop their heroic ways and become normal civilians. 15 years later and still struggling to lead a normal life with his wife and children, Bob is given the opportunity to become a hero once more when he is handed a mission to go to a remote island and stop a robot from wreaking havoc. But is all as it seems and how will Helen feels when she discovers that her husband is being a super hero once more.
There is something rather fun about the whole storyline to "The Incredibles" from the opening scenes where Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl flirt through to the forced life as a normal. It explores those avenues which normal super hero movies don't so you have a lot of humour surrounding Mr. Incredible's struggle to live a normal life with a family and a 9 to 5 job. But then you get the excitement when he is drawn back into action and with his wife and children coming to his rescue. It's so well crafted that it takes in things such as Mr. Incredible being out of shape, his son not allowed to use his special powers and so on. And it is laced with imagination, bringing in elements which you don't expect and what I have to say is a clever and amusing twist when we learn who Mr. Incredible's arch nemesis is.
But whilst it is creative and imaginative when it comes to the storyline the visuals aren't lacking either. It has a whole nostalgic feel to it, from watching police cars blazing down the streets with their sirens going through to the spinning newspaper clippings. That is probably one of the main reasons why I like "The Incredibles" so much, it may look like a digital animation but the whole setting feels old fashioned, more in tune with the 50s and 60s super hero era rather than a modern one.
Plus of course "The Incredibles" is brilliantly funny delivering humour for all ages. Children will love the creative comedy such as Elastigirl stretching herself through a series of doors whilst fighting off the bad guys and the almost slapstick fights. Yet adults will love the humour brought about from Mr. Incredible trying to live a normal life, the nagging wife, children with issues and the whole humdrumness of an office job. It's full of imagination so that you are never more than a minute away from another laugh no matter what age you are.
And whilst you don't see any of the actors the voicing of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson and Jason Lee is brilliant. The quick fire banter between Nelson and Jackson as Mr. Incredible and Frozone is perfect and makes it all the more better for getting it right.
What this all boils down to is that "The Incredibles" is for me one of the best animations to come out of this new digital age. It manages to not only deliver great visuals all with a touch of 60s super hero nostalgia but also a fun storyline which makes it more than just an animation for children. Plus it is full of creative elements, from Mr. Incredible trying to lead a normal life through to the almost slapstick style humour.
