Amazon.com essential video: After creating the last great traditionally animated film of the 20th century, The Iron Giant, filmmaker Brad Bird joined top-drawer studio Pixar to create this exciting, completely entertaining computer-animated film. Bird gives us a family of "supers," a brood of five with special powers desperately trying to fit in with the 9-to-5 suburban lifestyle. Of course, in a more innocent world, Bob and Helen Parr were superheroes, Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl. But blasted lawsuits and public disapproval forced them and other supers to go incognito, making it even tougher for their school-age kids, the shy Violet and the aptly named Dash. When a stranger named Mirage (voiced by Elizabeth Pena) secretly recruits Bob for a potential mission, the old glory days spin in his head, even if his body is a bit too plump for his old super suit.
Bird has his cake and eats it, too. He and the Pixar wizards send up superhero and James Bond movies while delivering a thrilling, supercool action movie that rivals Spider-Man 2 for 2004's best onscreen thrills. While it's just as funny as the previous Pixar films, The Incredibles has a far wider-ranging emotional palette (it's Pixar's first PG film). Bird takes several jabs, including some juicy commentary on domestic life ("It's not graduation, he's moving from the fourth to fifth grade!").
The animated Parrs look and act a bit like the actors portraying them, Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter. Samuel L. Jackson and Jason Lee also have a grand old time as, respectively, superhero Frozone and bad guy Syndrome. Nearly stealing the show is Bird himself, voicing the eccentric designer of superhero outfits ("No capes!"), Edna Mode.
Nominated for four Oscars, The Incredibles won for Best Animated Film and, in an unprecedented win for non-live-action films, Sound Editing.
The Presentation This two-disc set is (shall we say it?), incredible. The digital-to-digital transfer pops off the screen and the 5.1 Dolby sound will knock the socks off most systems. But like any superhero, it has an Achilles heel. This marks the first Pixar release that doesn't include both the widescreen and full-screen versions in the same DVD set, which was a great bargaining chip for those cinephiles who still want a full-frame presentation for other family members. With a 2.39:1 widescreen ratio (that's big black bars, folks, à la Dr. Zhivago), a few more viewers may decide to go with the full-frame presentation. Fortunately, Pixar reformats their full-frame presentation so the action remains in frame.
The Extras The most-repeated segments will be the two animated shorts. Newly created for this DVD is the hilarious "Jack-Jack Attack," filling the gap in the film during which the Parr baby is left with the talkative babysitter, Kari. "Boundin'," which played in front of the film theatrically, was created by Pixar character designer Bud Luckey. This easygoing take on a dancing sheep gets better with multiple viewings (be sure to watch the featurette on the short).
Brad Bird still sounds like a bit of an outsider in his commentary track, recorded before the movie opened. Pixar captain John Lasseter brought him in to shake things up, to make sure the wildly successful studio would not get complacent. And while Bird is certainly likable, he does not exude Lasseter's teddy-bear persona. As one animator states, "He's like strong coffee; I happen to like strong coffee." Besides a resilient stance to be the best, Bird threw in an amazing number of challenges, most of which go unnoticed unless you delve into the 70 minutes of making-of features plus two commentary tracks (Bird with producer John Walker, the other from a dozen animators). We hear about the numerous sets, why you go to "the Spaniards" if you're dealing with animation physics, costume problems (there's a reason why previous Pixar films dealt with single- or uncostumed characters), and horror stories about all that animated hair. Bird's commentary throws out too many names of the! ! animators even after he warns himself not to do so, but it's a lively enough time. The animator commentary is of greatest interest to those interested in the occupation.
There is a 30-minute segment on deleted scenes with temporary vocals and crude drawings, including a new opening (thankfully dropped). The "secret files" contain a "lost" animated short from the superheroes' glory days. This fake cartoon (Frozone and Mr. Incredible are teamed with a pink bunny) wears thin, but play it with the commentary track by the two superheroes and it's another sharp comedy sketch. There are also NSA "files" on the other superheroes alluded to in the film with dossiers and curiously fun sound bits. "Vowellet" is the only footage about the well-known cast (there aren't even any obligatory shots of the cast recording their lines). Author/cast member Sarah Vowell (NPR's This American Life) talks about her first foray into movie voice-overs--daughter Violet--and the unlikelihood of her being a superhero. The feature is unlike anything we've seen on a Disney or Pixar DVD extra, but who else would consider Abe Lincoln an action figure? --Doug Thomas
excellent seller The delivery was quick. The DVD I purchased arrived on time and plays well. I would buy again from him/her.
Another "Incredible" Production From The Masters At Pixar More animated magic from Pixar, this 2004 Academy Award winner for Best Animated Feature Film is lots of fun as a family of Superheroes, led by Mr. Incredible and his wife, Elastigirl, take on rejected fan and now anti-hero Syndrome. Okay, so it's not "Citizen Kane" or "Casablanca," but honestly, do you see Bogey voicing someone like Mr. Incredible? Of course not! Just as older Disney animated features were classic of their era, so, too, are today's offerings from Pixar. Well, most of them, at least! And this is one of them...
Great movie in theaters, great at home! I have loved this movie since when I first saw it in theaters. On the surface the movie is a fun adventure story with a conflict between good and evil (good wins). However it is also about family, finding your strength, and being different. An unconventional approach to your traditional superhero movies, this one visits the private lives of heroes and addresses the duality of having so much power, yet not always fitting in to public life easily. It speaks to the tendency of society to praise everyone equally. We emphasize minor accomplishments and understate great accomplishments in order that no one feels bad- "When everyone is special, no one is." I fully agree. I think this is something we need to hear today and I'm glad Pixar had the guts to say it. The film also highlights the value of having your family there for you and explores relationships in the 'Incredible' family: husband to wife, parents to kids, brother to sister. The movie defines each character well (except JackJack who is after all a baby) and you believe they are real. It strikes a nice balance of dramatic and humorous, the story is well paced and the plot delightfully unexpected. I highly recommend this movie which has lost nothing in the conversion from big screen to DVD. It is a fabulous addition to any home DVD collection and one you will love watching for years to come.
Incredibly Incredible If you are trying to figure out a great movie to watch, "The Incredibles" is perfect. It is one of the few movies that any age group can see and love. It's sophisticated enough to have appeal to adults, but doesn't include things inappropriate for children. (And also has some ridiculous occurrences that might not appear in a purely adult movie.) This movie is without a shadow of a doubt Pixar's best. In fact, it surpasses every other animated movie that I have ever seen. The animation is great, the story is excellent and the characters are wonderful. The Story: Due to massive lawsuits against superheroes, all the "supers" are forced to go in cognato. 15 years later, famous superhero Bob Parr, (a.k.a Mr. Incredible), his wife Helen, (a.k.a Elastagirl) and their three children, Violet, Dash and Jack Jack, are trying to live a normal life. It's proving difficult; from Dash in the classroom to Bob in the office. When Bob gets fired, he gets a mysterious correspondence offering him a chance to relieve the Glory Days; something he has been yearning for. The adventures that follow, and the movie as a whole, are so well-done that this almost two-hour movie seems over in a blink of an eye. The Characters: The characters in this movie are well-developed with depth. Unlike some movies where the heroes are stoic and flat, the members of the Parr family are like real people with their strengths, weaknesses and tempers. However, all the other characters aren't just cardboard cutouts. They have their own personalities and quirks. The kids aren't completely nasty, bratty, self-centered individuals, (but they are kids, so they do kid things). The villain is sufficiently evil, yet he won't give children nightmares. Rating: The movie is rated PG. There are plenty of action sequences and people get blown up several times. However, there is no blood and no graphic violence. This movie promotes family, teamwork and pokes fun at frivolous lawsuits and the corporate world. When the characters "screw-up" the movie does not applaud their bad actions. This is a great movie no matter what age you are. I cannot recommend this movie highly enough.
The incredibles are incredible! Hi, This 2-disc collectors edition of the incredibles is incredible! The bonus disc is very cool -tells of various involvements regarding the creation of the movie and the movie itself is action-packed after the initial mediocre office scenes. The package arrived in very good condition and in new condition. The picture and sound quality is excellent-overall a very wise purchase! I wonder if they plan to make in the future a sequel to the incredibles?
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