The Incredibles (U)

Written and Directed by Brad Bird
On general release from 26th November 2004

Reviewed by Adam Ford

This marketing man's wet dream is the latest release from Pixar – the company that produced such computer-generated successes as Toy Story, Monsters Inc. and Finding Nemo. Their latest outing takes the CGI technology one stage further, and the graphics are literally breathtaking in their attention to detail. But we have been promised adult sophistication with our whizz bang action scenes, and on that level Simpsons animator Brad Bird has failed to deliver.

The Incredibles of the title are a family of superheroes who have been forced to hide their identities after a spate of legal actions against the übermensch. Frustrated by humdrum office life, Bob ‘Mr Incredible’ Parr fantasizes of a return to his glory days, so when he gets a tip-off about a big super-job he dusts-down the old spandex suit…only to find it doesn’t fit any more. So he gets a new outfit, tells his wife he is going to ‘conference’ and disappears. But the erstwhile Elastigirl is hot on his trail, and their children aren’t far behind.

The movie certainly ticks all the superhero boxes. After all, there’s a sinister-looking evil doer who schemes against a terrified and powerless populace. And then there are the brave and powerful heroes, who ride to the rescue just in time to save the day. But perhaps I’m over-analysing. A quick scan of the audience revealed delighted parents and young children (super or otherwise), so this $92,000,000 piece of fluff will pull in the crowds right up to and including the holiday period. And that’s what matters…right?