Pixar Pint #6: The Incredibles
Pixar's first movie about humans is Super
Welcome back to Pixar Pints, our summer-long journey through all 25 Pixar films in release order.
The Incredibles represents a turning point for Pixar in many key ways. Most obviously, it was their first film to be based on human (or, rather, superhuman) characters, but it was also the first time they gave creative direction to someone from outside the studio (Brad Bird) and the first time they handed musical duties off to someone not named Newman (Michael Giacchino). All of these things could have worked out for better or for worse. What was our verdict?
Let’s get into it.
The Incredibles quick facts
Release date: November 5, 2004 | Director: Brad Bird | Music: Michael Giacchino
Starring: Craig T. Nelson (Bob/Mr. Incredible), Holly Hunter (Helen/Elastigirl), Sarah Vowell (Violet), Spencer Fox (Dash), Jason Lee (Syndrome), Samuel L. Jackson (Frozone), Elizabeth Peña (Mirage), Brad Bird (Edna)
John Ratzenberger as: The Underminer
Budget: $92-145 million | Box office: $631.6 million
Academy Awards: Won Best Animated Feature and Best Sound Editing; nominated for Best Original Screenplay and Best Sound Mixing
Eli
Aesthetic: 7/10 | This film looks oddly unsettling for a Pixar movie. I think they crossed some wires on what they were going for here. The film is primarily set in 1962, and it mostly looks like 1962 (to a realistic degree; some fantasizations are necessary for the plot), but it also oftentimes looks like it was trying to simulate having been filmed with equipment from 1962 and the result is that it tends to look very blah. Too many sepia tones and too much muted contrast that the film could have conveyed the same setting without, in my opinion. When it wasn't doing this, it looked good-to-great. Metroville looks vibrant, Nomanisan Island looks awesome and fun to explore. More of that, please.
Animation: 10/10 | This is how animated action movies should look. A+ special effects to make the superpowers come to life and a bunch of gratuitous explosions to make you say "that was totally wicked!" This is the first Pixar movie that's built around human characters, and it's honestly a marvel; the movements look natural and the hair (especially Violet's, which is a key part of her character) looks great.
Story: 9/10 | It's not a eugenicist movie. Jesus Christ. The Supers are never implied to be inherently superior to everyone else and, in fact, are forced to assimilate into society by the actual government, who clearly have a good handle on them to the point of making them relocate to different cities whenever they blow cover. The message of the movie is not "only Supers can be special, and when everyone's special, no one is"; the only two characters who say that are Syndrome (the obvious antagonist to the central theme) and Dash (a kid who doesn't know what he's talking about, talking to his mom, who does). A more favorable and intentional reading is that everyone *is* special and everyone can use their talents/powers to help the greater good in ways that only they can. Stepping down from my soapbox, I'll also say that this story is a good foil to that of Monsters, Inc., the other "protagonists foil evil plot" Pixar movie to date. Where that film ended with a good amount of untied strings and included some fairly nonsensical character motivations, this one mostly avoided both those pitfalls. It's super fun to follow and satisfying to watch unfold.
Characters: 10/10 | Hot(?) take: Helen is the main character of this movie, not Bob. The extended first act mostly belongs to Bob but everything beyond that is Helen stretching herself thin (pun intended) to get him out of several sticky situations while also trying to be a good mother to three kids. She's the true protagonist to Bob's tragic hero and I think the movie reads a lot more favorably from her lens than from his. Not a single bad character in this film, though! Aside from Helen, Edna's just fantastic, Syndrome's villain arc actually makes sense (though it is unusually dark), and Violet and Dash are a ton of fun. I think Mirage's switch to the hero side made more sense to me than it did to Leah. She just had a near-death experience; of course she's gonna rethink a lot of her actions and values. I just wish the film gave her more of a true resolution.
Acting: 10/10 | Too many iconic performances and lines to list. The second film in a row in which the director just knocks a voice part out of the park in their own film (this time it's Brad Bird as Edna).
Music: 10/10 | Not only is the main theme catchy and iconic, but certain parts of the score have apparently been burned into my brain for nearly 20 years, because I remembered a lot of it note for note. It's textbook superhero movie scoring.
Final score: 10/10 | Another classic Pixar film of which my opinion rose upon rewatch, which is surprising considering how much I loved this movie as a kid. What else can I say about this movie that hasn't already been said a million times? It's exactly as good as you remember it.
Leah
Aesthetic: 8/10 | This movie succeeded at creating a retro superhero aesthetic. The city, the costumes, the characters all gave this movie a distinct look. I appreciated seeing human characters get the spotlight for the first time, and comparing it to modern character design. I did think the aesthetic was muted at times, and the scene with Helen in the house in the beginning of the movie looked especially dated to me.
Animation: 9/10 | So many fun special effects! I also liked the way the characters moved when using their powers. Elastigirl's shape distorting, Dash's super fast style of running, Violet's force fields... good stuff.
Story: 9/10 | This story was well structured. There's good foreshadowing, and the plot feels intentional. It was thematically the darkest story Pixar has done so far, and it worked. You can see how the environmental factors sent Bob toward a mid-life crisis, how Helen is trying and struggling to have a good family life, how Syndrome's selfishness and desire for revenge led him down the path of villainy. I think this story celebrates what makes people unique and how they can use that uniqueness toward the greater good (and cautions against using it for selfish motives).
Characters: 10/10 | Helen is best character. Helen deserves the whole world. Seriously, the characters is this movie were incredible. Bob's arc with his mid-life crisis, Helen's arc with her family, Violet and Dash navigating growing up, Edna's eccentricity, Lucius as a friend, Syndrome as the spurned fan turned supervillain. So much to love! The one character I didn't get was Mirage. How evil was she? What was with that line about saving life not being weak after enabling genocide?
Acting: 10/10 | So many iconic lines in this movie. The delivery was excellent, and the actors brought these characters to life.
Music: 9/10 | Memorable theme, fitting score.
Final score: This one is a surprise 10/10 for me. Really good movie that I think I appreciate more as an adult than as a child.
Maddy
Aesthetic: 10/10 | The future-retro 1970s look to almost everything in this movie is the one of the first times that Pixar tries to do something that isn’t just "make it look real". It’s a striking and iconic look that fits the superhero story of the movie well.
Animation: 9/10 | It’s top-tier Pixar animation.
Story: 10/10 | The story itself is good enough – a dad going through a mid-life crisis trying to relive his glory days as a superhero – but it’s the writing that really drives this movie home. The writing is so mature and adult. There are too many scenes to name that are just so, so, so good. The opening, Bob and Helen fight, Syndrome’s amazing twist reveal, Bob finding out all his friends are dead, "when everyone is super, no one will be", hell, even the scenes at the insurance company! It’s a real movie about real problems, just with a superhero icing over it: a witty commentary on modern America. This script is such a masterclass of storytelling. I could go on but I have a character limit to stay under.
Characters: 10/10 | My only slight negative is that the kids don’t really serve a true purpose for most of the run time. This movie is much more about Bob and Syndrome and both of them are amazing. Frozone is a great companion character, and Helen does shine as well in her time.
Acting: 10/10 | Carried by Syndrome. Jason Lee steals the show. Everyone else is great too.
Music: 10/10 | Ooooo its so good! Oh my goooood, Michael Giacchino, you madman.
Final score: 10/10 | This is, to me, when Pixar elevated itself from just another animation studio to a premier film studio, using animation as a medium to tell mature, engaging, and thought-provoking stories. This is what animation should be. This is one of only two Pixar movies I consider 10/10, and for good reason. Masterpiece of filmmaking from a studio that was only nine years old at release. So, so good. Top five all time.
Fun Maddy note: Go watch this movie!
David
It's spicy take time in depland.
This movie never really hit quite right for me. I can't tell you exactly why that is - I know that I related deeply to Violet in many ways despite not having the power to turn invisible - god, did I want it, though. I feel like a bit of an asshole reading everyone else's reviews, though, because as much as most everyone else loved this movie...I didn't. Don't get me wrong - I think it's an objectively excellent film - but for as much as I believe that, something is missing when I sit down to rewatch it or when I look to review it, as I am now.
Aesthetic: I think they missed a bit here, honestly. Does it fit the ‘60s superhero aesthetic? Sure! Unfortunately, that means a lot of shots are cloaked in drab tones and too much of the movie feels a little lifeless sometimes. It's not a dealbreaker, but it's one of the things I picked up on. It's unnerving.
Animation: Another thing that's a slight miss for me - Pixar's first real attempt at human-like figures was bound to have some missteps, and though the superpowers are a genius way to allow extra-wide bounds within which to work, I still feel like there are points where it doesn't quite hit as well as it does in earlier movies.
Story: This is an objectively good story. It does not, in any way, really grab me like I hoped it would. I love that they inverted the “super dad saves family” trope, and I think the way that they explore family dynamics, relationships, honesty, and everything surrounding the Supers is really neat...but I also find myself thinking a lot about extra pieces with this film in a way that others haven't. Not that that's a bad thing, of course, but I feel like with everything that they did to kind of wrap a bow on the ending, I really wish that I could've felt a tad more sold on it.
Characters: This is where the movie shines above anything else, I think. Every. Single. Person. Is. So. Memorable. Pixar said "main character? we'll take ten" and somehow made it work alright, and the way that so many of the stories intertwine, diverge, and come together again is really brilliant.
Acting: Yeah. It's good.
Music: Michael "Daddy" Giacchino.
Final score: This one's a 7/10, slotting in juuuuust behind Finding Nemo for now. I think there are probably people who think I'm being harsh, and sure, I don't think that's an unfair reaction, but in my eyes, this movie falls short in areas where it tends to matter, especially with the story not grabbing me like I think it grabbed so many people.
Nik
If there is a Pixar movie that defined me as a person going forward in life, it was definitely this one. Mainly, it was relatable. I come from a family of three kids. Other than me being older than my sister everything else lined up. I'm blonde, my sister is brunette. We are both much older than my youngest brother, Jakob, who when he was young, went by Jack. My dad was away on business a lot and my mom held down the fort. Not only does the film relate to me on a personal level, but it started me down a path of being a lifetime superhero comic and film fan.
Aesthetic: This was the first time I had watched this movie since seeing Incredibles 2, and I did pick up a lot more on the time it was set in. The scenes taking place on the island especially remind me of many James Bond movies. It is easy to see now why my parents are still so attached to this film. While being bright and colorful in terms of superhero suits for the kids, the environments related them back to their childhoods as well.
Animation: The animation style for this movie is goofier than the Pixar movies before it but goes to show that a different style can be embraced if used right. Animators had to deal with superspeed, superstrength, elasticity, invisibility, and many other superpowers. Overall, the way the characters move combined with the unique settings, it makes for a very visually pleasing movie.
Story: Wife and kids save the dumb dad? Sign me up! If this movie went the traditional route, then Bob would have been the one saving his family from the start. The fact that the movie is the opposite is just such a refreshing take, I really like the pace of the movie as well. After seeming like the movie would come to close on the island, there is a whole other act.
Characters: Every main character was iconic in their own way. Bob and Helen were fleshed out and completed each other perfectly. Violet and Dash also had their own struggles. Part of what makes this movie so great is that despite the main characters being superheroes, they are very relatable. Despite how great Marvel movies and TV shows are, it is hard to replicate that relatability.
Acting: So many iconic lines and performances. Most notable are Samuel L. Jackson and Brad Bird, but I think Holly Hunter is super underrated as Elastigirl. There is something about her voice that literally fits her superpowers. Also, the way she says "Bob" when heated is great.
Music: The score is suspenseful and elevates the already great film. I really enjoy looking for the music in these movies upon rewatch. As a kid I just didn't ever get how much of a role it played.
Final score: 10/10: This movie is beautiful. The characters, the settings, the family dynamics, all come together to make a masterpiece. I don't know if any future film can dethrone this one, because it is literally perfection in my eyes.
Final notes
This voice cast is filled with fun career paths. Of course, you have Hollywood lifers like Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, and Samuel L. Jackson. But you also have Brad Bird stepping out from behind the scenes to turn in an absolutely iconic performance as Edna in one of his only acting roles in over 40 years in the film industry. You have Sarah Vowell, whom Pixar plucked directly from public radio after hearing her voice and thinking she’d be perfect for the role of Violet; she’s normally a journalist, social commentator, and historian. And you have Spencer Fox, who grew up from voicing Dash and a few other children’s roles to become the lead guitarist of indie rock band Charly Bliss, who are really good and you should totally check them out.
Anyway, here are our rankings:
Am I grading these too easily? Three 10s out of six movies? Counterpoint: they’re good movies, Brent.
Next up: Cars