The Incredibles (movie)

With hit successes Toy Story 1 < .i>and 2, A Bug's Life, Monsters Inc., and Finding Nemo in their feature film portfolio, Pixar Animation Studios continues to raise the bar in not only 3D animation, but standing tall in storytelling compared to failing studios like Disney. Pixar's sixth film, The Incredibles, makes a perfect progression in showcasing Pixar's creativity. I have only seen the Incredibles once, and that was several weeks ago. However, I remember it quite vividly and I will record some of my thoughts. The first thing that I noticed when I walked into the huge movie theater on opening night was that the majority of seats were filled with bodies whose heads did not extend above the chair backs. Obviously, Pixar has done a superb job of marketing their movies to children. Fast food children's meal toys, collector's cards, action figures, computer games, bed furniture, and even underwear all help to build eager anticipation for the film's premier. Pixar has an incredible creativity in writing fun and original stories that capture our hearts, spur our imaginations, and lift our spirits in laughter. With all the comics-based superhero movies in the last several years, the Incredibles opens a door to new imagination: what would a superhero do if he retired? With back pains, bulging bellies, and lousey jobs, Pixar tells the story in ways that are funny for parents and adults alike. I do not want to give away anything to those who have not yet seen the Incredibles, so please excuse any vagueness in my writing. Kids love superheros. In fact, "big kids," like a PhD astrophysicist I know, still love superheros even though they may not admit it. One of my favorite TV cartoons several years ago was Darkwing Duck. I just thought those capes and uniforms were so awesome. The Incredibles effectively makes humor of classic superheroisms like capes (one of my favorite lines from the movie: "Nnnno capes!"). While children relate to the fun and excitment of superheros, adults can relate to the marital humor throughout the film, and even "older" people can relate to the film through its many jokes about retirement, back pains, and other "old-age" symptoms. I did find it quite humorous to see only the couples or near-marrieds laughing at the marriage jokes throughout the movie. Even the teen girl sitting next to me seemed dumbfounded at several such jokes. Pixar has always broken new ground in 3D animation with each of its films. This time, I would say that scale-detail (going from the clouds down to a leaf on an island) and water effects were tops. Pixar conquered hair with Monsters Inc., but wet hair? WOW! In some ways, I admired the bad guy for all of his totally awesome gadgets. If I ever wanted to be a bad guy, I'd want those same cool things ... but without that hair. I didn't really like what Pixar did at the end with Baby Incredible, but they have to show their quarks somewhere. I enjoyed even the end credits of the film with its 3D appearance. This also marks a major debut for composer Michael Giacchino, whose previously most-notable work was the music for EA Game's Medal of Honor series of games. For the Incredibles, Giacchino preserved much of the musical feel of superheros. Every Pixar film has impressed, entertained, and inspired me. Now it's the painful wait for the DVD release.