The Incredibles (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) Reviews

• The Incredibles Restored My Faith in Animated Films

  
  By A3JD8FDS3CO3GH on 2005-02-28
  The genre of family-oriented computer animated feature film, invented and pioneered by Pixar Animation Studios, has seen a great decline in the past couple of years. Now, every other movie studio churns out another one in hopes of being the next Toy Story or Finding Nemo. In this reviewer's opinion, the formula has gotten incredibly stale. It's the same thing over and over again - Lots of humor and silliness for the kids, with some clever pop-culture references for adults, lots of talking inanimate objects voiced by recognizable and popular celebrities, a song by a bankable pop star. Wrap it all up in a bright, shiny package and advertise it on Nickelodeon and network TV and you've got a recipe for success. This formula has now been repeated ad nauseam by the movie studios yet parents, in lieu of more intelligent and creative children's entertainment, snatch it up. Just look at the crop of upcoming CG family movies slated for 2005. There are at least four, maybe five.
  
  However, if there is anything that you can depend on in the dreary world of computer animated movies, it is the name Pixar. Those five letters are quite simply synonymous with quality. They started the genre and still no one does it better. From Toy Story to Monsters, Inc. to Finding Nemo, Pixar has consistently produced astonishingly high quality films in both entertainment and artistic value. Pixar's latest, The Incredibles was written and directed by Brad Bird who gave us the wonderful 1999 film The Iron Giant. It is yet another staggering success for Pixar Animation Studios.
  
  The Incredibles is not just another fine computer animated movie, it completely reinvents and transcends its tired genre. The film boasts extremely sharp writing and plotting (rewarded with a Best Original Screenplay Academy Award nomination), excellent voice acting, extraordinary conceptual design and, most importantly, the audacity to break from the mold and do something different. This is first hinted at by the film's rating; The Incredibles is Pixar's first PG-rated movie. It is not just an assortment of jokes and pop-culture references, it is a fully-realized story focusing on human (sort of) characters and the struggle of living in a society that you don't fit in with. There are no talking fish, no talking bugs, no talking toys. It's a real movie with real heart told with extraordinary skill and style. It was well-deserving of its Best Animated Feature Academy Award, however the fact that its only competition was Shrek 2 and Shark Tale diminishes that achievement. Yes, it's also an incredibly fun story about superheroes with lots of stunts, action, giant robots, superpowers and an evil villain. I found it to be one of the most satisfying, and best, movies of 2004.
  
  Don't be deterred by the fact that it's computer animated and that it's from the makers of Finding Nemo. You don't have to be a child or a parent (I myself am neither) to love this film. It's a great movie that anyone can love and appreciate.
  
  

• Super Heroes Meet Suburbia

  
  By A23GFTVIETX7DS on 2005-06-30
  I was completely unprepared to like this computer-animated film. A smart, witty script, excellent animation by Pixar, and the talented voices of Holly Hunter, Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, and filmmaker Brad Bird have combined to create a winner that both kids and adults will appreciate, albeit on different levels. Mr. Incredible (Nelson) loves saving the world, even though he likens it to cleaning a room only to turn around and find it messy again. His soon-to-be wife Elastigirl (Hunter) is just as tough in her pursuit of justice, and often comes to her beloved's rescue. The city is full of super heroes who do the work of police and who receive thunderous applause after their life-saving exploits. Unfortunately for the super heroes, their glory days fade in a hail of lawsuits (people don't want to be saved and others use their injuries while in peril against the super heroes), and so all those with superpowers must enter normal life in a kind of witness-protection program. The Incredibles, now with three children, face a mundane life as Bob/Mr. Incredible supports the family with an insurance adjuster job, and Helen/Elastigirl struggles to stop sibling squabbles. Helen and Bob have become archetypal suburban parents, arguing about the kids and chores. Bob and his friend Frozone (Jackson) long for the good old days when they felt like real men. When Bob blows his cover, he is recruited by the mysterious Mirage (Elizabeth Pena) for some top secret superhero work. Of course, Helen knows nothing about it--she's too busy dealing with baby Jack Jack, risk-taking Dash, and reclusive teenager Violet. Predictably, Bob gets into trouble, and Helen has no choice but to don her old costume. Fashion designer Edna (Bird) gives the Incredibles both the push and the pizzazz they need to reclaim their rightful spots as superheroes.
  
  The strength of this movie is the action-packed plot coupled with witty satire about contemporary American life. Like all aging suburbanites, the Incredibles have developed beer guts (Bob) and wide hips (Helen). They argue about issues that couples argue about everywhere, from financial concerns to not taking asked-for advice to ignoring the needs of the other. The young Helen is a feminist who refuses to leave saving the world "to the men," but she becomes a stay-at-home mom who shuttles the kids to and from school, cooks family dinners, and finds herself responsible for almost all of the kids' upbringing. The young Bob revels in his prowess, but in middle age he is beaten down by bureaucracy and a junky car. Small details, such as the "graduation" between fourth and fifth grade and the way lawsuits twist the truth, make these otherwise extraordinary people ordinary.
  
  This sharp-witted adventure movie will delight both kids and adults. The hilarious extra "Jack Jack Attack" should not be missed, especially since it fills in some details referred to in the movie itself. Buy or rent this movie - and prepare yourself for some real entertainment.
  
  

• AS SYNDROME POINTS OUT, "YOU'VE GOT TO ADMIT THIS IS COOL!"

  
  By A1L8HRCM60W0W7 on 2005-03-13
  What a fascinating break from Pixar's usual jig of toys and furry creatures and the pat themes of parenting. This is all grown-up stuff but told with wit tighter than the spandex on our lovable Parrs family.
  
  The setups are clearly a throwback to older cartoons I've seen reruns of: Marvel Comics, Johnny Quest, Thunderbirds, even a welcome dose of James Bond.
  
  But it goes far beyond in musing over the private and often troubled lives of heroes once they shed their skin-tight robes and resume their secret identities. They talk like us, bleed like us, love like us, and you could almost imagine these heroes as next-door neighbors going off to their daily chores, which often involved saving the world from Armageddon.
  
  The film's production values are topnotch. The CGI is slick yet life-like, and the imagination behind some of the superheroic ruses is uncanny.
  
  The humor is sharp even when it flirts with comic book conventions without insulting them. For instance, a hilarious joke comes from a fashion designer who costumes superheroes but rants against capes as accessories. There's a funny montage of superhero mishaps that illustrate her point.
  
  The background score recreates the sound of 1960s spy music so rousingly one could mistake it for a lost John Barry Bond soundtrack.
  
  Barring a minor slow patch three-quarters into the movie when we slack off to discover the normal lives of our heroes, this is a gut-busting, heartwarming tale, as perfect a family film as any in the last decade. Must-own DVD.
  
  

• Incredible! A film that actually won the Oscar it deserved!

  
  By A4FXQA8HP1JHA on 2005-02-28
  I have been and shall remain a lifelong fan not only of movies, but of comic books, heroes, etcetera. The delightful and refreshing The Incredibles blends both together for me - heroes and movies.
  
  I'll be honest - in the past (with the exception of the first 2 Toy Story movies), when a trailer for a Pixar film was released, I was less than enthused. I have, however, seen every Pixar film and loved them all. The trailers never looked appealing to me until the Incredibles. Shrek, Shark Tale, Ice Age - they've got zip on Pixar!
  
  Getting back to my review of this film, all I can say is The Incredibles is a winner on all levels. Animation is top notch (increasingly better with each film), voice acting (and the casting selection) is superb, cinematography (even though it's digital) is exceptional, and the score (especially with The Incredibles) is a perfect fit.
  
  The premise is a fitting portrait of today's world. All the super heroes go into hiding and melt away into 'normal life' because of lawsuits pop up from individuals who didn't want to be saved, therefore causing a public superhero backlash. Naturally, it doesn't take long for heroes to re-emerge and once again save the day from terrible peril while being hoisted back into the public spotlight...that's enough premise/plot...just sit back and delight in the masterfully crafted film by Brad Bird (The Iron Giant) known as The Incredibles.
  
  Whether you're an adult, child, or man-child, this movie will take you in and make you forget you're watching a movie. The visuals and story is captivating and well written. After just having suffered through about 1/3 of the 77th Annual Oscars (many thanks to the creators of TiVo), the highlight of the night for me was The Incredibles winning Best Animated Feature of 2004 (and Clint Eastwood winning Best Director and Best Picture for Million Dollar Baby). I was so worried that the vacuous Hollywood types were going to give the BAF Oscar to the vapid Shrek 2. Thank God the voting members have some sense!
  
  If you like quality films, purchase this DVD now and don't look back. Enjoy!
  
  

• THE INCREDIBLES 1 star fullframe. 5 stars widscreen

  
  By AC5PNLJI1LHM9 on 2005-03-16
  PLEASE NOTE BUYERS:
  
  Amazon says:
  Fortunately, Pixar reformats their full-frame presentation so the action remains in frame.
  
  NO NO NO they don't.
  
  Sorry, but the fullscreen version of INCREDIBLES is not reformatted so all the action is centered in the middle of the frame. 1/3 of the movie is cut off. The only pixar movie ever reformatted formatted for fullscreen was A BUG'S LIFE. SO please don't tell customers that the fullscreen version is reformatted. The only way to see the WHOLE movie the way the director inteneded it is to buy the widescreen version, in it's original format.
  
  Now on to my comments:
  
  This is my FAVORITE movie of 2004. Pixars BEST film to date. Great writing, great sound and set design. Brings out the little kid in you. Fun for the whole family. JACK JACK ATTACK ROCKS. Great special features.
  
  One thing I love about PIXAR movies is they are transfered from the digital original so they look, must I say, INCREDIBLE. They sound awesome too.
  
  A must for everyones movie collection. 5 STARS for widescreen only.
  1 star for fullscreens which should all be destroyed.
  
  
• Whiny, tedious, boring
  By A2YWDUK0GFFPS9 on 2005-06-23
  On the basis of the high number of positive reviews, and the reputation of Pixar I bought this for both myself and my 3-year-old son. I was very disappointed.
  
  The Incredibles is not a kids movie. It has nowhere near the class, simplicity, humor, and sophistication of Finding Nemo or Monsters Inc. It is an adult animated movie, that deals with adult topics. As some readers have pointed out some story topics that are difficult for children such as deaths, suicide and infidelity.
  
  But those could be forgiven if the script was charming or amusing. It isn't. Instead, The Incredibles is one of the most whiny and neurotic movies I have seen.
  
  Much of the dialog is tedious explanations. The scenes go on forever with a large amount of unecessary and unfunny dialog. A lot of the words are simply too difficult for kids to understand. "You caught me monologuing" is but one example. Difficult to follwo accesnts don't help. And why on earth do they have a character that speaks French (with subtitles). Kids can't read that.
  
  Mr Incredible seems to shout at his wife a lot. In fact, he seems to shout at everyone a lot. I had no sympathy for him at all. Another big problem with the film is that the main character does not learn anything or really change. He is still a whiny, grumpy, super-hero at the end.
  
  The big fight sequences against the robots are repetitive. The one with the kids against the flying saucers is far too long and is just like a video game. Many scenes seem to have been taken (non-ironically) from other movies (particlarly James Bond). In fact I don't think there is any innovation in the story of this movie at all. The non-superhero characters are really ugly. The bad guy is a whiny jerk.
  
  Finally, the way the bad guy gets it in the end is really not suitable for children.
  
  And it just goes on and on. It's so long. So much talking, talking, talking. I can't see kids watching this over and over like other Pixar offerings.
  
  
• Thinking person's animated adventure
  By A2EWC48FRNO3YP on 2005-02-25
  "Incredibles" is Pixar's best to date. I'm a little biased because I screened the beta release at Pixar Studios before it hit the theaters.
  
  This is not a "cute" treacly movie nor a rapid-fire souped up Alladin chase-3 laughs-a-second type film. It is really a grown-up movie with enough action to keep pre-adolescents interested, although pre-schoolers wil squirm at points.
  
  Musch of the humor is grown up, and there are dark moments, especially in the middle third when Mr. Incredible is captured by his arch-nemises. Some of the superheros are shown meeting violent ends.
  
  The plot line's premise is that superheros are driven underground by lawsuits by injured bystanders and would-be rescued people. So true. There are pauses in in the action for great dialogue, and some situations (the main superhero in hiding has to become an insurance claims adjuster, which I thought hilarious) will probably blow past kids under 10. The scene where Ms. Incredible has to juggle a nanny situation over a cell-phone while dealing with the baddies was inspired. The Incredible kids relate to each other in an authentic way.
  
  Brad Bird's "E" character - a sort of miniaturized half-Asian/Capote/Garbo designer of superhero costumes - is worth the whole movie. As she explains to Ms. Incredible, her costume withstands explosions, "yet breathes like Egyptian cotton!"
  
  The movie takes risks and succeeds. The animation is a mix of the detail we expect from Pixar blended with 40s/50s comic stylism. This is the best full-length animation outside of Japan or France.
  
  
• Only incredible thing is how awful this film is.
  By A1ELM0GEXEAM79 on 2005-02-28
  With Finding Nemo I thought that Pixar films couldn't get much worse. I thought that the Incredibles would finally be the one movie that redeemed the stuido. Boy was I wrong. The film is too dark for kids, yet to childish for adults. The plot is incredibly bad and poorly written, and there isn't even that match humor, unlike films such as Toy Story. It's pretty much for the most part just mindless violence throughout the entire flick. If that's what Brad Bird thinks that's what makes a good movie, then he's wrong.
  
  
• Totally UNincredible
  By A3ORWULSIUYTE on 2005-03-16
  I saw this film in theatres, and it *literally* put me to sleep. I have NEVER fallen asleep at the theatre before, but with this movie, I did. It is totally drab. The characters aren't interesting at all, the "jokes" didn't make me laugh a single time, the animation sucks, and it was the BIGGEST waste of $7.00 EVER. It got great reviews and won some award, but I'm still trying to figure out why. I couldn't STAND this film.
  
  I loved Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, you know - movies like this. But THIS piece of garbage just made me want to make picket signs and protest this total waste of time and money.
  
  Everyone's saying, "oh, but kids liked it!" No - they're children. Kids don't know WHAT they like. They see bright colors and they think it's grade-A entertainment. This is such a TERRIBLE film.
  
  AVOID AT ALL COSTS.
  
  
• What a waste of movie budget for such weak story
  By AV0B9YJ8WHIK on 2005-03-01
  Many of the people I knew seemed to applaud for the movie. I really find almost all the characters incredibly annoying. That's just about the only incredible to this movie. I give credits to those CGI specialists who spent tremendous amount of time creating such elastic characters and by no means it was an easy feat. However, computer generate special effects does not a good movie make. Sometimes I feel as the director/producer focused too much on the CGI and not merely enough on a solid story. I guess it would be a fun movie for kids.
  
  
• A MIND-BLOWING 2 DISC SET OF POW!
  By A2R6RA8FRBS608 on 2005-03-15
  This 2 DVD release of The Incredibles is truly something to rave about. The movie plot is well thought out and voiced by the actors; the cinematography, choreography and animation are superlative; and Pixar makes a movie about characters you can actually care about! The picture quality is flawless. The movie even won Best Animated Feature Film of the year at the Oscars just two weeks ago! What a coup! GRIN
  
  The story (as some people may know) is about a family called The Incredibles. At first Mr. Incredible is doing what any normal superhero would do, you know-save the city from destruction and balance this with family life. Then because of politics and lawsuits against superheroes as a group the family is forced into a "relocation" program because it is no longer so wonderful to be a superhero anymore! (They even are given new names to protect them against the proliferation of lawsuits against the do-gooder superhero group! Now are they the Parr family.) Mr. Incredible (now going by the name Mr. Parr) is bored and miserable (to say the least); he gets an offer to do some extra work and he takes it. (I'm keeping this part brief to avoid plot spoilers.) Ultimately, things turn rotten and then Mr. Incredible HIMSELF has to be rescued instead of the other way around! Moreover, look for some well written great scenes regarding the family's personal issues: how the people in The Incredibles family deal with being different; how Bob and his wife deal with the fact that she is comfortable as a mother while he still craves the superhero "lifestyle;" how the issue of mortality is played out; and what the children go through as they try to conceal their differences from most others in the world. Yes, the film is essentially an action movie with some violence but don't let that fool you. There are quite a few poignant moments here. The PG rating is because of a few of the action scenes; so remember that this movie is not the best choice for toddlers or children who might get upset by it. Some people also say it's a few minutes too long-again, DON'T let them or even Amazon reviewers tell you that; this movie is terrific and I was really sorry when it ended! The last hour especially is action packed and very well done!
  
  The movie won a second Oscar for sound editing at this year's Academy Awards ceremony; and it was nominated for an Oscar for its achievement in sound mixing but that's just the tip of the iceberg. The two DVD set is presented here with an almost endless assortment of "incredible" (!) extras! There are two full length commentaries on disc one. One commentary is by Director/Writer Brad Bird and Producer Jon Walker and some of the animators do an audio commentary on the second track. The first track is indeed more personal since the two men had such a close personal relationship; but the second track is a real must for the serious animation enthusiast who's got to know about the process of animated film production. There are so many deleted scenes! I can't remember when I saw a two DVD set with so many deleted scenes-decide for yourself which ones might have worked well in the movie! There is the exclusive short "Jack-Jack Attack" about Jack finding out he has special powers while Kari the babysitter is there with him. There's the extra "Incredi-Blunders" and TWO features (not just one) about the making of this movie. There'll be very little left unanswered for anyone after they watch both of these! The interviews with Director Brad Bird are captivating and really informative! GRIN
  
  Something else that is interesting is the extra "Vowellet," an essay by Sarah Powell, who voices Violet Parr: a great insight regarding Powell's perception of voicing an animated superhero. Then there's "Boundin'," a short Oscar nominated feature about a sheep with a bad haircut! My personal favorite of the shorts would have to be "Mr. Incredible and Pals," a short made to resemble something found after being lost in a vault somewhere since the 1960s. The characters in this animated short move their mouths the way animators drew the mouths at that time. This extra includes Frozone and a mute rabbit named Mr. Skipperdoo.
  
  Obviously, this is a grand slam home run for Pixar-and WE reap the rewards watching it over and over again! I highly recommend this two DVD set. When choosing it, remember that this is sold in EITHER full screen or wide screen; both versions are not being sold within the same package. Regardless of which view you choose you can't go wrong since Pixar has produced the full screen version so that all the action is viewable on your screen. Go ahead; try to find a better developed and reproduced two DVD animated movie-you'd be mighty lucky to achieve this; I don't think there's anything else around as well done as this!
  
  
  
• You sly dog! You caught me monologuing!
  By A1GSR7RGCG1QYZ on 2005-03-22
  This was an impressive film. I have not had the best of luck with PIXAR films lately. I didn't really see the creativity in Monsters, Inc and Finding Nemo literally gave me the sweats when I watched it, so there was some hesitancy to see what PIXAR could do to topple their past mega-hits. Well, what they crafted was something so out of left field that even I, the movie kinda guy, never saw it coming. They made a very witty, intelligently clever, powerfully smart adult cartoon. While there were elements throughout the film that I felt children would enjoy, I did feel as if 92% of this film was invested with the intelligent adult in mind. There is great respect paid to the superheroes of my father's generation as well as a specific intent to downplay the "cute" element and keep us glued to our seats with action, suspense, and some of the most ingenious animation to be seen this side of the Mississippi.
  
  From beginning to end, this film reeked perfection in a way that other films only aspire to smell like. It not only gave us this huge pre-story about what was happening in the world of superheroes (a concept that seemed taboo in the past), but it also gave us this enormous family dynamic that allowed each character to be built from the floor up. Each of our characters has their own dilemma, their own style, and their own hurdles that they need to cross, and Brad Bird gives them each their moment to shine. While he does focus heavily on our "head of family" Mr. Incredible, he gives so much attention to detailing the rest of the characters and scenes that you never feel this uneven balance. This is a story about family, about realizing that you are "super", and that powers are not needed to realize this. These are huge issues to cover in a animated film, but Bird succeeds in these three ways:
  
  First, he gives the film the time that it deserves. This is not some mere 89 minute film that never develops anything, never takes a chance, nor allows our characters to shine, but instead a very hefty 121 minutes of sheer pleasure. This is also why I think Bird had adults in mind while creating this visual feast, I know of very few children's films that are that extensive, normally you loose the child too quickly, but perhaps Bird wasn't aiming towards that audience. At least, that is what I witnessed.
  
  Second, Bird gives us this huge world that is not surrounded by animated boundaries. We do not stay in just one city, we do not loiter around the superhero's house all day, and we do not get pulled into normal animated clichés like the man saves the day and gets himself that woman he has always wanted. The Incredibles went in a completely new, fresh, and somewhat tangent direction that gave it the power to grow before our eyes. That is what I completely enjoyed about this film was the fact that I could not forsee the future, meaning that there were no building clichés that gave me a direct path to the end. I had to guess, consider all possibilities, and reason with new ones that were unfolding before me. It was an adventure, not just a simple piece of cinema.
  
  Third, and this is huge, was the main worry that I had with this film was the possible "baby" moments. I was so worried that we would find ourselves wasting time watching, listening, or gasp laughing at the "cute" baby factor. I thought that this was a path that Bird was going to travel towards, and would have ultimately caused this review to be a bit more tilted. But, this wasn't a film for a child was it? So, Bird left out most of the scenes dealing with the child and thus forced us to see the adults dealing with very mature themes and scenarios. This factor was huge in indicating that perhaps Bird had a separate audience in mind.
  
  Overall, this was an amazing film to watch, experience, and enjoy. The bold use of colors complimented the sensation of the characters that carried with them similar attributes. Brad Bird skillfully crafted this film that had every possibility of being clichéd and overbearingly geared towards children, but instead he took a higher road and gave us this film that will last the test of time due greatly in part to giving us, the adults in the world, an opportunity to indulge and enjoy the power of animated cinema. In every attempt not to sound redundant, this film was "incredible". The characters were beautiful, the story was solid, and the powerful voice acting allowed this film to rank among the top of my PIXAR favorites. I highly recommend this film to anyone that is an avid superhero fan or simply is looking for an adventurous ride into the future of our movie business. WOW. That is all I can say ... "WOW".
  
  Grade: ***** out of *****
  
  
• Pixar....
  By A1BZUR87QC7OZR on 2005-07-07
  Finding Nimo was a big let down.
  And now, the Incredibles. An over-hyped movie, with nothing but a predictable, stupid storyline. Super powers are one of the most used ideas today, and yet the Pixar had to use them.
  
  This movie is the most un-original, most disgusting, most fatigue piece by Pixar. I went out to the theater and watched this movie with 6 friends, and 4 of them walked out of the theater after 30 minutes. After the movie, we all talked how the movie sucked and how Pixar was fading.
  
  First of all, the problem is the storyline. We all know that.
  
  Second of all, the CG was nothing buy a blurrrrrr.
  
  Third of- oh what the heck. It sucked. That's it. And go ahead, click the no button below. I know how the truth can hurt.
  
  
• THE INCREDIBLES (WIDESCREEN) IS A MUST HAVE EDITION FOR ALL!
  By A3MBDBKB5PJJOS on 2005-02-19
  The Incredibles, the widescreen 2-disc Collector's Edition, on DVD, is a true and exciting adventure into the extremely interesting lives on a home that is filled with many, many superheroes. This is the type of entertainment that parents will likely find as interesting as will their children.
  
  I am very luck to have early access to some projects, such as films, new music CD's and even some great video games. I'm involved in a fairly large review committee for a national chain of Movie Rental stores. As a result, I've been blessed with getting the "heads up" on some movies, DVD's, etc. And if there is ever a chance to share my opinion, even if it's not perfect, I'll be more than happy to share with anyone on AMAZON. This is a GREAT SHOW-not to be missed when it comes out in MARCH!!
  
  I watched the collection with my kids the first evening that we purchased the Collector's Edition. My kids were captivated and didn't move from their positions in front of our new television. Normally, my wife and I start to watch a film and find ourselves falling asleep, as a result of the exhaustion of parenting, but we stayed awake for this one! And on top of that, we even watched the many special features that are also part of the 2 Disc Collection. Now that should tell you something about the quality of this production!
  
  Two of the world's greated crime fighters, Helen and Bob Parr, were known for their battles over crime and for saving the lives of many. Several years after the "end" of their lives as crime fighters, both of them move from the city and into the burbs to live a more normal life with their three children. All is well until Bob is called for special duty to a very remote island for a very top secret mission. You will find yourself amazed at how well these stories are written and how you will find yourself enjoying this movie as much as your kids!
  
  Bob gets to the island for his secret mission, one that was delivered to him in the most amazing way. He learns that his mission is basically to save all of the world and he'll need to recruit some help-help from his superhero friends. Without the support of his family, the world would destruct and nothing would be left-not even the simple life in the burbs!
  
  This is a wonderfully animated movie that is filled with creativity and writing that will keep the parents awake for sure. Even if you're not much into the whole superhero scene, you'll find enough exciting and interesting graphics and animations to keep you bright-eyed all night long.
  
  I also think that this 2-Disc Widescreen Edition would make a great gift, especially for those neighbor friends who seemed overwhelmed and need a small break from the kids! Enjoy this great flick and feel free to laugh as much as your children do. It's okay to feel like a 5 year old again!
  
  Break out the popcorn and enjoy the film! And thanks for taking the time to read my short description of an animated film that our entire family enjoyed.
  
  [...]
  
  
• Solid Family Entertainment and beautiful to behold
  By A25W5Q2RSMB841 on 2005-02-07
  This film contains action sequences that are jaw-dropping in scope, creative in execution, and as thrilling as they are beautiful. The characters are wonderful, the animation is superb, and the story is both exciting and funny. This film is a masterpiece. Toy Story and it's sequel are excellent films and I thought that there was no way Pixar could possibly continue creating that level of greatness. While A Bugs Life wasn't one of my favorites, it's still a fantastic film. Monsters Inc. continued the Pixar tradition of making a better movie. The ending line in that film is one of my favorite closing moments in cinema. It's simple, heartfelt, and provides a beautiful impression that their world will continue in a positive direction despite the end of the movie(something that kids, the target audience, need to know). Finding Nemo, like all other Pixar films, has a strong family message and it provides us with some beautiful visuals. Again, Pixar built upon it's own accomplishments and provided us with a film that will be heralded as a classic and loved by future generations. As impressed as I am with all of the other Pixar films, and as much as I love them, The Incredibles is better.
  
  I know, I know. You're thinking "how could it POSSIBLY be better?" Well, the story and characters have always been, in my opinion, the heart of a Pixar film. Sure, everything looks amazing and beautiful, but when the audience connects with a character things become more interesting and compelling for the audience. The Incredibles is a real drama. The characters express more realistic emotions than you might expect from a "cartoon". The parents and the kids have troubles and concerns that affect their lives and each other. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Incredible (aka Mr. and Mrs. Parr) has it's ups and downs. Their lives aren't the way they wanted them to be. Mr. Incredible hates his job. Mrs. Incredible, who is a stay at home mom, is struggling with the kids and her desire to live a normal life and keep the family strong despite their incredible past. Although they argue from time to time, and they struggle with their frustrations, they never give up. They always work to communicate with each other and with the kids. At one point the kids catch them having a very heated argument and they pause, calm themselves, and then take the time to reassure the children. They explain that their argument isn't a good way to express their frustrations, and that they love their children and each other. The kids have their troubles too. Dash, the oldest son, is frustrated that he can't use his abilities to his own advantage (he can run extremely fast). He doesn't understand why they need to hide their powers, and in addition to being fascinated with his own super-powers, he's a bit of a troublemaker and a showoff. There's a moment where his mother speaks that truth to him in love, and expresses those exact thoughts. She says it in a way that is honest and firm, but loving. The daughter, Violet, can generate forcefields that can deflect bullets or redirect light and make herself invisible. But she's having typical relationship issues that teenagers experience as they explore the minefield of social interaction. She's also a cynical, somewhat depressed person who is frustrated with the constant relocation that the family must endure to remain hidden. She's shy and insecure, which make her super-powers even more of a liability. There's a baby in the family too, but he spends almost all of the film with a babysitter. Sure, all of them have amazing abilities, but they're still people and they still have their own flaws. But they communicate with each other. They honestly express their heart in a loving way for the purpose of strengthening their family. They tackle problems together, which becomes their greatest strength when confronted with a murderous super-powered opponent consumed with envy, jealousy, and selfishness. His character is a stark contrast to the noble and loving Incredible family. The Incredibles face atypical situations that present typical family problems. But, they work together to overcome them. They are a family that faces obstacles TOGETHER! It's a beautiful thing. It presents a strong family message about love, forgiveness, self-sacrifice, devotion, honesty, compassion, and personal restraint. The story is wonderful and, as in the other Pixar films, is one of the superior elements of the movie.
  
  The visuals are amazing! The film is beautiful to behold from the expert handling of light, color, shape, and contour, to the excellent retro-designs sprinkled throughout the world of The Incredibles. I am familiar with the world of 3D modeling and design, and I have always had a clear understanding of how things were done, but there are visuals in this film that go beyond what I knew software was capable of doing. This film is an amazing visual treat because of the astonishing talent driving the technological miracles that Pixar has invented to do what they do. While they sometimes modify existing technologies they also frequently invent their own technologies as they explore new ground in visual storytelling and motion graphics. It's not just about making things look as real as possible; it's more like a new digital impressionism. The same intent that drove Monet to explore colors, shapes, textures, patterns, techniques, and concepts that he didn't see, but only "felt" about a scene, is being felt by the artists and designers at Pixar. This is the new impressionism. It looks real enough to touch, but reality can't look or behave that way. Everything they show us is designed to provide the audience with a certain feeling about a location and series of events. They control every aspect of the visual on the screen for the purpose of controlling the impression we take away from every set, every character, and every situation. It's impressionism in motion, and it's beautiful to look at.
  
  This film succeeds and excels on many levels and it is difficult to express any problem with this movie, however there is one thing that I think parents of small kids need to know about this movie: it is a little more violent that you may expect. This film is rated PG for good reason. It is NOT a G-rated movie, so don't take your kids expecting it to BE a G-rated movie. In this movie people die. None of the death is really shown, and there's no blood, but I was a little surprised at the number of henchmen that are killed off. Also, I referred to the villain as murderous, and there is a reason. He is a murderer and takes delight in holding that kind of power over other people. The message is never confused and you never cheer for the bad guy. They even create a well orchestrated moment where another one of the bad guys comments on how wrong the villain really is. Even still, this dark conflict and the intense emotional impact of death, murder, and hatred for others might be a bit much for smaller children to understand. It's great drama for adults and adolescents, but the littlest of tikes may have trouble with the intense action sequences and powerful dramatic undertones. Of course, I don't really count these as flaws or faults in the film. This film is made for the middle crowd, not the little crowd. So, take your family to see this movie. It's a clean, fun, exciting, thrilling, encouraging way to spend two hours with your family.
  
  
• Lives up to its title
  By AQP1VPK16SVWM on 2005-03-05
  It's rare that a movie lives up to its title. "The Incredibles" does precisely that by combining the excitement of the 60's Bond films, superhero epics and the dysfunctional American family. Taking place in a world drawn from the 60's (and how we viewed the future then), "The Incredibles" allows Brad Bird ("The Iron Giant") to pursue his unique vision as a film director. His style energizes the Pixar approach to animation allowing the studio to rival the more manic energy of Dreamworks while staying true to the character driven stories that make Pixar's films unique.
  
  When superheroes are driven underground by lawsuits, the "Supers" as they are called begin life as ordinary Americans. Unfortunately, the temptation of saving people seduces one of America's greatest superheroes Bob Parr/ Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) back into the ring of fighting evil. When a company contacts Mr. Incredible to help them stop a robot that has started thinking for itself on an isolated Pacific island Mr. Incredible resumes fighting evil despite the wishes of his superhero wife Helen Parr/ Elastigirl (Holly Hunter). With her two children (each of whom has their own unique powers) in tow, Helen goes after Bob believing that he's having an affair, or worse has gone back to fighting crime and risking their family in the process.
  
  Another "Super" transfer from Disney and Pixar, the Academy Award winning "The Incredibles" really was one of the highlights of last year. The bright, vivid cartoon colors and sharp images create a convincing world for this family of superheroes. I found the transfer to be virtually flaw free and the resolution to be, well, incredible. Likewise, the active and imaginative soundmix remains a highlight on home video as well. This is an example of perfectly capturing the original theatrical experience as close as possible and transferring it to the home environment. The only thing missing was the commercials we see all too frequently (and which should be banned from theaters I might add), overpriced popcorn and giant boxes of candy you'll never be able to finish.
  
  Once again we get an action packed group of extras on the second disc of this two DVD set. Two original shorts debut here. "Jack Jack Attack" shows exactly what happened to the babysitter during those horrified and frantic sounding phone calls to Helen/Elastigirl. It's just as funny as the feature. We also get "Mr. Incredible and Pals" a short cartoon that emulates those funky 1960's TV series (like "Captain Fathom" and "Clutch Cargo") where they used minimum animation, funky graphics and footage of real human lips matted on to the characters. It's corny and a lot of fun. This cartoon also has a tongue-in-cheek commentary track from Mr. Incredible and Frozone the two featured superheroes in the cartoon. The charming Pixar short "Boundin'" which played with the movie appears here as well. We also get deleted scenes and alternate an alternate opening sequence in various stages of completion. The alternate opening which is presented in its storyboard format features commentary by Brad Bird explaining what the thought process was behind the sequence and why it was abandoned. "Incredi-Blunders" features various animation mistakes that occurred during the making of the film. They vary from characters missing everything but their teeth, eyes and hair to uncoordinated sequences where the costumes are missing are move out of alignment with the characters.
  
  The first "Making of" featurette runs about 27 minutes and provides us with a comprehensive look into the difficulties Bird and his crew faced making the movie. The second "Making of" featurette is composed of smaller parts provide information about the making of this great movie from conception to alternate storylines and the final product. Combined they run about 70 minutes. We start with the story by Brad Bird with excerpts from Bird's video diary while writing the script, interviews during production and after. You'll understand why it takes a couple of years to create a film of this caliber. Story Supervisor Mark Andrews shows us the storyboarding process and we see how he and director/writer Bird interact. "Vowellet" who plays Violet in the movie discusses what she does on the side such as writing a history book "Assassination Vacation" discussing the assassination of various American Presidents. It's actually pretty funny and entertaining. "Making of The Incredibles" and "More Making of The Incredibles" gives us a glimpse into the creation of the various characters with the animators discussing the difficulty in making the characters come alive. We also get a glimpse into the various unfinished animatics, and the animation at various levels of creation. The "Music" portion of this 40 minute "featurette" is the most fascinating more me as the composer managed to recall the classic spy themes of the 60's and 70's without imitating them. We hear comments from the various musicians involved in the session along with the composer discussing the challenges and fun of making music of this sort with a glimpse into the scoring session. Brad Bird discusses the biggest challenge of the film-the scale of it which is not unlike a Bond film in terms of creating the environments. Brad Bird himself did the voice for Edna and it's pretty funny to hear the voice and see the character. Clearly the character combines Yoko Ono with Bette Midler and costume designer Edith Head and also manages to steal the film in every scene she's in. Bill Wise one of the technical supervisors discusses how difficult it was to create the characters for the crowd scenes.
  
  Brad Bird discusses how he immediately tried to subvert audience expectations in making "The Incredibles" and tried to make the film an unusual project from the very beginning. Bird sets up the opening sequence as larger than life (both in the golden hued color to the actions that occur) to contrast with Bob and Helen's life much later on. Bird reveals, for example, that Jason Lee played Buddy both as an adult and as a child altering the way that Lee spoke with Protools (a computer program that allows you to record and alter digital recordings) and by having Lee raise his voice half an octave. All sorts of fascinating bits from Bird and producer Walker crop up throughout the commentary from influences to visual tributes to other movies and mediums.
  
  The main animators discuss the difficulty in animating a much more physical film like an action-adventure movie. The amount of detail and types of motions are much, much more complex and forced the animators to develop new techniques and new software to make those moves realistic. The animators are also quite frank about the budget and time difficulties that they faced in creating the "universe" around the main characters. Evidently the animators used all the same models to create the background characters slightly manipulating the nose, chin and head here or there to create credible background characters that don't all look the same. They also discuss the variations from the actual storyboards and where inspiration struck (such as "Santa Claus is Coming to Town") as inspiration for certain sequences.
  
  A great American film (not just a great animated film), "The Incredibles" got the deserved recognition with an oscar. It's the best, most intense and original CGI animated cartoons produced to date. It's also helped Pixar reinvent itself yet again by NOT duplicating previous successes. Bird demonstrated his special talents in the film "The Iron Giant" and he continues to break new ground in storytelling. Packed with a second disc of great extras, you'll learn more than you ever wanted to know about the making of this classic film. Here's hoping Bird will continue to break new ground and help keep Pixar fresh.
  
  
  
  
  
• Good.... but not 'Incredible'
  By AQB7YI20ZGNMR on 2005-02-23
  Most of us have high expectations for Pixar studios after the amazing movies they have given us. When I first saw the preview for The Incredibles when it was just the overweight man in his supersuit I immediately didn't like it. The character in my eyes was not the next Buzz Lightyear or Mike Wizowski.
  The movie is clever in the beginning but the characters are underdeveloped and the story is not that exciting. There are a few times where you chuckle, but not laugh like laugh out louds in other Pixar films.
  The movie is good, I think it's great for a night to rent if you haven't seen it before. However, I do not think it is a good buy on DVD because it simply doesn't have enough to capture you and make you want to see it again.
  
  
• It's not as bad as SHREK 2, but it's no TOY STORY either.
  By A24F1UX8ZT5IXY on 2005-03-24
  I saw this in the theater and had two reactions. One was amazement at the CGI, particularly of the gadgets and environments. Even though they weren't the most original concepts I've ever encountered (I mean, the Flintstones did a similar James Bond rip-off) they were done exceedingly well.
  
  However, like some of the other reviewers here, I found the cheesy underlying story too obvious for adults and too dark for kids. There was no chemistry developed with Frozone, and the villian is just plain obnoxious and not very interesting. Decent concept, but... and in this reviewer's humble opinion applies to much of the film. I just think about how characters like Buzz, Woody, Jessie, and all the rest could have come across as cloying, obvious, or grating -- but miraculously they never did. Not so this time around.
  
  I also couldn't stand the ending with the little baby. It was a cheap gag and not pulled off well.
  
  Now, I didn't particularly enjoy The Iron Giant either -- I thought it was too serious when it should have been fun, and too corny when it should have been sentimental. For years it was considered an unbelievable injustice that no one appreciated the film. To me, it was only understandable given its overweening characterizations and all too knowing influences. So I suppose Brad Bird's take on animation doesn't do it for me.
  
  In summation, the Toy Story movies, which at one time I thought were a bit gimmicky, have only grown in my estimation as the years have progressed. Watch any of the major scenes, whether it be Buzz and Woody racing to the moving van, Jessie remembering her past...to me they stand in stark contrast to what Pixar has been producing over the past few years.
  
  And "Boundin'" ain't none too good either.
  
  
• oh please!!
  By on 2005-03-26
  
  What a boring movie. You wanna know why? The animation was crappy and video games from the 80's had better graphics. The story was lame and everything was so bad.
  
  
• Simply Put: Incredible
  By A3M2WW0PO34B94 on 2005-03-24
  Bob and Helen Parr (Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter) have recently moved into their new suburban home with their three children, Violet (Sarah Vowell), Dash (Spencer Fox) and baby Jack Jack. Bob spends his day behind a desk at an insurance company and Helen stays at home. Attempting to blend in in the suburbs is difficult for them, but especially difficult for Bob. He used to be Mr. Incredible, before a series of lawsuits forced all of the Supers into retirement. Helen has acclimated more easily, but finds it difficult to keep a lid on their children's burgeoning super powers. Jack and his friend, Lucius (Samuel L. Jackson) go out for a boy's night, which for Bob includes listening to police scanners and trying to find clandestine ways to use his superpowers. After rescuing folks from a burning building, Bob returns home. But the fire has been ignited again. He soon receives a mysterious offer and jumps at the chance to use his powers again. Learning that many of the other Supers in retirement have disappeared, Mr. Incredible comes face to face with Syndrome (Jason Lee), the new villain in town.
  
  "The Incredibles" is easily one of the most appropriately named films to be made in a long time. It is simply that. The newest film from Pixar combines human characters with the same attention to detail that has made all of their previous films so memorable.
  
  Written and directed by Brad Bird, the director of "The Iron Giant", a thoroughly underrated traditionally animated film released some years ago by Warner Bros., has found the perfect home for his talents, "The Incredibles" represents the perfect marriage of director and studio. Bird has been working on this project for a number of years, even before he started working with Pixar. At Pixar, they were able to help him realize his vision through computer animation. My friend Shannon described the film to someone as a "great action film that's animated". I couldn't have said it better myself.
  
  Shortly after the theatrical release, there was an article about the film and Bird in `Los Angeles' Magazine. It described how obsessed Bird became with every detail. This was his baby and he wasn't going to take any shortcuts. It clearly shows in every frame of the film.
  
  The film deftly blends comedy, edge of your seat suspense, great visuals, bright, colorful animation and great voice acting.
  
  The scenes of the Parr family living in suburbia are truly funny. To watch Bob, a huge hulking guy with a broad torso (think Superman, crammed into a small mini car, drive into his driveway and sullenly walk inside his home perfectly captures how many people feel about their lives. Violet and Dash are portrayed in a very realistic way. Violet is the older child, in Junior High, shy and afraid to talk to the boy she likes. Dash is the younger, more outgoing, precocious kid. They behave like a normal brother and sister would. They fight all the time. But if they have to help each other, they do and this shows that they really care about one another. Helen is gamely making a go of it in suburbia, because she is afraid of the consequences if her family's true identity is revealed.
  
  If you took all of the scenes of the family in suburbia and made a film simply of those, the result would be a great stand alone addition to any comedy library.
  
  After the family gets drawn into the action plot, things really kick into gear. Deftly combining elements of filmed superhero movies, James Bond adventures and action films, "The Incredibles" creates an amazing backdrop to tell an involving, exciting story.
  
  Many of the action sequences are set in buildings and landscapes clearly inspired by the James Bond films of the 60s. As Jack and Helen make their way through Syndrome's headquarters, a structure inspired by "Dr. No" or "You Only Live Twice", the filmmakers also play music inspired by 007 films. This provides a nice, unique and fun visual reference for the adults, to keep their attention.
  
  The action scenes are visually stunning, especially a scene referred to as the "100 Yard Dash". In it, Dash runs back and forth throughout the forest, trying to stay ahead of Syndrome's army of goons who are chasing him in small flying saucers. The camera moves at dizzying speeds, back and forth, up and down. It would have been extremely difficult to do this with live action.
  
  The film also takes an irreverent tone towards super hero films; much like "Scream" made fun of horror films. A scene in which Jack and Helen visit Edna, the costume designer to the Supers, evokes similar scenes between James Bond and Q. Edna is a hilarious character, inspired by famed costume designer Edith Head, and voiced by director Brad Bird. All of the clichés of superhero films make appearances. For instance, Mr. Incredible tosses out a one-liner when he dispatches a villain, creating a pun about his name, much like James Bond does. Jack and Lucius talk about `monologueing', a trait they came across many times as Supers. After capturing them, the villain would begin a monologue about his greatness, in the process giving them time to escape.
  
  All of the voice actors are spot on. Craig T. Nelson (TV's "Coach") does a great job of capturing the boredom of everyman working a humdrum life and the unabashed excitement at doing something he is truly excited about. Holly Hunter is great as Helen and Elastigirl. Her lilting Southern drawl provides her character with an innocence that masks her toughness. The two child actors capture the moods and attitudes of children growing up. Violet has a voice that is low and bored, but will probably change any minute. Dash is always excited or extremely bored. Jason Lee is also great as the crazed Buddy and Syndrome, the villain, perfectly capturing the glee of the more over the top villains from other films. Samuel L. Jackson's role as Lucius and Frozone is also very effective. He is a bit more like Helen, than Jack, trying to acclimate to civilian life, but when the opportunity presents itself, he immediately throws himself into the role of Super.
  
  The animation in any Pixar film is top notch, and "The Incredibles" is no exception. What you might not notice is that with each new film, the animation becomes even more advanced and realistic. As mentioned before, this is the first Pixar film with an all `human' cast'. The attention to detail on each of the characters is amazing. Especially the hair. In previous digital animation, the hair has provided problems. For instance, in the first "Toy Story", there is a little puppy. He looks good, but he looks animated. In the second, this puppy looks 100 times better, because the software for animating the hair was that much more evolved. In "The Incredibles", each of the humans appears to have real hair, especially Syndrome, whose shock of hair resembles a large flame. There are many details which still appear `cartoonish', but these are intentional, for the sake of laughter; for instance, Bob's small car. I have no doubt that Pixar could animate a film that looked almost photorealistic.
  
  Bird is clearly in tune with superheroes. His previous film "The Iron Giant" is a very effective, sweet-natured homage to the sci-fi films of the 50s. Using traditional animation, he evokes a story of a lonely boy who stumbles across an Iron Giant. They become friends, but there are problems when the townsfolk realize that a giant robot from outer space is living in the vicinity.
  
  The DVD for "The Incredibles" is simply beautiful. The widescreen version of the film is clear, bright and colorful. Of course, since the film was created in computers, the transfer is naturally going to be more brilliant than a traditional film transfer.
  
  The second disc in the set contains a Making of Documentary, complete files on all of the Supers, an `early' animated effort featuring Mr. Incredible and Frozone, deleted scenes, and a `new' cartoon called "Jack Jack Attack".
  
  In the film, there is a moment in which Helen calls home to check on the babysitter watching Jack Jack, the baby. The babysitter has left a series of frantic messages. It is a funny scene. "Jack Jack Attack" is a short cartoon depicting the events leading up to the phone messages, before the family returns home. I am pretty sure that this cartoon was created from footage cut out of the original film. Perhaps they felt it was running too long. It is fun to watch the footage, but when a character, from the film, makes an appearance at the end of the short, it sort of gives away the real origin of this footage. As a stand alone cartoon, there is no reason for this character to appear. As I said, its fun to watch, but it really should have been included in the Deleted Scenes area, and not billed as a new creation. It's a great idea to create new shorts featuring these characters, as Disney did with Roger Rabbit.
  
  The Deleted Scenes are interesting and include an alternate opening that is more than a little odd. Thankfully, they didn't use it or any of the other deleted scenes. These scenes are presented as animatics, a sort of rough draft of the film, that animators use to make sure everything is working well, before doing all of the final (most time consuming and expensive phase) animation.
  
  The `early' animated short, with commentary by Mr. Incredible and Frozone, is interesting, but odd. I really think this was created recently, as part of the filmmaking process. Not as some sort of early project by Brad Bird. I could be wrong.
  
  The complete files of the Supers (which Mr. Incredible quickly scrolls through in a scene in the film) are interesting to read through. There are also audio files from each of the Supers, in their voices, talking about their lives.
  
  "The Incredibles" is yet another top-notch addition to the Pixar library and yet another top-notch DVD that belongs in every collection.
  
  
  
• Something for we dads....
  By A3N4TZ3SX3XW12 on 2005-04-09
  I took my wife and daughter to see this movie when it was in the theatres, then bought it the day it was released on DVD. I don't normally do this, unless it is the latest Spielberg movie coming out....but this movie is just a little different.
  
  Yes, I liked the movie...but not for the old reasons (Witty dialog, check....smart script, check....good character development, check...etc, etc). It had all these, but it also had something that I hardly noticed was gone from today's movies.
  
  The reason I so liked this movie was the idea of family, and how the writer of this movie envisons how a family should be. Sure, the kids bicker. Sure, the husbands and wives don't see eye to eye on everything (When you hear the line, "Honey, where's my Supersuit?" You'll just know it was written by someone who has been married). But they all like each other. They are suportive of each other. Too many movies and TV shows don't show this anymore.
  
  OK, I'm old fashioned. But I'm sure that raising a child in these times makes many fathers long for the good ol' days. Quite simply, this is a movie that you can pop into the DVD player and enjoy with the whole family. There's enough humor for the adults, and plenty of action for the kids. And there is nothing that I saw or heard that made me squirm with the thought, "Boy, I hope the little one doesn't ask what THAT means."
  
  The casting is great...hearing Coach (Craig T Nelson) as the Dad, and Holly Hunter as his wife...they just worked perfectly together (Choosing the correct exit is a scene I replayed a few times in my head...hilarious). And Samuel Jacksone as Frozone is just amazing...trust me, this is one DVD for everyone...
  
  
• Finding Nemo is Fish Fry.
  By A3S1G5T9NBTPTM on 2005-02-22
  With a cast that includes:
  
  Craig T. Nelson .... Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible (voice)
  Holly Hunter .... Helen Parr/Elastigirl (voice)
  Samuel L. Jackson .... Lucius Best/Frozone (voice)
  Jason Lee .... Buddy Pine/Syndrome (voice)
  Dominique Louis .... Bomb Voyage (voice)
  
  This is undoubtedly the best animation since Finding Nemo. Sorry Shrek 2, I love you, but you left your funny bits a too late in the end. You know, when FN, came out, I didn't think any movie was going to come close to beating it in terms of popularity, but this movie simply blew it out of the water - no pun intended. It's a story of an average family who tried to deal with the fact that they all have super powers in a normal world.
  
  What you'll really want to see over and over again is Dash's (Spencer Fox .... Dashiell 'Dash' Parr ) coming of superhero scenes in the movie. This is the best Family movie out this year!
  
  
• Sheer genius!
  By A3DKE1NTNFWK9Z on 2005-03-01
  I can't find the words to describe this movie for what words should I use to describe perfection in this genre?
  As far as computer animation goes, they realy raised the bar on this one. Nice cloth and hair and fluids simulation, nice use of lighting, very believable animation that realy brings the character to life. The plot is very original. The incredibles borders on the edge of satire, but they balance it out by showing the human side of the super heroes, something you rarely see in comic books. Although they are incredible, they don't pretend to be omnipotent like other super heroes. The dialogue, the action, the humor, the unfolding of the story... it's all brilliantly presented. I particulary like James Bond-esque theme of the movie. This movie is entertaining for kids and adults alike.
  
  
• Pretty good just not great
  By A2FVPTS77ALKLV on 2005-03-21
  I liked this movie but I dont think it was as great as it was billed and reviewed. It was more of an adventure than a comedy. A well conceived plot with great animation but the story kind of lags at points. The "Jack Jack Attack" short on the second disc is hilarious. Its a definate movie to have but it does fall a little short. Kids wil love all the action and the humor at times.
  
  
• My new favorite Pixar film.
  By A283NP8NG7X11F on 2005-03-27
  Pixar needs to stop making movies for a few years. Why? Because The Incredibles looks better than real life does. Seriously, when I look at the jungle here, and then say that it looks better than the ones in South America, there's a problem. Looking superior aside, I was impressed with The Incredibles. Sure, it didn't look like anything special with the shoddy commercials, but I took the chance and watched it, and loved it. I've never seen a movie that really was for both kids and adults, and not just in the "family bonding" sort of way. I'm almost 20, and there are a lot of scenes that adults and parents will laugh at. Rest assured that this is another quality Pixar film, and you're getting your money's worth.
  
  The movie starts out with Mr. Incredible, a superhero straight out of the 50's (which is pratically when this movie takes place more or less). He's on his way to something important, but gets stopped along the way, rescuing a cat from a tree...instead of following a robber on his tracking device from his car. Fortunately, stopping to do this also allowed him to stop the criminal with some great use of lumber, and he's off to his appointment. Another thing comes up, but this time, doing good isn't appreciated. Rescuing someone about to commit suicide (don't worry, it's not as dark as it sounds) leads to a big lawsuit for him and other super heroes, and it's back to a relocating plan for him. Mr. Incredible marries Elastigirl, starts a family, and goes to the normal suburban lifestyle. No known as Bob Parr, he works as an insurance salesman who does good, and lets the customers know about loopholes on how to get their money from cases. This isn't good for the company, and Bob's boss nags him out. He quits in a way we can only wish we could, and spends that night with his pal, Frozone. They sit in an alleyway in a car, listening to police radio broadcasts, and try to go back to their old ways. This leads to Bob being followed by what appears to be people that admire him, and need his help for hero-type jobs, netting him big bucks. But, it doesn't last, and it's up to his family to rescue him.
  
  First things first, the characters here were great. Bob makes for a great dad, having that usual "home from work" attitude at the dinner table, and even argues with his wife over things like their son Dash's graduation from fourth to fifth grade. It's realistic, adding depth to the character. Elastigirl is just like any mom in real life, not the typical ones on tv or in other movies, and women/moms that watch this are sure to relate to her, putting her kids first. Dash and Violet are just like kids their age. Dash is super hyper, which is essential to his power- super speed. I almost fell over laughing watching him use his power on a tape his teacher had of him putting a tack on his chair. And Violet is the akward teenager that hides from things, which again, is a lot like her power- invisiblity (and force fields). Their baby Jack-Jack still hasn't developed yet, but later on, something happens with him which the result was a big surprise. Frozone is cool (no pun intended unless you found it funny), and his use of ice was great. And the villains, human or robot, were truely some of the most threatening. Though one funny bit with a robot and Bob involves Bob having a kink in his back. The robot starts to pull him from the legs and arms in opposite directions, it pops his back, and Bob's back in action. Priceless.
  
  The visual and audio quality are great here, though reds never transfer to dvd that well, they did a good job. If you have a HDTV and surround setup, this is sure to impress anyone.
  
  Now for the special features, of which there are a ton to go through, so I'll try to keep it short. On the first disc, are two commentary tracks. The first one's with Brad Bird, who's almost a pain to listen to. The guy's off his rocker, probably because he's amazed that he made another movie after The Iron Giant (no offense. I love that movie, but c'mon, it failed in the box office). He never shuts up, but gives out good info here and there. The other track is with tons of Pixar guys, who mostly talk about the technical aspects. Very interesting if you're into computer animation or movie making. On the second disc is of course, Jack-Jack Attack. It covers all of the times his baby sitter calls Elastigirl, telling her that strange things are happening. It's very funny, and ends Men In Black style. There are a few deleted scenes, with long intros with Brad Bird and John Walker saying...the exact same things they said in the commentary and making of featurettes. In fact, they take up probably half of the time here. But the scenes are good, especially one with Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl at a BBQ. Someone insults her in a way that most people probably have been. Saying that being a stay at home mom "isn't work". Naturally, Elastigirl freaks out, but Mr. Incredible starts a hilarious distraction so they can leave without trouble. Oh how I wish this one was animated and not just story board. Incredi-Blunders is "bloopers". Not the ones we saw in Toy Story 2 and A Bug's Life, but really just computer errors. Things like eyes and teeth floating around on a body with no face, the girls without hair, and other things. It's not that great, but worth a look to see just how hard things were to program. There are two Making Of featurettes, with is weird in that they didn't just combine them. Both are excellent, looking at every aspect of the making of the film. From music, to character designs, to how hard it was to make background characters that all had their own look, and more. Vowellet is a strange segment with Violet's voice actress, Sarah Vowell. Really, there's no reason why this should be here. It's not that I didn't like it, it just doesn't belong on a family movie. She talks about her books that she's written for the most part. Go search for those on here for more info on why it's an odd choice for a feature. There's an obligatory art gallery and trailers here as usual too. Also is a great old-style cartoon of Mr. Incredible and Frozone. It has cheap animation, doesn't make sense, and I love it. Watch this with commentary on for words from Mr. Incredible and Frozone (in character). "I...I'M WHITE!? WHAT HAPPENED!?" "OH SURE, I GET CAPTURED AND NEED TO BE SAVED, BUT NOT YOU". That's worth buying this for alone. Lastly, is Boundin', the short that was shown before the main feature in theaters. Simply put, the animation here is flawless. I thought the sheep in the beginning was real and it took me a few seconds to see it's big cartoon eyes to realize it was just CG. Very impressive here Pixar. It also has commentary with Bud Luckey. I have a lot of respect for this guy- he's done it all. Animation, sound, and designed damn near every character in Toy Story.
  
  Whew. That's a lot to go through, eh? The movie's great, the extras are equally great, and it's a fun movie for anyone regardless of age. Definately pick this one up if you like movies at all.
  
  
• Incredibly awful!
  By A2BIUD6E63A4D5 on 2005-04-04
  My mother purchased this movie for my 4-year-old son and I am very disappointed with the content. There are LOTS of fighting scenes and guns in this movie. There are also fighting scenes where the Incredibles' adversaries die. We thought it would be a good movie for my son since he liked other Pixar movies, but this one made my jaw hit the floor within the first 20 minutes. It's waaaaay too dark for kids and too childish for adults. The baby bursting into flames at the end would probably give most kids nightmares. This was a total waste of money and should be completely avoided.
  
  
• Shipping date is a lie. Awesome movie. XMAS WARNING
  By A1L20QNF8JZEQ1 on 2005-12-12
  I ordered this as a Christmas gift on Dec 6 with the advertised "ships in 24 hours." A week later I got an e-mail from Amazon saying it won't ship until Jan 5 AT THE EARLIEST.
  
  
• Very fun and entertaining movie.
  By A2X8KN82L07RSK on 2006-08-15
  I had this DVD for the longest and never watched it because my 5 year old always wanted to watch Ice Age instead. This past weekend he finally said he wanted to see it.
  
  I must say I am really surprised by this movie, I already expected the kid to like it but I really liked it as well. The graphics and animation in this movie were very well done; some scenes looked like the real thing particularly the water and overhead view of the forest. Every detail was taken care of and it is obvious that a lot of work was put into this movie. Heck even the broccoli on Dash's plate looked good enough to eat.
  
  The movie also sounded very good coming out of my out of date but pretty good home theatre system. The sound effects were crisp and the speech was easily understood and was not drowned out at all by the sound effects.
  
  The actual plot was very good as well and the movie was very well written. At some parts of the movie I even forget it was actually an animated kids movie. It is certainly a movie both kids and adults should love. Its about 2 hours long, but it is able to keep youngins entertained long enough before they get up and start running around.
  
  Highly Recommended.
  
  
  
• Kids will love this
  By on 2005-02-18
  I loved this movie. When I saw the trailer for this, it was so funny. It's about this guy who was a super hero but had to stop. So 15 years has passed and the guy misses being a hero. Also the guy married a super woman and has super kids. This is a great movie to watch. So watch it and have a blast!
  Edward Park
  
  
• GOOD, BUT NOT GREAT
  By A2GPVOWH5WA4YY on 2005-03-19
  Although I'm usually an avid fan of the Pixar movies (also having graduated from the same high school as creative director John Lasseter, I don't think that this film stepped up to the plate. Yes, it won an Academy Award for best animated film, but I really think that should have gone to Shrek 2- the animation was better and it was much more funny. Toy Story is still my ultimate favorite cg film.
  The movie was very long- much longer than it had to be. I do agree that the story was original, but it was lacking something else (though I'm not exactly sure what). Still, it is a good movie to have in one's dvd collection. Would have rated it a 4 star if it wasn't so long...
  
  
  

• Monsters, Inc. (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
• Finding Nemo (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
• Toy Story (10th Anniversary Edition)
• A Bug's Life (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
• Toy Story 2 (Two-Disc Special Edition)