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.
Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson), once the super hero of the year is now relegated to a cubicle in an insurance company, still trying to save the day (quietly) one claim at a time. His wife, Helen, a.k.a Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) has also turned in her spandex, using her special powers to juggle the task of raising three kids instead of wrangling villains. Their son, Dash, wants nothing more than to use his super speed to propel him to athletic glory. Violet, who has the ability to turn invisible and enclose her self within a forcefield broods like any normal teenager. The baby, Jack Jack doesn't seem to have any super powers at all, unless you include making funny faces in a high chair.
All of this is due to a Super Hero relocation program enacted by the government after public outcry over property damage and personal injury( a very sharp and poignant jab at our own litigious nature). Forced to hide greatness behind a shroud of mediocrity the Incredible family do their best to blend in with normal society, and for the most part succeed.
Of course events unfold to bring all of the Incredibles super powers to light, and for this to occur you need to introduce the mad genius villain, Syndrome (Jason Lee). Parents, here's where the PG rating comes from, because this is one really, really bad guy. A former superhero fan with an enormous chip on his shoulder Syndrome is like every James Bond baddie rolled into one. His gadgets are unique, insanely cool, and above all extremely deadly. Some dark thematic elements and violence cemented the MPAA's decision to slap Pixar with its first above G rating. However, this movie could not have been done properly without giving the audience such a nefarious nemesis to loathe.
In costume and out you will constantly root for the Incredibles, this movie is what going to the theater is all about, non-stop entertainment. The action sequences are positively synapse blowing. The script is Oscar worthy in its ability to seamlessly weave domestic drama and comic book daring-do. Of course the animation has to be seen to be believed, and your eyes will bulge for the film's duration.
I can't imagine this film not being successful but I hope it destroys box office records and mends the wound that has Pixar and Disney going their separate ways. Because if ever there was a film that demanded a sequel it is The Incredibles. An animation masterpiece!
Buy The Incredibles Blu Ray Movie (Region Free) (2010) Now
In 2004, Pixar Animated Studios would go on to unfamiliar territory and that is creating a film not based on animals or insects but to create an animated film featuring humans.With the first five animated films from Pixar Animation Studios/Walt Disney having great financial success, needless to say, there was a lot of challenges and stress that the crew had to face this time around and to spearhead the project was Brad Bird, the writer and director who has worked on "The Simpsons" and "The Iron Giant" (and would go on to direct the Pixar animated film, "Ratatouille".
Needless to say, "The Incredibles", which was budgeted at $92 million became a box office success, earning over $631 million worldwide, receiving nearly positive reviews from all critics and winning two Oscars for "Best Achievement in Sound Editing" and "Best Animated Feature Film of the Year".
And now this successful animated film receives its HD treatment with a new Blu-ray release in April 2011 featuring new special features.
VIDEO:
"The Incredibles" is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:39:1). First, let me first say that even though this animated film was released back in 2004 and within the improvement of computer animation in the last six years, the film still manages to hold up very well! In fact, this is probably the best video version to date as the Blu-ray really shows off the vibrant colors of the film.
Hair strands are much more notable, but also the detail of the fabric of the clothing is also much more present and detailed that you can see the actual stitching. Blacks are inky and deep and the special effects absolutely look awesome. And while I didn't see any compression artifacts or any major defects on the picture quality, I did notice very little banding. In one scene, where Mr. Incredible shows off his new red costume, you can see a little banding but really, this is the best I have seen of "The Incredibles" by far. From the debris, to the presentation of the city and jungle landscape, this film looks awesome on Blu-ray!
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
"The Incredibles" is presented in English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 2.0 DVS, French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1. And if there was one thing that really shined for this film on Blu-ray, it was the lossless soundtrack as not only was dialogue crisp but every sound and boom, you can feel it via LFE. I love action films that know how to use the LFE and really make you fel it and in this case, "The Incredibles" delivers! Also, the surround channels are well-utilized as you can hear various ambiance from surrounding objects to little rustling that can be heard as well. Literally, the lossless soundtrack delivers in immersive sound that really gives you a feeling of the action that is taking place! Awesome!
After watching "The Incredibles" so many times on DVD, the soundtrack, while very good, never made me take notice as it did with it listening to it on Blu-ray. Not only was this lossless soundtrack magnificent, it definitely make a big difference during my viewing and enhanced my love for the film. Audiophiles will love the lossless soundtrack!
As for subtitles, they are in English, French and Spanish.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
"The Incredibles" comes with the following special features:
DISC 1
* Director's Commentary Featuring audio commentary by producer John Walker and director Brad Bird. Both go in-depth on the characters, the action, the performance, their powers, animation and more.
* Animator's Commentary Featuring audio commentary by supervising animators Tony Fucile, Steven Hunter, Alan Barillaro and animators Gini Santos, David DeVan, Kureha Yokoo, Dave Mullins John Kahrs, Robert Russ, Angus MacLane, Travis Hathaway, Doug Frankel and Peter Sohm. Both commentaries are split but definitely worth listening to if you are wanting a career in the industry.
* Boundin' Commentary Featuring director Bud Luckey's commentary for the short. This feature has optional commentary.
* Jack Jack Attack (4:42) A new animated short of what took place when the baby sitter was watching over Jack Jack.
* Jack Jack Attack Explored (4:43) Featuring commentary by director Brad Bird, story supervisor Mark Andrews and character designer Teddy Newton and animator Bret Parker on the making of this short.
* The Incredibles Reunited (22:06) Director Brad Bird, producer John Walker, supervising technical director Rick Sage, character designer Teddy Newton, supervising animator Tony Fucile, production designer Lou Romano, story supervisor Mark Andrews talk about the challenges the film faced during planning and production, the original ideas, making things credible, the relationships of the characters, using humans in a Pixar film, storyboarding, a staff with energy depleted, impressions of how they feel about the film today and more.
* Elle's Anthem (7:15) Composer Rolfe Kent talks about the 91-piece orchestra and recording the music for the film.
DISC 2
* Paths to Pixar (5:53) A featurette about the story artists, storyboarding for "The Incredibles", the importance of storyboarding, the pitch and getting your food into the door.
* Studio Stories: Gary's Birthday (1:25) A story how a party for the group ended up with the group receiving a cake that said "Happy Birthday Gary".
* Ending with a Bang: Making the End Credits (1:35) A featurette about the 2D expression of the 3D of the film ala '60s illustrations used for the ending credits and the making of them.
* The New Nomanison: A Top Secret Redevelopment Plan An interactive map of the New Nomanison island. Featuring an introduction (3:30).
* Deleted Scenes in HD (33 minutes) A total of seven deleted scenes presented in HD.
* Incredibles Teaser in HD (2:01) The original theatrical trailer for "The Incredibles" presented in HD.
* The Making of the Incredibles (27:30) The original making-of featurette of "The Incredibles".
* Classic DVD Content The following are content that appeared on the original "The Incredibles" DVD such as Story (7:15), Character Design (5:30), Evolution (2:45), Building Humans (6:17) and Building Extras (2:00).
* Easter Eggs Featuring the original easter eggs from the DVD release of "The Incredibles" including Incredible Socks (3:33), Dancing Bob (:30), Cake (:30), Buttons and Doors (2:30), H3A Classroom, Angus' Guards, Incrediblunders, Frank & Ollie,Ball & Scooter and Markisms.
* Publicity Character Interviews (6:30) and Trailers (featuring theatrical and TV trailers).
EXTRAS:
"The Incredibles" comes with a slip-over cover case. A DVD is included and is presented in 2:39:1 Enhanced for 16×9 televisions, English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital EX, subtitles in English SDH, French and Spanish. Also, included is a digital copy of the feature film which works with iTunes and Windows Media Player.
JUDGMENT CALL:
Pixar is known for creating a good number of wonderful films but I have to admit that "The Incredibles" has continued to become one of my favorites and probably is the only Pixar animated film that I have watch possibly over a dozen times and have not gotten tired of it.
I remember when I first watched the film, I was just amazed not just by the animation and design but also the storyline and the relationship between Bob and Helen and just grown-up things that happen in the film that probably would fly over the head of children but make the adults smile.
And I'm sure that many people own this film on DVD, it's whether or not you want to upgrade to the Blu-ray version. And the answer to that is YES! You do want to upgrade as it is not only jsut a better video and audio transfer but you also have new special features featuring the crew of "The Incredibles" really giving us fantastic insight of what went on behind-the-scenes in the creation of this film.
We hear about the challenges and the long hours it takes to create an animated film but in the case of "The Incredibles", I never knew that a higher-up at Disney opposed the film, I never knew about the intense feelings the crew had and how morale was low at one point because of communication issues. There was a lot of things that happened during the making of this film and you start to realize how much of a challenge these individuals, these departments at Pixar had to face when creating this film. Definitely it was not easy but at the end of the day, the entire crew delivered another Pixar hit!
Not only was it well-received, not only did it make a lot of money but it was a film that managed to hook in both young and old. And it's important to note that at the time when Pixar Animation Studios had films based on toys, insects, animals, etc., to have an all-human based storyline that was well-planned, well-written and well-executed made "The Incredibles" so entertaining and fun!
Peter Travers of Rolling Stone Magazine wrote that "The Incredibles" was #6 on his list of the best films of the decade and to tell you the truth, when I think about films that I have watched more than 3-5 times in the last decade, there are not many. "The Incredibles", I have probably watched about a dozen times or even more than that. There are not many films that deal with many realistic issues that couples face and yet putting a superhero/sci-fi twist to it, "The Incredibles" is an exciting film that will continue to entertain generations to come.
"The Incredibles: 4-Disc Combo Pack" is an excellent release. A first Blu-ray disc with the movie and new special features, a second Blu-ray with new and all the classic DVD special features, a DVD and also a digital copy of the film. This is truly a magnificent release from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment and fans should be happy with this release, especially with how awesome this film looks on Blu-ray and its wonderful lossless soundtrack.
Highly recommended!
Read Best Reviews of The Incredibles Blu Ray Movie (Region Free) (2010) Here
As a parent of two kids I have had to sit through some awful films; "Home on the Range" anyone? So I was excited to see previews for "The Incredibles", it looked like the perfect family movie, something I could enjoy and the kids could as well. "The Incredibles" lives up to the hype. Both of my kids couldn't stop talking about it and want to go again...even (gasp!) choosing to see this again over Spongebob when it comes out! The story is a lot of fun, and it's funny, how now, as a 30+ year old cubicle dweller, I can relate to Mr. Incredible and his longing for past glories. Pixar's animation is, as always, a real treat. It's amazing how Pixar's characters just come to life, and express more emotional range than a gaggle full of Keanu Reeves. And though "The Incredibles" is rated PG, there is nothing in the film that should keep you from taking your kids. This really is a great family film, and one that adults will be able to enjoy as much as the kids.Want The Incredibles Blu Ray Movie (Region Free) (2010) Discount?
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!
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