The Incredibles

Year: 2004 Rating: PG-13 Overall Evaluation: 10 Significance Suppositions Story Style 10.0 / 10 10.0 / 10 10.0 / 10 10.0 / 10 Click HERE for evaluation criteria.

Style

Rated PG for action violence. Hey - what would a super hero movie be without it? Certainly nothing objectionable or gratuitous.

Story

This brilliant story concerns the post-heroic life of a super family gone into suburban hiding due to the criminalizing of super hero activity after a series of lawsuits against super heroes for saving people. Not only is this a nice slam on the current American climate of litigation over special (read: whining) rights, but it is a great launching pad for an hysterical story of middle age and lost glory days. The mediocrity is broken up when an evil villain rises to power and begins killing off super heroes in an effort to make himself the ultimate hero. I won't go into a lot of detail here - just go see it!

Suppositions

Granting that this is a super hero movie, the only unrealistic element to the scenario is that the government is willing to help the super heroes avoid litigation. The family life is accurate, the difficulties of parenting and cubicle life are right on . . . they nailed it.

Significance

The Incredibles manages to weave together a message of strong family values without resorting to cheesy"Lifetime Movie" tricks (Christian film producers - please pay attention). It attacks the America's exultation of mediocrity along with the attendant special rights movements without being grossly conservative. And in spite of the importance of its messages it keeps them lighthearted enough to attract those that need to hear them. There are rich sub-themes as well concerning teen image attitudes, the pitfalls of hero worship, the end result of bitterness, and, and . . . To summarize - Pixar has nailed it again, The Incredibles is FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!