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Back Shelf Beauties
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The Incredibles See DVD Notes at the end of the review Craig T. Nelson is back! He caught our attention as the father in Poltergeist, was mocked for his successful sit-com Coach (which I watched every week, until they went to the pros and it started to stink), and somehow survived Saturday night TV purgatory in The District, but Nelson finally gets the ultimate center stage this weekend in one of the most anticipated movies of the year. The Incredibles is awesome, so get ready for a good time. Even the geeks are going to like it! Nelson stars as Mr. Incredible - the best superhero on the planet. However, to settle a series of costly nuisance lawsuits (one of the movies funniest twists), Mr. Incredible, his new wife Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), his buddy Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson) and all of the superheroes are forced to give up saving the day. As part of the deal, they enter a witness protection-type program to live quiet, normal, non-descript lives and must never interfere with police, fire or rescue matters. Fifteen years later, bored by suburban life and his job at an insurance company, Mr. Incredible gets a chance to be a superhero again, but, is he willing to risk his family for it? Who is this mystery person who needs his help? The Incredibles is an amazing spoof of superhero movies, the gadgets they use, the supersuits, the death defying rescues and more, but it also finds time to be a funny family comedy about the wacky relationships and troubles they all face. It's this ability to handle both angles that makes The Incredibles one of the most hilarious movies of the year, and true triumph for Pixar (the same people who brought you Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc, and Toy Story, do these guys ever fail?). Time after time, Pixar movies have better scripts, better acting, and better developed characters than most movies with real or imaginary actors. It's as if these renegades want to prove to the world they can create more than just a cartoon, so they try harder than anyone involved with something like Surviving Christmas or Alien vs. Predator or New York Minute. To avoid the stereotypes, and satisfy a demanding audience, The Incredibles is crafted into a hip, funny, but also touching movie. This isn't just a film for families, although they will enjoy it. It's also a movie for people who went to see Spider-Man, The Matrix or Star Wars because it has fun with the genre without mocking it, and always goes for the sharp joke instead of the easy one. Let's start with that fantastic script by writer/director Brad Bird, which combines hilarious superhero spoofs with comedy about each hero's mid-life crisis. We get to see both sides of each character as they deal with stardom and youth, then challenging family life, which doesn't seem as exciting, but still has its moments. While the focus on Mr. Incredible results in wonderful knocks on his super ego as he is reduced to size by troubles with his kids and work, we also get to see other characters, especially Elastigirl, become domesticized. Surprisingly, Bird is the biggest scene stealer of the movie providing the voice of Edna - tailor to the superheroes. Amazingly drawn and wonderfully voiced, Edna is a combination of Joan Rivers and Q with her fashion sense, quick wit, and technological gadgetry. Kids will love her, while parents will get the jokes. Of course, Nelson is no slouch either. Craig T. Nelson might have been the perfect actor for this role because he can be equally hilarious and touching. We laugh at his antics because we would do stuff like this, understand his desire to relieve youth, and always get the sense Mr. Incredible is something special underneath the imposed facade he must employ in suburbia. Physically overblown, Nelson adds heart as he uses his voice to make us hear the love Mr. Incredible has for his family, the frustration he has with life, and his contempt for his boss. It's rated PG for some intense superhero action, so be careful with the little ones. I was ready to give it the coveted 5 Waffle rating, but the ending went too long. Movie - 4 Waffles (Out Of 4) The Incredibles - DVD Highlights Jack-Jack Attack - This feature has been at the center of Disney's DVD marketing campaign for The Incredibles, and certainly will be the first played by most who buy it. Jack-Jack Attack shows what happens when baby Jack-Jack is left with a baby sitter, and decides to have some fun with his powers. It is a cute short feature with some very funny moments as the baby sister, Kari, becomes more flustered by the minute. Boundin' - This feature played before The Incredibles when it was in theaters last November.
Incredi-Blunders - You have look for
it to find it, but go to Deleted Scenes - If you are a movie geek like me, you'll enjoy writer/director Brad Bird describing and showing the proposed opening sequence that was ultimately rejected. His idea was to introduce us to the family, and slowly reveal the truth. This is the most enlightening feature and a chance for movie fans to learn how a movie is crafted.
DVD Highlights - 3 ½ Waffles
(Out of 4)
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