The Incredibles (Blu-ray)
Rebeca Surber Swank
April 13th, 2011
In a world of superheroes and evil villains, society takes the heroes and the work they do for granted.
After a series of lawsuits and high cost repairs the supers are forced to assume their secret identity on a full time basis putting their superhero tendencies on hold. This was the fate of two superheroes, Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) and Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), aka Bob and Helen Parr. Bob and Helen now have three children, Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack; Helen stays at home while Bob works in a cubicle pushing insurance claims around. While Bob’s family is important to him, he is unfulfilled without the superhero work and accepts an invitation from an unidentified source who pays him a large sum of money to put his super hero skills to use once again.
Pixar’s take on superheroes is brilliantly clever. In this unique animated storyline of a family with super powers ranging from brute strength, flexibility, speed, and invisibility, it is fun to see these powers in an everyday normal setting. Much like all of Pixar’s films, THE INCREDIBLES is full of smart witty dialogue that is suitable for all ages. Each time I watch this film I find myself laughing at assorted scenes catching lines that I missed during a previous viewing.
This picture has a lot of heart and is full of family values which I find refreshing. When Elastigirl wants to fight the robot with Mr. Incredible and he whispers he is ‘not strong enough…not strong enough to lose her or his family again’, I get all warm and fuzzy. Not only does THE INCREDIBLES do a tremendous job developing the story around this superhero family, but creates some amazing supporting characters that you fall in love with and want to see more of. One prime example is Edna ‘E’ Mode (voiced by writer/director Brad Bird), the superhero costume designer. Watching her bossy no nonsense attitude when describing her contempt for superheroes who wear capes is a hoot! Her pep talk to Helen is great too – she simultaneously beats her up while giving sound advice. Trust me; you too will want to see more of this fun wacky character! Another great character is Mr. Incredible’s nemesis, Syndrome (Jason Lee), a fanboy who wanted nothing more than to be a sidekick to Mr. Incredible and when he was dismissed he devotes his life to getting even. Lastly, outside of the Incredible Family, my favorite is Kari, the metal mouthed babysitter who watches Jack-Jack. Top notch character development and voice casting all around. Speaking of top notch, the animation in THE INCREDIBLES is fantastic! Every little detail is animated perfection. This intelligent, funny and sharp film is a must see.
On a personal note, you should know that THE INCREDIBLES holds a special place in my heart as this was my first ever introduction to the fabulous world that is Pixar. I am eternally grateful to my younger brother who insisted that I watch this film that made me a forever fan of Pixar’s outstanding creations.
BLU-RAY REVIEW
Video (1080p High Definition 2.39:1): Amazing picture. Exactly what you expect from a Pixar feature.
Audio (5.1 DTS HD Master Audio): Fantastic sound for all the explosions and super hero fun!
Disc 1
Director Commentary: Producer John Walker and Director Brad Bird’s commentary on the film. The duo discuss technical aspects as well as some fun trivia about the making of this film. I like the part where they talk about the gravy during the dinner scene.
Animator Commentary: A commentary by Supervising Animators Tony Fucile, Steven Hunter, Alan Barilaro plus Animators Gini Santos, David DeVan, Kureha Yokoo, Dave Mullins, John Kahrs, Robert Russ, Agnus MacLane, Travis Hathaway, Doug Frankel and Peter Sohn.
Boundin’ (4:40): This animated short can be viewed with or without Director Brad Luckey’s commentary. It is a cute enough short with fun animals including adorable little prairie dogs. Not one of Pixar’s best…in fact a bit of a disappointment knowing it came from Pixar.
Jack-Jack Attack (4:42): A fun short that shows us what was going on with Jack-Jack and his babysitter while the rest of his family were off fighting Syndrome.
Jack-Jack Attack Exploded (4:43): Jack-Jack Attack with a voice over commentary with Brad Bird and the team members who worked on this short.
The Incredibles Revisited (22:08): In this roundtable discussion the team who worked on THE INCREDIBLES reviews the making of process and shares fun stories that happened while creating this film. I did not care for this feature.
Disc 2
Paths to Pixar: Story Artists (5:53): Multiple Pixar Story Artists share their zeal for the work they do, how they started as an artist and spread the message of do what you love and what you are passionate about.
Studio Stories: Gary’s Birthday (1:24): A cute animated story about all the birthday parties at Pixar lumped into one party for the gang…er…Gary.
Ending With a Bang: Making the End Credits (1:35): A look into the ending credits and the 60s style colorful graphic shapes that re-tell the story.
The New Nomanisan: A Top Secret Redevelopment Plan (3:30): A look at the island Syndrome used as his testing site has since been turned into an amusement park, resort and spa. This is little commercial for the revamped island that turns into an interactive map where you can learn more about your next vacation destination. An entertaining feature.
Deleted Scenes Now in HD: Approximately 40 minutes long, this feature kicks off with an introduction by director Brad Bird and each of the six deleted scenes include a commentary by the director.
Incredibles Teaser in HD (2:01): This is a great teaser, I can totally relate to Bob and his belt issues.
Classic Content: 17 featurettes that runs in total approximately 1.30:00 long. Some of these featurettes are interesting, others are superfluous and annoying.
Easter Eggs: 11 clips approximately 17 minutes long ranging from the Incredibles as sock puppets, a blunder reel, to all the scenes where buttons are pushed and doors open.
Publicity
Character Interviews (6:30): Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, Frozone and Edna are interviewed by television personalities about the movie.
Trailers
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