The Incredibles

Pixar, directed by Brad Bird

I will admit, when I first saw the trailers for The Incredibles, I thought it'd be another poorly-written, cheap-laughs flick. A Superman knock-off, maybe.

What I didn't realize at the time was that it was a Pixar film.

The Incredibles begins with the tragic downfall of the Superheroes, following a series of lawsuits for unwanted heroism. The superheroes, necessarily, must go into hiding, and fifteen years later we join Mr. Incredible, his wife, Elastigirl, and their family (complete with 2.5 children!), still attempting to fit into suburban life. Things are not exactly rosy for the family, and Mr. Incredible, after being fired from his job as an insurance agent, begins moonlighting (unbeknownst to his wife) as a superhero again.

All in all, I was very impressed with the film. It was funny, fast-paced, and even had character development. Not to mention creative. I felt, throughout the whole movie, as if it had arisen from a wonderful game of GURPS Supers, wherein the GM was constantly on his toes trying to outwit the players. Some of the plot was predictable - the first time you see the villain (in silhouette), you know who it must be. Nevertheless, the movie kept me laughing and excited all the way through, which is something impressive.

If you get a chance, see this movie (unless you really can't stand the Supers genre). Bring your kids, too... it's rated PG, though that didn't keep me from enjoying it one bit (well... there was one place where I thought the milder form of an explicative was a bit contrived, but...). It is worth the price of admission.

In addition, the film was prefaced by a short film entitled Boundin'. Not the best short ever, but certainly well-done and entertaining. The shorts are one of the things I enjoy most about Pixar films, and I certainly hope that they continue to play them before each show.