The Incredibles Full Screen TwoDisc Collectors Edition DVD with Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, Holly Hunter (G) +Movie Reviews +Used DVD available for Swap

The Incredibles Restored My Faith in Animated Films

FairiesWearBoots8272 | USA | 02/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Super Heroes Meet Suburbia

Debbie Lee Wesselmann | the Lehigh Valley, PA | 06/30/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was completely unprepared to like this computer-animated film. A smart, witty script, excellent animation by Pixar, and the talented voices of Holly Hunter, Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, and filmmaker Brad Bird have combined to create a winner that both kids and adults will appreciate, albeit on different levels. Mr. Incredible (Nelson) loves saving the world, even though he likens it to cleaning a room only to turn around and find it messy again. His soon-to-be wife Elastigirl (Hunter) is just as tough in her pursuit of justice, and often comes to her beloved's rescue. The city is full of super heroes who do the work of police and who receive thunderous applause after their life-saving exploits. Unfortunately for the super heroes, their glory days fade in a hail of lawsuits (people don't want to be saved and others use their injuries while in peril against the super heroes), and so all those with superpowers must enter normal life in a kind of witness-protection program. The Incredibles, now with three children, face a mundane life as Bob/Mr. Incredible supports the family with an insurance adjuster job, and Helen/Elastigirl struggles to stop sibling squabbles. Helen and Bob have become archetypal suburban parents, arguing about the kids and chores. Bob and his friend Frozone (Jackson) long for the good old days when they felt like real men. When Bob blows his cover, he is recruited by the mysterious Mirage (Elizabeth Pena) for some top secret superhero work. Of course, Helen knows nothing about it--she's too busy dealing with baby Jack Jack, risk-taking Dash, and reclusive teenager Violet. Predictably, Bob gets into trouble, and Helen has no choice but to don her old costume. Fashion designer Edna (Bird) gives the Incredibles both the push and the pizzazz they need to reclaim their rightful spots as superheroes.

The strength of this movie is the action-packed plot coupled with witty satire about contemporary American life. Like all aging suburbanites, the Incredibles have developed beer guts (Bob) and wide hips (Helen). They argue about issues that couples argue about everywhere, from financial concerns to not taking asked-for advice to ignoring the needs of the other. The young Helen is a feminist who refuses to leave saving the world "to the men," but she becomes a stay-at-home mom who shuttles the kids to and from school, cooks family dinners, and finds herself responsible for almost all of the kids' upbringing. The young Bob revels in his prowess, but in middle age he is beaten down by bureaucracy and a junky car. Small details, such as the "graduation" between fourth and fifth grade and the way lawsuits twist the truth, make these otherwise extraordinary people ordinary.

This sharp-witted adventure movie will delight both kids and adults. The hilarious extra "Jack Jack Attack" should not be missed, especially since it fills in some details referred to in the movie itself. Buy or rent this movie - and prepare yourself for some real entertainment."

Incredible! A film that actually won the Oscar it deserved!

supertim96 | TEXAS | 02/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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!"

You sly dog! You caught me monologuing!

A. Gyurisin | Wet, Wild, Wonderful Virginia | 03/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This was an impressive film. I have not had the best of luck with PIXAR films lately. I didn't really see the creativity in Monsters, Inc and Finding Nemo literally gave me the sweats when I watched it, so there was some hesitancy to see what PIXAR could do to topple their past mega-hits. Well, what they crafted was something so out of left field that even I, the movie kinda guy, never saw it coming. They made a very witty, intelligently clever, powerfully smart adult cartoon. While there were elements throughout the film that I felt children would enjoy, I did feel as if 92% of this film was invested with the intelligent adult in mind. There is great respect paid to the superheroes of my father's generation as well as a specific intent to downplay the "cute" element and keep us glued to our seats with action, suspense, and some of the most ingenious animation to be seen this side of the Mississippi.

From beginning to end, this film reeked perfection in a way that other films only aspire to smell like. It not only gave us this huge pre-story about what was happening in the world of superheroes (a concept that seemed taboo in the past), but it also gave us this enormous family dynamic that allowed each character to be built from the floor up. Each of our characters has their own dilemma, their own style, and their own hurdles that they need to cross, and Brad Bird gives them each their moment to shine. While he does focus heavily on our "head of family" Mr. Incredible, he gives so much attention to detailing the rest of the characters and scenes that you never feel this uneven balance. This is a story about family, about realizing that you are "super", and that powers are not needed to realize this. These are huge issues to cover in a animated film, but Bird succeeds in these three ways:

First, he gives the film the time that it deserves. This is not some mere 89 minute film that never develops anything, never takes a chance, nor allows our characters to shine, but instead a very hefty 121 minutes of sheer pleasure. This is also why I think Bird had adults in mind while creating this visual feast, I know of very few children's films that are that extensive, normally you loose the child too quickly, but perhaps Bird wasn't aiming towards that audience. At least, that is what I witnessed.

Second, Bird gives us this huge world that is not surrounded by animated boundaries. We do not stay in just one city, we do not loiter around the superhero's house all day, and we do not get pulled into normal animated clichés like the man saves the day and gets himself that woman he has always wanted. The Incredibles went in a completely new, fresh, and somewhat tangent direction that gave it the power to grow before our eyes. That is what I completely enjoyed about this film was the fact that I could not forsee the future, meaning that there were no building clichés that gave me a direct path to the end. I had to guess, consider all possibilities, and reason with new ones that were unfolding before me. It was an adventure, not just a simple piece of cinema.

Third, and this is huge, was the main worry that I had with this film was the possible "baby" moments. I was so worried that we would find ourselves wasting time watching, listening, or gasp laughing at the "cute" baby factor. I thought that this was a path that Bird was going to travel towards, and would have ultimately caused this review to be a bit more tilted. But, this wasn't a film for a child was it? So, Bird left out most of the scenes dealing with the child and thus forced us to see the adults dealing with very mature themes and scenarios. This factor was huge in indicating that perhaps Bird had a separate audience in mind.

Overall, this was an amazing film to watch, experience, and enjoy. The bold use of colors complimented the sensation of the characters that carried with them similar attributes. Brad Bird skillfully crafted this film that had every possibility of being clichéd and overbearingly geared towards children, but instead he took a higher road and gave us this film that will last the test of time due greatly in part to giving us, the adults in the world, an opportunity to indulge and enjoy the power of animated cinema. In every attempt not to sound redundant, this film was "incredible". The characters were beautiful, the story was solid, and the powerful voice acting allowed this film to rank among the top of my PIXAR favorites. I highly recommend this film to anyone that is an avid superhero fan or simply is looking for an adventurous ride into the future of our movie business. WOW. That is all I can say ... "WOW".

Grade: ***** out of *****"

A MIND-BLOWING 2 DISC SET OF POW!

Matthew G. Sherwin | last seen screaming at Amazon customer service | 03/15/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This 2 DVD release of The Incredibles is truly something to rave about. The movie plot is well thought out and voiced by the actors; the cinematography, choreography and animation are superlative; and Pixar makes a movie about characters you can actually care about! The picture quality is flawless. The movie even won Best Animated Feature Film of the year at the Oscars just two weeks ago! What a coup! GRIN

The story (as some people may know) is about a family called The Incredibles. At first Mr. Incredible is doing what any normal superhero would do, you know-save the city from destruction and balance this with family life. Then because of politics and lawsuits against superheroes as a group the family is forced into a "relocation" program because it is no longer so wonderful to be a superhero anymore! (They even are given new names to protect them against the proliferation of lawsuits against the do-gooder superhero group! Now are they the Parr family.) Mr. Incredible (now going by the name Mr. Parr) is bored and miserable (to say the least); he gets an offer to do some extra work and he takes it. (I'm keeping this part brief to avoid plot spoilers.) Ultimately, things turn rotten and then Mr. Incredible HIMSELF has to be rescued instead of the other way around! Moreover, look for some well written great scenes regarding the family's personal issues: how the people in The Incredibles family deal with being different; how Bob and his wife deal with the fact that she is comfortable as a mother while he still craves the superhero "lifestyle;" how the issue of mortality is played out; and what the children go through as they try to conceal their differences from most others in the world. Yes, the film is essentially an action movie with some violence but don't let that fool you. There are quite a few poignant moments here. The PG rating is because of a few of the action scenes; so remember that this movie is not the best choice for toddlers or children who might get upset by it. Some people also say it's a few minutes too long-again, DON'T let them or even Amazon reviewers tell you that; this movie is terrific and I was really sorry when it ended! The last hour especially is action packed and very well done!

The movie won a second Oscar for sound editing at this year's Academy Awards ceremony; and it was nominated for an Oscar for its achievement in sound mixing but that's just the tip of the iceberg. The two DVD set is presented here with an almost endless assortment of "incredible" (!) extras! There are two full length commentaries on disc one. One commentary is by Director/Writer Brad Bird and Producer Jon Walker and some of the animators do an audio commentary on the second track. The first track is indeed more personal since the two men had such a close personal relationship; but the second track is a real must for the serious animation enthusiast who's got to know about the process of animated film production. There are so many deleted scenes! I can't remember when I saw a two DVD set with so many deleted scenes-decide for yourself which ones might have worked well in the movie! There is the exclusive short "Jack-Jack Attack" about Jack finding out he has special powers while Kari the babysitter is there with him. There's the extra "Incredi-Blunders" and TWO features (not just one) about the making of this movie. There'll be very little left unanswered for anyone after they watch both of these! The interviews with Director Brad Bird are captivating and really informative! GRIN

Something else that is interesting is the extra "Vowellet," an essay by Sarah Powell, who voices Violet Parr: a great insight regarding Powell's perception of voicing an animated superhero. Then there's "Boundin'," a short Oscar nominated feature about a sheep with a bad haircut! My personal favorite of the shorts would have to be "Mr. Incredible and Pals," a short made to resemble something found after being lost in a vault somewhere since the 1960s. The characters in this animated short move their mouths the way animators drew the mouths at that time. This extra includes Frozone and a mute rabbit named Mr. Skipperdoo.

Obviously, this is a grand slam home run for Pixar-and WE reap the rewards watching it over and over again! I highly recommend this two DVD set. When choosing it, remember that this is sold in EITHER full screen or wide screen; both versions are not being sold within the same package. Regardless of which view you choose you can't go wrong since Pixar has produced the full screen version so that all the action is viewable on your screen. Go ahead; try to find a better developed and reproduced two DVD animated movie-you'd be mighty lucky to achieve this; I don't think there's anything else around as well done as this!

"

Search - The Incredibles (Full Screen Two-Disc Collector's Edition) on DVD

Movie Details

Similar Movies

Similarly Requested DVDs

Member Movie Reviews

Movie Reviews