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The Incredibles or rather the So-So'ables

Saturday Nov 20, 2004

Being a HUGE fan of Pixar and Disney collaborations after the flawless films, Finding Nemo & Toy Story, there was no way I was going to miss out on their latest. The critics have all raged about it calling it their best yet, the film of the year, and the most incredible animated film of all time. Yeah, about that . . . Not so much.

Okay look, it’s a decent movie. Decent. It is no where near the caliber of Pixar’s top productions and is probably only on Oscar’s radar due to what is considered by some to be one of the weakest years in Cinematic history. I hate when a film gets over hyped. I go in expecting my life to be slightly different when I leave the theatre. That’s what you should feel when you are laying witness to a “Best Picture.” The feeling that you had when you left after Forrest Gump or The Sixth Sense. Something so new that you could never see the world the exact same way. WARNING: IF YOU HAVE NOT YET SEEN THIS FILM, DO NOT GO IN WITH THAT LEVEL OF EXPECTATION!!!
It’s a cute film, it really is. It tells the tale of a world where Superhero’s are the celebrities. People follow their work, the criminals respect them, the cops rely on them. But then the world turns ugly and starts suing for physical harm brought about by their daring acts of rescue and the government is forced to relocate them and put them into hero retirement. Mr. Incredible gets an itch that he can’t scratch just by living a mundane suburban life with he and his super family, so he begins doing hero work again for a private employer. Well as they say, no good deed goes unpunished.

I must have checked my watch a few times or so. Mind you nothing like the bordem caused by the Harry Potter films, but nothing like the intensity and stakes brought about by films that get “it.” “It” is so simple really. Make a character that the audience can see themselves in and put that character at risk forcing he/she to either fail or change themself and conquer their flaw to succeed. Up the stakes just at the moment when it seems like all is about to be well for added risk. DO THIS only after the audience has invested themselves in the character. And in the end either allow the character success or extreme failure.

The Incredibles was funny, was beautifully animated, was fresh, and went where most cartoons have failed to go, but in no way did it keep the audience really captivated, focused, and on the edge of their seats. In pure entertainment value alone I’d rather see Saw than this So-So film.

Its just one man’s opinion.