Back In the Bronze Age: Incredibles

Showing posts with label Incredibles. Show all posts

Saturday, June 2, 2018

Animation Congregation: Incredibly Animated Superheroes...

Redartz: Welcome, fellow toon types! Normally in this space we discuss television cartoons, those wonderful Saturday morning diversions we all grew up with. For today, though, we look to the big screen. Also, we venture a bit beyond our Bronze Age borders to look at a film that exhibits many of the best elements of that fabled time: Pixar's "The Incredibles". And it's no accident that we discuss them today; the long-awaited sequel arrives in theatres within two weeks. Therefore, lets' look at the film some have called 'the best Fantastic Four movie ever made'.

Edna Mode

The nuts and bolts of it: Written and directed by Brad Bird, the film starred Craig Nelson as Robert Parr/ Mr. Incredible, and Holly Hunter as Helen Parr/Elastigirl. Sarah Vowell as daughter Violet Parr, Spencer Fox as older son Dash Parr, Samuel L. Jackson as Lucius Best/Frozone and Brad Bird as Edna Mode complete the cast list.

The voice acting was wonderful, but then so much about this film is equally satisfying. Visually it is a feast of comic book/science fiction/spy imagery, with a healthy dose of 1960's vintage style. I could elaborate at length about the influences and references the film brings to mind, and the elements of everything from "Watchmen" to "Civil War" to "New Frontier". Then there are the riches of visual detail: from the filled wall of mementos in Bob Parr's secret room to the devices in villain Syndrome's lab. There is bountiful humor: Bird's sparkling turn as super designer Edna Mode, the puns (love archfiend "Bomb Voyage"), Violet's battles with Dash. The movie has drama, poignancy, and loads of action. It has a fantastic, symphonic soundtrack courtesy of Michael Giacchino. In truth, it's hard to think of anything this film doesn't have.

Perhaps the best tribute I can give the film is to recall the pure delight with which I first saw it. My wife and I had made it a movie date, and we both loved it. I sat there brainblasted by the incredible (of course) visuals, and the obvious love for the superhero genre from which the movie arose. With the breathless excitement of twelve year old me, I tugged on my patient wife's sleeve. "Wow, it's like the Fantastic Four meet James Bond!". "Get it, Nomanisan Island?". "Pixar did it again!". And indeed they had.