Movie Minx

Starring: Uh, animated characters. But some of the voices are Craig T Nelson, Holly Hunter and Samuel L Jackson
Directed by: Brad Bird

Plot: A family of superheroes are forced into hiding in suburbia (they started getting sued by people), then find their powers are needed once again to save the world.

But is it any good?

The Incredibles is the perfect family movie. There’s enough action and gags to keep the kids happy, enough of an adult vibe to satisfy the grown-ups and Pixar’s oh-my-god animation is splendid.

But for me, the fact that Pixar made this film counts a little against it. I know that’s not really fair. Pixar has some top movies, has never had a flop and keeps the knockout punches coming…but I kind of wish it wasn’t all so flawless. It’s a little too perfect, polished and easy. And while I loved Finding Nemo and the Toy Story movies, there was just a little too much hype surrounding The Incredibles. “Will writer/director Brad Bird keep Pixar flying high? Will he score? WILL HE? YES! YES HE DOES!”

In fact, he takes a few risks this time and this film is a little deeper than the others. While it still has the winning formula (conflict, resolution, dramatic rescue, villains), Bird colors the standard comic-book superhero story with some real-life issues.

Mr Incredible has a great life saving the day, until it’s revealed his special powers aren’t welcome. He’s forced to pretend to be someone he’s not (Bob Parr) and work a crappy job that doesn’t suit him (he barely fits in his cubicle). The same goes for his family. His wife, Elastigirl, becomes Helen Parr and is a stay-at-home mum, trying fruitlessly to stop her kids using their powers. Their daughter Violet is an awkward teen who can disappear when things get too painful, and their son, Dash, can move fast – really fast – and keeps getting into trouble at school.

Once we’ve met the family we see that they suffer the same problems as regular people. With Bob bored and putting on weight (remember the trailer showing him struggling with his superhero costume?), and heading towards some kind of mid-life crisis, the parents’ marriage is a little strained. Is Bob going to cheat on his wife? The kids are frustrated at school and home, and Helen is getting frazzled trying to hold everything together (sometimes stretching out and doing so literally).

These sound like quite meaty issues and they are, but the way they’re presented means the kids in the audience aren’t left behind. It’s not the first time we’ve felt empathy with cartoon characters, but this time it’s something different. Go back to Disney after this and it’s a sugary ride to Nowheresville. These characters seem real, especially fashion designer Edna Mode, who almost stole the show in my opinion.

So The Incredibles has heart and energy, as well as jaw-dropping action scenes. It appeals to everyone. Yet I just didn’t feel the wonder that I felt when I saw the first few Pixar films. It’s like a meal at your favorite restaurant – it tastes great, but can anything beat the first time you went there?

My rating: 8/10