Stars: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Jason Lee
Director Brad Bird has enjoyed a lot of hype surrounding his Pixar-produced animated tale, but has it been overstating the quality of this film? Well, perhaps.
Given the enjoyable plot & superb animation involved, not to mention the box office-tested talents of the boys at Pixar, The Incredibles has the pedigree to become a long-remembered film. However, it has it’s short-comings...
For one thing, Holly Hunter (Copycat) seems rather disinterested, happy to trot out her role of doting mother but unwilling to deliver more, & when compared with her co-stars, brings the whole exercise down somewhat. Then, too, by far the film’s biggest name, Samuel L. Jackson (Unbreakable), is wasted here, little more than an after-thought, apparently serving purpose as a PR tool for the film’s publicity engine. There are also pockets in which it’s possible to imagine the kids are getting more out of this than their adult counterparts, which is a shame as previous animated movies have earned their stripes entertaining all ages right throughout.
That said, for each drawback, there are multiple positives. The real gem is the dialogue, it’s witty & well-timed humour, punctuated by lead Craig T. Nelson (Dirty Pictures), who is excellent. The performances are by & large quite impressive & their attempt to endear the audience to the characters does work, whilst at the same time servicing the amusing storyline.
When all’s said & done, The Incredibles will prove itself enjoyable & engaging. The uniquely droll script & fresh spin on superhero absurdity presents a fun little adventure, just don’t expect a Toy Story-calibre film...