The Incredibles
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Incredibles | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Brad Bird |
| Produced by | John Walker |
| Written by | Brad Bird |
| Starring | Craig T. Nelson Holly Hunter Sarah Vowell Spencer Fox Jason Lee Samuel L. Jackson Elizabeth Peña Brad Bird |
| Music by | Michael Giacchino |
| Cinematography | Andrew Jimenez Patrick Lin Janet Lucroy |
| Editing by | Stephen Schaffer |
| Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures |
| Release date(s) | November 5, 2004 |
| Running time | 115 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English French Spanish |
| Budget | $92 million |
| Gross revenue | $631,442,092 |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Incredibles is a 2004 American Academy Award winning computer-animated feature film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures, centering around a family of superheroes. It was written and directed by Brad Bird, a former director of The Simpsons previously best known for directing the 1999 animated movie The Iron Giant. The Incredibles was originally developed as a traditionally-animated movie for Warner Bros., but after Warner shut down its animation division, Bird moved to Pixar and took the story with him.
The Incredibles is Pixar's sixth feature film. It was presented by Walt Disney Pictures and released by Buena Vista Distribution in North America on November 5, 2004, and in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland on November 26 of the same year and in Japan, February 2, 2005. It is the first Pixar movie to be rated PG by the MPAA and the first to feature an entirely human cast of characters. It was released in a two-disc DVD in the U.S. on March 15, 2005. According to the Internet Movie Database, it was the highest-selling DVD of 2005, with 17.18 million copies sold. It had its basic cable première on ABC Family as part of The 25 Days of Christmas in December 2007, and its second cable showing on Disney Channel as part of the No Ordinary Friday on February 1 , 2008.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The film begins sometime prior to 1957 (the exact date is never stated)[1] during a Golden Age of superheroes,[2] when government-sponsored superheroes assist a grateful public with everything from freeing cats stuck in trees to foiling bank robberies.
The plot begins when Mr. Incredible (Bob Parr) (Craig T. Nelson) saves a man attempting a suicide. He then foils a robbery by the villain Bomb Voyage, while being harassed by Buddy Pine, a young fan who wishes to be his sidekick. When Bomb Voyage plants a bomb on the young would-be superhero, Mr. Incredible manages to dislodge it, but in doing so, causes a train wreck that injures 100 people. He then races to his wedding, where he marries Helen (aka Elastigirl) (Holly Hunter). Βoth the suicidal man and the victims of the train wreck sue the superheroes community for injuries sustained in these events. As part of the government's settlement, all superheroes are placed into a government-sponsored protection program similar to witness protection, and forbidden to use their powers.
Fifteen years later, Bob and Helen Parr have settled into relatively normal suburban lives raising three kids, Violet (Sarah Vowell), Dashiell ("Dash") (Spencer Fox) and baby Jack-Jack (Eli Fucile). The children have powers which reflect their personalities[3]; Violet (a shy 14-year-old) has the power of invisibility and the ability to create force fields, while Dash (10 years old and hyperactive) has super speed; Jack-Jack appears to be a normal baby without powers. Bob, stuck in a thankless job at an insurance agency, laments the passage of his superhero glory days. He and his friend Lucius Best, another former super called Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson), still occasionally listen to police radios and secretly aid the authorities, much to the consternation of Helen. Bob, enraged after being prevented from foiling a mugging, and by his company's general business policy (or lack thereof), throws his unsympathetic boss through three walls, and loses his job.
Bob is contacted by a woman named Mirage (Elizabeth Peña), who knows his secret identity, and offers to hire him to subdue a renegade robot, the Omnidroid 8000, on Nomanisan, an uncharted island. Mr. Incredible completes the task, telling Helen and his family that he is going on a business trip, though his old super suit is damaged in the battle. His costumer, Edna Mode (Brad Bird actually employed himself for this particular role), creates a new suit for him. Over the next two months, Bob maintains the image of still being employed, but secretly works out in preparation for his next assignment. However, Helen has doubts and starts to suspect Bob of having an affair.
Bob is again summoned to Nomanisan, but is overpowered by an improved Omnidroid, and encounters Buddy Pine again, now revealing himself to be a villain and wealthy weapons designer called Syndrome (Jason Lee). Buddy had been heartbroken upon rejection by Mr. Incredible, and wished vengeance upon his former hero. Mr. Incredible escapes and dupes Syndrome into thinking he is dead. He then learns that Syndrome used previous versions of the Omnidroid to kill other supers, and that the device learns and adapts from any previous defeat.
Helen learns where Bob really is, but her use of the signal device on his costume results in Bob's capture. Helen flies a private jet to the island. Nearing the island, she discovers Violet and Dash have stowed away. The jet is attacked by missiles from Syndrome's base, and Helen attempts to evade them, while telling Violet to put a force-field around the plane. Neither are successful, and the plane is destroyed by the missiles. Helen and the children narrowly escape the explosion, and make it to the island.
Helen urges the children to stay in a cave, and pursues Bob herself. However, the cave is found to direct the flames of a rocket, and the children are forced to flee it. Upon being discovered, the children are pursued by Syndrome's henchmen. In the mean time, Helen discovers Bob with Mirage, but later discovers that Mirage was merely there to rescue Bob from capture (Syndrome had previously allowed Mirage to be used as a hostage by Bob, though Bob had proved too 'soft' to kill her). Bob and Helen later meet up with their children, and together impressively take down their perusers.
Syndrome, however, appears, and personally takes the family captive. He informs the family of his ultimate plan - unleash the Omnidroid on Metroville, and use his most impressive weapons technologies to stop it, making himself appear to be a superhero. After playing the superhero game for long enough, he would sell his weapons, so everyone could be 'super', thus making the true superheroes less impressive.
Violet is able to release herself and her family from confinement, and the family attempt to return to Metroville to battle the Omnidroid. They find themselves in need of the same kind of rocket used to launch the Omnidroid to Metroville, and Mirage gives them the command codes to operate it. They arrive at their hometown and with the help of Frozone, destroy the robot, with the remote Syndrome wanted to use to accomplish the same thing (Ironically, the robot actually went rogue[Bob was told that the Omnidroid had went rogue when he was employed to stop it], and took down Syndrome). Returning home, they discover Syndrome attempting to kidnap Jack-Jack. As Jack-Jack's powers suddenly emerge, Elastigirl snatches Jack-Jack just before Mr. Incredible disables Syndrome's jet. Syndrome's cape is caught in one of the jet's turbines, and is sucked in and killed. Three months later, Bob is now content with their civilian life, Dash controls the use of his powers in track events, and Violet, having found confidence, is asked by her heartthrob on a date. However, a new villain, The Underminer (John Ratzenberger), appears and attacks the city. The family members don their masks, and prepare to fight anew.
[edit] Characters
Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible: He has the unique ability of superhuman strength, and reasonable resistance to harm, also very resourceful and has often used his intelligents to outsmart opponents. Frequently, reminisces "Glory Days". Played by Craig T. Nelson.
Helen Parr/Mrs. Incredible: She has the unique ability of superhuman elasticity, and morphing into any shape. Frequently, worries for her family's safety. Played by Holly Hunter.
Dash Parr: He has the unique ability of superhuman speed. Is a competitive fourth grader . Played by Spencer Fox.
Violet Parr: She has the unique ability of superhuman invisibility, and creating force fields. Frequently, wishes she was "normal". Played by Sarah Vowell.
Jack-Jack Parr: He has various abilities such as, bursting into flames, walking through barriers, and optic lasers. Presumed a non-super. Played by Eli Fucile.
Lucius Best/Frozone: He has the unique ability of controlling ice, and making it. Frequently, relives the "Glory Days" with Mr. Incredible. Played by Samuel L. Jackson.
Buddy Pine/Syndrome: He was one a fan of Mr. Incredible, but now has become his arch-nemesis and wants to kill him. Played by Jason Lee.
Mirage: Assistant and girlfriend of Syndrome. She defects when Syndrome bets her life. Played by Elizabeth Pena.
Edna Mode: Famous designer for super-suits. A little obsessed with her work. Played by Brad Bird.
[edit] Reception
[edit] Critics
Critical response was overwhelmingly positive, receiving a 97% "Certified Fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes[4] which made the movie their twelfth greatest action films of all time and the only one of Top 20 with more than 100 reviews[5]. Metacritic indicates The Incredibles"universal acclaim" with a 90 out of 100 rating.[6] Critic Roger Ebert awarded the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, writing that the film "alternates breakneck action with satire of suburban sitcom life" and is "another example of Pixar's mastery of popular animation." Rolling Stone gave the movie three-and-a-half stars and called the movie "one of the year's best" and said that it "doesn't ring cartoonish, it rings true."[7] Also giving the film three-and-a-half stars, People magazine found that The Incredibles "boasts a strong, entertaining story and a truckload of savvy comic touches."[8]
Some negative criticism was directed towards the film's violence, which suggested that the "Incredibles" are free to arbitrarily punch criminals and enemy troops to render them unconscious and injured, even when those criminals or troops are disarmed and pose no threat; indeed, the film is much more violent than any previous Pixar film and the first to receive a PG rating from the MPAA. Eleanor Ringel Gillespie of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote that "the Pixar whizzes do what they do excellently; you just wish they were doing something else."[9] Similarly, Jessica Winter of the Village Voice criticized the film for playing as a standard summer action film, despite being released in early November. Her review, titled as "Full Metal Racket," noted that "The Incredibles announces the studio's arrival in the vast yet overcrowded Hollywood lot of eardrum-bashing, metal-crunching action sludge."[10]
[edit] Release
Following concerns that the film would receive underwhelming results,[11] the film grossed $70,467,623 in its opening weekend, the highest opening weekend gross for a Pixar film. The film ultimately grossed $261,441,092, the second-highest gross for a Pixar film (behind Finding Nemo) and the fifth-highest grossing film of 2004.[12] Worldwide, the film grossed $631,436,092, ranking fourth for the year.[13] The film was also the second-highest animated film that year behind Shrek 2.
[edit] Top ten lists
The film appeared on many critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2004.[14]
|
|
[edit] DVD extras
 |
The examples and perspective in this section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article or discuss the issue on the talk page. |
The Incredibles two-disc Collector's Edition DVD set was released on March 15, 2005. Two versions of the set are available: one widescreen and the other full screen (possibly Region 1 only; see talk page) (this is unlike releases for other Pixar films, which often contained both versions in one set). Like many other DVD releases, there are various extra features available on the two discs including:
- Introduction, an introduction for the extras featuring Brad Bird
- Deleted Scenes, the film's deleted scenes plus an intro for all but one of them. The other one is only accessible as an Easter egg. (It is revealed in one of them that Elastigirl had a nightmare.)
- Jack-Jack Attack, a Pixar short film made especially for the release of The Incredibles about what happened while Kari was babysitting Jack-Jack
- The Making of The Incredibles, a documentary about making The Incredibles featuring about 30 of the crew members.
- More Making of The Incredibles, another longer documentary also about making The Incredibles
- Incredi-Blunders, The Incredibles outtakes.
- Vowellet: An Essay by Sarah Vowell, a documentary about the life of Sarah Vowell, a writer who did the voice of Violet Parr (possibly Region 1 only; see talk page)
- Character Interviews, actor and actresses interview the characters (possibly Region 1 only; see talk page)
- Theatrical Trailers, The Incredibles film trailers.
- Mr. Incredible and Pals, a Mr. Incredible cartoon spoofing cheesy superhero cartoons from the 1960s, as well as Synchro-Vox cartoons like Clutch Cargo.
- Mr. Incredible and Pals With Commentary, the cartoon with the characters' commentary.
- NSA Files, info about the supers.
- Boundin', a Pixar short film written, directed, composed, production designed and narrated by Bud Luckey.
- Boundin' With Commentary, Boundin' with commentary by Bud Luckey.
- Who Is Bud Luckey? a four-minute documentary about the making of Boundin'.
-
- There are also several Easter eggs in the menus; the one on the main menu shows every door, button and explosion in the movie. Some of the other menus have more than one egg (e.g. one of the eggs on the first Index menu is a short sockpuppet version of the movie); which one plays appears to be a random choice.
The film was also released on UMD for the Sony PSP and in a limited edition VHS version, and was the last Disney/Pixar film to be issued in the VHS format. All future Disney/Pixar titles beginning with Cars would only be released on DVD and Blu-ray.
[edit] Merchandising
Several companies released promotional products related to the movie. Dark Horse Comics released a limited series of comic books based on the movie. Kellogg's released an Incredibles-themed cereal, as well as promotional Pop Tarts and fruit snacks, all proclaiming an "Incrediberry Blast" of flavor. Furthermore, in the weeks before the movie's opening, there were also promotional tie-ins with SBC Communications (using Dash to promote the "blazing-fast speed" of its SBC Yahoo! DSL service) and McDonald's. Toy maker Hasbro produced a series of action figures and toys based on the film, although the line was not as successful as the film itself.
In Europe, Kinder chocolate eggs contained small plastic toy characters.
In Belgium, car manufacturer Opel sold special The Incredibles editions of their cars.
In the United Kingdom, Telewest promoted blueyonder internet services with branding from the film, including television adverts starring characters from the film.
In all merchandising outside of the film itself, Elastigirl is referred to as Mrs. Incredible. This is due to a licensing agreement between Disney/Pixar and DC Comics, who has a character named Elasti-Girl (a member of the Doom Patrol). The DC Comics character is able to grow and shrink at will from microscopic size to thousands of feet tall.
[edit] Video games
The Incredibles is a video game based on the eponymous movie for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance, PC, Apple Macintosh and mobiles.
[edit] Awards
The film won the Academy Award in 2004 for Best Animated Feature (the second out of three Pixar Animation Studios feature films to do so) as well as Best Achievement in Sound Editing. It also received nominations for Best Original Screenplay (for writer/director Brad Bird) and Best Achievement in Sound, but did not win.
The film was awarded the 2005 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form.
These and other awards place it among the most-honored animation films in recent history. [15]
[edit] See also
- Characters from The Incredibles
- List of animated feature-length films
- List of computer-animated films
[edit] References
- ^ Stratogale is present at Bob and Helen's wedding, and Edna later says that Stratogale died in 1957.
- ^ This chapter in the film is titled "Golden Age" on the DVD scene selection menu.
- ^ Brad Bird says this in The Making of The Incredibles
- ^ The Incredibles - Movie Reviews, Trailers, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes
- ^ http://www.rottentomatoes.com/top/bestofrt_genre.php
- ^ The Inredibles at metacrtic.com
- ^ Travers, Peter (2004-11-25), "The Incredibles". Rolling Stone. (962):100
- ^ Rozen, Leah (2004-11-15), "The Incredibles". People. 62 (20):31
- ^ The Incredibles | AccessAtlanta
- ^ village voice > film > The Incredibles by Jessica Winter
- ^ Movie & TV News @ IMDb.com - Studio Briefing - 4 November 2004
- ^ 2004 Yearly Box Office Results
- ^ 2004 Yearly Box Office Results
- ^ Metacritic: 2004 Film Critic Top Ten Lists. Metacritic. Retrieved on 2008-04-22.
- ^ Honor roll: Animation films. Award Annals (2007-09-16). Retrieved on 2007-09-16.
[edit] External links
- Mini-Review at DVD Lounge
- Official website
- Trailer
- The Incredibles at the Internet Movie Database
- The Incredibles at the Big Cartoon DataBase
- The Incredibles at FilmSpot
- The Incredibles at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Incredibles at Metacritic
- The Incredibles at the Open Directory Project
- The Incredibles at Box Office Mojo
- The Official DVD Website
The Incredibles characters
| Incredible Family: | Mr. Incredible · Elastigirl · Dash · Violet · Jack-Jack |
| Allies: | Frozone · Edna Mode · Rick Dicker |
| Villains: | Syndrome · Mirage · The Underminer · Bomb Voyage |
| Preceded by "The Grudge" |
List of Box Office #1 Movies November 7, 2004 - November 20, 2004 |
Succeeded by "National Treasure" |
|
|||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
