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 Forget
Martin Scorsese’s take on a dashing young Howard Hughes in “The
Aviator,” the return of Clooney’s heroes in “Ocean’s Twelve” or
the wickedly cast sequel “Meet the Fockers.” The most important
big studio movie of the fall season has to be Disney/Pixar’s computer-animated
superhero spoof “The Incredibles.” Here’s why…
Not only
have all 5 Disney/Pixar films (“A Bug’s Life,” “Monsters, Inc.,”
the “Toy Story” films and last year’s “Finding Nemo”) grossed
a combined $2.6 billion worldwide, but they are all highly regarded
as groundbreaking computer-animated classics. Expectations are
obviously high for “The Incredibles” to follow suit, but its release
comes at a time when relations between Disney and Pixar are at
an all-time low. Another big hit for Pixar would give company
founder Steve Jobs even more clout as he severs his relationship
with Disney when their deal ends next year (with the release of
“Cars”), leaving him free to take his very lucrative business
elsewhere.
As if that
wasn’t enough, “The Incredibles” is also expected to leap tall
buildings in a single bound with Pixar’s now-trademark brand of
quick, witty, sharp, multi-leveled humor that will appeal to both
kids and adults. Finally, the film is written and directed by
Brad Bird, who is long-overdue for a little redemption after his
last film, the little-seen animated gem “The Iron Giant,” was
horribly undersold by Warner Bros. and grossed a paltry $23 million
domestically in the summer of 1999.
So, how incredible
is “The Incredibles?” Well, not very, unfortunately. While the
film certainly makes Pixar 6 for 6 as far as sheer entertainment
value is concerned, it is by far the weakest of the 6. Sure, it’s
filled with the same brand of simplistic, finely detailed, eye-pleasing
computer animation that Pixar has come to define, but it is simply
too long, too uneven and not nearly as clever as its predecessors.
Fifteen years
ago, Bob Parr – a.k.a. Mr. Incredible – was the go-to guy for
fighting crime in the big city. When an unfortunate accident forces
him and his family to retreat to the suburbs, Bob finds himself
defeated by even deadlier enemies – a bulging waistline and a
soul-crushing job at an insurance company. Bob’s wife – a.k.a.
Elastigirl – is content with domestic bliss if it means the safety
of their two super-powered children, but Bob still secretly hopes
for another piece of the action. He gets his wish when he is summoned
to a mysterious island for a top secret mission, but when he soon
finds himself in over his head, it’s up to The Incredibles to
come to the rescue, save the world and, most importantly, save
the family.
With hoards
of comic book adaptations and superhero movies flying off the
Hollywood shelf these days (many of them making a ton of cash
at the box office), the time is certainly right for a spoof of
the genre. Actually, “The Incredibles” is hardly the first film
to do so, but if you compare it to 1999’s disappointing “Mystery
Men” and 2000’s little-seen “The Specials,” it is by far the best.
Writer-director Brad Bird’s sense of humor is appropriately tongue-in-cheek,
and the stylistic, retro-fueled Pixar animation gives the story
a gee-whiz comic book sensibility that most live-action superhero
films haven’t been able to capture.
The problem
is that by taking on a more adult theme, Pixar loses some of its
footing. With its first PG-rated film, there are times when the
violence – as subtle and as sparse as it is – just doesn’t mesh
well with the overall vibe of the story (not to mention that it
might be too scary for kids). And while adults may relate to the
theme of sacrificing personal passions for the good of raising
a family, kids might be bored by these slower-moving moments of
intimacy.
Beyond the
animation, the most important part of any Pixar film has to be
the actors who bring their characters to life. Craig T. Nelson
does a fine job at giving Mr. Incredible the commanding, authoritative
voice of a dad who just so happens to be a superhero, while Oscar-winner
Holly Hunter gives a maternal, touching inflection of grace to
Elastigirl. Samuel L. Jackson also sounds really cool as Frozone
(pun intended), but he disappears for most of the movie before
showing up late in the game during the big finale.
Perhaps the
biggest problem for Pixar is that by focusing on humans for the
very first time, “The Incredibles” fails to capture the fantasy
element that goes hand-in-hand with talking fish (“Finding Nemo”),
working-class monsters (“Monsters, Inc.”), or inanimate objects
that suddenly spring to life (“Toy Story”). Sure, “The Incredibles”
has its moments, but it’s only clever in fits and starts, and
it doesn’t really maximize the potential for sharp comedy that
a movie about a family of superheroes should have (hopefully next
summer’s “The Fantastic Four” will fare better). Steve Jobs can
certainly rest easy knowing that at the very least, he has another
top-grossing hit on his hands, but you’d be wise to lower your
expectations and appreciate the film for what it is. Good? Yes.
Incredible? No.
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