THE INCREDIBLES

Director: Brad Bird (The Iron Giant)
Starring: voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Lee

This year's Pixar blockbuster, The Incredibles is the first of their computer-generated films to feel unique since the original Toy Story. The art is unique (and quite good), the story is unique, the characters are even a notch more original than those in the the other films. This is the story of a family of superheros forced to give up hero work for boring day jobs and a middle class lifestyle. Then, of course, a nemesis arises and they are forced to come out of retirement. The art deserves special mention in this film. With the exception of the Shrek films this is as good as computer-animation gets. Unfortunately like in most other computer animation, the characters here still manage to look creepy and flat. Thematically, I started to like the notion the story had about living up to your abilities, then I realized where it was going with it. American kids (very broadly and relatively) have acquired a culture of laziness and not acheiving that this film is attempting to counter. Kudos for that. Unfortunately, this movie goes well past the notion of personal ambition and into the realm of Ayn Rand-like self-indulgence. Let me explain: This superhero family didn't have to work to acheive anything, they just had to be themselves. They are superheros, after all. I mean, the real worth in acheivement is that's it's difficult to do. That's why it's important. The story wasn't really about struggling to achieve your best, tho. It was about how there are truly exceptional supermen in this world and that the mass of humanity should, well, kinda worship them. It's rather thinly veiled Ayn Rand arrogance to a tee. Despite my hatred of the wacko cult of selfishness that is Objectivism, I must admit that this was still a good film. To get off track here, is there a more stupid name for a Philosophy than 'objectivism'? I mean, that nutjob religion has nothing to do with objectivity and everything to do with remaining as much like a two year old as you can, for as long as you can.

Standouts: The script. Some of the characters. The animation.
Blowouts: The Ayn Randness that was thematically pervasive throughout.

Grade: B+