The Incredibles

The Incredibles is Pixar Animation Studios' sixth animated feature film, released by Walt Disney Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution in the United States on November 5, 2004 and in the United Kingdom and Ireland on November 26, 2004. It was released in a two-disc DVD (in both widescreen and full frame versions) in the U.S. on March 15, 2005.

It was written and developed by Brad Bird, formerly director of The Simpsons and best known for directing the animated movie The Iron Giant. The Incredibles was originally developed as a traditionally animated movie, but after Warner Bros. shut down its animation division, Brad Bird moved to Pixar and took the story with him.

Voice cast

See also: Voice actor

• Craig T. Nelson – Bob Parr / Mr. Incredible
• Holly Hunter – Helen Parr / Elastigirl (Mrs. Incredible)
• Samuel L. Jackson – Lucius Best / Frozone
• Sarah Vowell – Violet Parr
• Spencer Fox – Dashiell Parr (Dash)
• Jason Lee – Buddy Pine / Syndrome (formerly Incrediboy)
• Elizabeth Peņa – Mirage
• Brad Bird – Edna Mode (E)
• Wallace Shawn – Gilbert Huph
• John Ratzenberger – The Underminer
• Bret Parker – Kari (the Babysitter)

Plot

Fifteen years ago, the world's superheroes were overwhelmed by lawsuits over the damage and injuries that sometimes resulted from their rescues. In exchange for immunity from these suits, the "supers" retired from heroics, and the government relocated them with civilian identities. Now Bob Parr, formerly Mr. Incredible, lives a quiet suburban life with his wife Helen (formerly Elastigirl) and their three secretly super powered children. Bored with this life of mediocrity, he occasionally sneaks out with his friend Lucius (formerly Frozone) to fight crime and protect the innocent.

Upon receiving a mysterious benefactor's invitation to be a hero again, Mr. Incredible leaps at the opportunity. But the "benefactor" turns out to be a villain named Syndrome who carries a grudge: as a boy, he idolized the superhero, even going as far as inventing machines that would allow him to become "Incrediboy," but Mr. Incredible squelched that dream. Thereafter he dedicated his life to eliminating superheroes while he perfects a destructive robot that only he will be able to defeat with his inventions; he plans on unleashing it for a while then defeating it so that he will be seen as a hero.

It's up to the rest of the Parr family to save Mr. Incredible, and to stop the robot after Syndrome loses control of it.

Many have noted that the plot contains elements of Ayn Rand's objectivist philosophy, especially her political theories of individual rights. The desire of the government and Syndrome to quash the powers of the "supers" is seen as a reflection of the "tyranny of the majority" (or Ochlocracy) rejected by objectivists and libertarians. The disdain for mediocrity voiced by Dash ("Everyone's special ... which is another way of saying that nobody is") and echoed by Syndrome ("...when everyone's super, no one will be.") amplifies this plot point.

In interviews following the Academy Awards, Director Brad Bird denied that the movie was inspired by objectivist philosophy. In an interview with IGN (http://dvd.ign.com/articles/594/594806p3.html), he said...

"I think it got misinterpreted a few times. Some people said it was Ayn Rand or something like that, which is ridiculous. Other people threw Nietzsche around, which I also find ridiculous...Some people said it was sort of a right-wing feeling, but I think that's as silly of an analysis as saying The Iron Giant was left-wing."

Main characters

Mr. Incredible

Robert "Bob" Parr, "Mr. Incredible" (6 ft 7 in (2.01 m), 350 lb (159 kg) The "hero's hero", Bob possesses tremendous strength and reasonable resistance to harm. Trapped in a dead-end job as an insurance adjustor, he reminisces about "the glory days" when he was celebrated for using his abilities to save people.

Elastigirl

Helen Parr, "Elastigirl" (5 ft 8 in (1.73 m), 125 lb (57 kg)) Helen Parr can stretch any part of her body a long way. She can also reshape her body in a variety of ways shown in the movie including becoming a parachute or a rubber boat. She is a dedicated spouse and parent and is frustrated with her husband's continuing dreams of glory.

Dash

Dashiell "Dash" Robert Parr (4 ft 0 in (1.22 m), 65 lb (29 kg)) Young Dashiell has fast reflexes and the ability to run and swim extremely quickly. He can also run across the surface of water without sinking. He exhibits overconfidence, cockiness, and hyperactivity; a bit of a showoff, he chafes under his mother's refusal to let him be in sports at school, for fear that his superpowers might be noticed. Dash's name relates to his talent for speed.

Violet

Violet "Vi" Parr (4 ft 6 in (1.22 m), 90 lb (41 kg)) Stuck at the cross-roads between girl and woman, Violet desperately wants to be like everyone else, to blend in with normal people and not to stand out. Appropriately, her superpowers allow her to turn instantly invisible. Violet can also generate spherical force fields. Her character development seems to be one of the side-stories in the movie, despite the fact that Violet herself isn't shown in very many scenes. (Certain speculation has been that this is due to the processing and time required to render Violet's full-length flowing hair.) One of these character developments appears to be the gained confidence needed to approach her crush, Tony Rydinger. Violet's name can be taken from the slang term shrinking violet, which means a shy person (usually a girl) or as a reference to ultraviolet light, which is outside of the visible spectrum.

Jack-Jack

Jack-Jack Parr (30 in (0.76 m), 25 lb (11 kg)) Jack-Jack is the baby of the family. At first he's supposed not to have any "super" powers, but later on it is revealed that he has a whole set of them which include turning himself on fire, transforming into metal, into a gremlin-like creature, teleporting, floating, laser-vision, and going through walls. Most of these powers are shown in the Jack-Jack Attack short film which is included in The Incredibles DVD. His name and multitude of powers suggest he is/will be literally a Jack-of-all-trades (also, that the Jack in poker can be used as a wild card).

Frozone

Lucius Best, "Frozone" (6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 180 lb (82 kg)) A long-time friend of the family, Frozone can generate bursts of ice from his body; the amount of ice depends on the amount of water available in the air and in his body. During the movie it's suggested that he has adapted to civilian life much more easily than his long-time friend, Bob Parr, though he still possesses a command center of sorts, as well as his super suit and all of his old gadgets in working condition.

Syndrome

Buddy Pine, "Syndrome" (6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), 185 lb (84 kg)) This misguided villain was once Mr. Incredible's "greatest fan". In an attempt to earn his hero's respect, Buddy Pine tried to aid him in fighting crime as "Incrediboy", with gadgets he had invented in his spare time, as well as showing plenty of "gee-whiz" spunk. Instead of respecting him as the sidekick he wished to become, Mr. Incredible kicked him out on the curb—quite literally. Out of bitterness, he recreated himself as an evil genius that plotted revenge on his former idol. After his initial plans were foiled, Syndrome planned to abduct Jack-Jack and raise him as a sidekick, but failed. Syndrome's cape got caught in his jet's intake and sucked him in. If not for the engine's blades, the explosion immediately following seems to point towards the conclusion that he died.

Mirage

Mirage (Height unknown, Weight unknown) The seductive representative of Syndrome, and possibly wittingly his accomplice in the murder of many "supers". Despite several nods towards a more intimate relationship between Mirage and Buddy Pine (Syndrome), it is never explicitly stated in the movie. Moreover, it is not known whether or not she herself is a "super". Though seemingly at ease with Syndrome's casual regard to murder she nonetheless does have a "line" which she refuses to cross.

Edna

Edna "E" Mode (3 ft 8 in (1.12 m), "not telling dahling") An eccentric costume designer who apparently designed the costumes for many members of the superhero community, saying that she "designed for gods". To that end, not only does she take the aesthetics of the clothes into account, but also their practical uses such as its protective qualities and how it can accommodate the powers of the wearer. Edna's no-nonsense personality and round glasses are a direct homage to Edith Head, the legendary Hollywood costume designer, perhaps with nods to Elsa Klensch and Anna Wintour. The film's creators couldn't find an appropriate actress to voice Edna, so Brad Bird provided the character's voice (with its unique German/Japanese accent) himself. Edna Mode also appeared with Pierce Brosnan to present the Academy Award for Costume Design at the 77th Academy Awards.

Others

• Bomb Voyage, one of Mr. Incredible's foes in the golden age, is a French Explosives Expert.
• Gilbert Huph, Bob Parr's boss at the Insuricare Company.
• Mrs. Hoganson, distressed Insuricare customer.
• Bernie, Dash's teacher.
• Principal Walker, Dash's principal (who looks like former president Bill Clinton).
• Tony Rydinger, Violet's crush
• Rick Dicker (voiced by Pixar animator Bud Luckey), a government agent who was once part of the NSA (National Supers Agency) and now oversees the Superhero Relocation Program; some feel he looks like Richard Nixon and sounds like Ronald Reagan.
• Gazerbeam (Simon Paladino), one of the superheroes killed by Syndrome.
• Two characters voiced by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, the two surviving members of Disney's Nine Old Men at the time the movie was made. Frank Thomas passed away on September 8, 2004, the day before the movie's DVD commentary track was recorded.
• Honey Best, Frozone's wife and an unseen character, though her voice is heard at one point. It appears she is a normal human (rather than a super) and is aware of her husband's secret identity.
• Kid on Bicycle (voiced by the director's son, Nicholas Bird), admires Mr. Incredible and his family. (Unnamed in the film, but listed as Rusty in the credits and "The Disney Adventures Magazine.")
• Kari, Jack-Jack's babysitter while the Incredibles (actually the "Parrs") are away. At first, she thinks she can handle Jack-Jack, but the animated short Jack-Jack Attack proves that the baby might be more trouble than she ever could imagine.
• The Underminer, the villain who appears at the end of the film

US box office take

Its opening box office sales in the United States exceeded that of Pixar's previous animation films. At the time of its release, its opening-weekend attendance ranked fifth in 2004, behind Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Spider-Man 2 and The Passion of the Christ. It was ranked 14th among all opening-weekend results at that time.

All figures in United States dollars.

• Week 1: $70,467,623 (1st)
• Week 2: $50,251,359 (1st)
• Week 3: $26,523,852 (3rd)
• Week 4: $23,580,279 (2nd)
• Week 5: $9,015,796 (4th)
• Week 6: $5,036,631 (6th)
• Week 7: $3,120,541 (10th)
• Week 8: $2,417,039 (15th)

The movie grossed a total of roughly $259,000,000 in the United States, and $366,000,000 in foreign markets, making it the fifth- and fourth-highest-grossing movie, respectively, of 2004. It is Pixar's second-highest-grossing movie, after Finding Nemo, and the third-highest-grossing superhero movie, after Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2.

DVD extras

The Incredibles 2-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 (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:

• Commentary by Brad Bird and animators
• "Jack-Jack Attack" - An animated short that involves a subplot of the main film that explains how Jack-Jack develops his newfound powers and uses them on his babysitter, Kari.
• "Incredi-Blunders" - Animation bloopers and outtakes
• Various deleted scenes
• Making of "The Incredibles" featurette
• Pixar short film "Boundin'" (04:40) in which an avuncular Jackalope teaches a lamb how to live with himself. Was played before "The Incredibles" in numerous theaters. Written and narrated by veteran animator, Bud Luckey. Includes optional commentary.
• Top secret NSA files on all the Supers
• "Mr. Incredible & Pals" cartoon which employs the use of Syncro-Vox, a cheap animation technique, and features an optional commentary supposedly by the "real" Frozone and Mr. Incredible
• "Vowellet" - an essay by Sarah Vowell
• Other hidden easter eggs

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 and McDonald's.

In Europe, Kinder chocolate eggs contained small plastic toy characters.

In Mexico there has been a craze about the movie, literally hundreds of items are being sold there, with several of them being exclusive to Mexico. Already many stores around the country have been reporting being completely sold out of certain popular items.

Video games

The Incredibles

The Incredibles also spawned a video game for the consoles Playstation 2, XBox, and Gamecube. The game features 18 levels, based on the film, and there are five playable characters. They are:

• Mr Incredible: Used for most of the game, he spans 11 of the levels. While his techniques are the same, his clothes change:
  • Young Bob (2 levels)
  • "Keeping Identity Secret" Bob (1 level; burning building)
  • Old Bob (3 levels; old blue suit)
  • Old Bob (4 levels; new "i" suit)
• Elastigirl: Used for only 3 levels.
  • Young Helen (1 level; original suit)
  • Older Helen (2 levels; new "i" suit)
• Dash: Used for only two levels, both of which are running in a time limit. Two suits: secret identity and supersuit.
• Violet: Used once. She sneaks past guards invisibly. Supersuit is her only costume.
• Incredi-Ball: Dash and Violet combine in a force field.

Other Characters

• Syndrome: Appears only in a movie clip.
• Mirage: Appears only in two movie clips and a voiceover.
• Edna: Never appears.
• Omnidroid: Three levels are entirely based on defeating the Omnidroid.

The Incredibles: Rise Of The Underminer

Announced at the 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), there will be a sequel to the Incredibles video game, called Rise Of The Underminer. This game will take place after the first movie/game and the basis will be destroying the Underminer. (See Voice cast for a picture of the Underminer.)

From ign.com:

Following The Incredibles' defeat of Syndrome in the Walt Disney Pictures presentation of the Pixar Animation Studios film, a new threat emerges beneath the ground with a diabolical plot to pollute the major cities of the world and rule over humanity from below. Fans will be able to pick up from where the film left off and relive the glory days as Mr. Incredible and Frozone, superhero best friends who team up to tackle a new villain, The Underminer.

Comic book, movie, and television tributes and references

The world of The Incredibles has several similarities to constructs from other comic book, film, and television universes.

• The Fantastic Four: There are several similarities to the world of Marvel Comics' The Fantastic Four, another family-unit that fights evil in matching specialized costumes. The moniker "Mr. Incredible" is similar to that of the FF's leader, Mr. Fantastic. Elastigirl and Violet's powers are the same as Mr. Fantastic's and Invisible Woman's, while Jack-Jack briefly displays powers similar to that of the Human Torch. Mr. Incredible's super-strength and easy-to-lose temper reflect the powers and personality of The Thing. Jack-Jack could also represent Franklin Richards (see Marvel Comics paragraph). In the end of the movie, a villain called the Underminer appears which bears an uncanny resemblance to the Fantastic Four's villain, the Mole Man. Syndrome's army of henchmen, near unlimited resources, and high-technology all echo the Fantastic Four's greatest villain, Doctor Doom. In the Fantastic Four comics, Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman carry on a romantic relationship before eventually marrying; this is mirrored by the courtship and marriage of Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl.
• Superman: The city where all of the superheroes live after the batch of lawsuits is called "Metroville", possibly as a tribute to Superman's Metropolis combined with "Smallville". Also, a telephone booth appears in the background of one scene, and in another scene, Mr. Incredible opens his shirt to reveal his costume underneath.
• Marvel Comics: Frozone's power is the same as Iceman's. Dash Parr's powers appear to be quite similar to Quicksilver's, as well as arguably parts of his personality. Jack-Jack's (the baby's) powers are quite similar to those of Vision of Marvel's Avengers, while some fans suggest Jack-Jack might actually be a reference to Franklin Richards, son of Reed and Susan Richards from the FF, who with his reality-altering powers could be the most powerful being in the Marvel universe. Jack-Jack's ability to set himself on fire is similar to the Human Torch, and the ability to turn himself into iron closely resembles the powers of Absorbing Man, who can absorb the properties of anything he makes physical contact with. This metal-changing ability could also be a nod to Colossus of X-Men fame.
• Hulk: There are some similarities to the film Hulk, such as the pitiful attempts to destroy the monster by shooting at it with a machine gun or armored tank.
• DC Comics: Dash's power could also be a reference to The Flash. The movie's disparaging treatment of child sidekicks ("Incrediboy") is a response to the number of pre-teen wards like Robin that accompanied Batman, Green Arrow, and other crime fighters from the 1940s onward. The movie also deals with the government's edict that causes the supers to retire, a plotline reminiscent of the explanation of the Justice Society of America's pseudo-retirement in the McCarthy era. Mr. Incredible's nemesis Bomb Voyage bears a close physical resemblance to The Batman's nemesis The Joker. Elastigirl's stretching powers also reference the DC hero Elongated Man, particularly her tendency to stretch her neck, which is a trademark of the DC character more so than Mr. Fantastic. Jack-Jack's transformation into a monster (after first lighting on fire, then turning to metal) could be a reference to Beast Boy, though that character only turned into actual animals. This change could just be benign or else is a reference to the previous Pixar film Monsters, Inc.

• Watchmen: Edna's rant against superhero capes echoes a minor background detail, in which a 1940s hero named Dollar Bill was killed because his cape was caught in a door and he was shot to death by a bank robber.[1] (http://surbrook.devermore.net/adaptionscomic/watchmen/dollarbill.html) The theme of superheroes being resented by ordinary people is also shared with Watchmen, although most of the "superheroes" in Watchmen do not have any extra-normal powers beyond superior skill, technology or intellect. The heroes in Watchmen are also forced into retirement for similar reasons - lawsuits and public backlash. More obvious and direct tributes to Watchmen include: Mr. Incredible discovers that Syndrome is responsible for systematically attacking and murdering superheroes one by one, a conspiracy that Rorschach suspected in Watchmen. In addition, in an attempt to set him up as a superhero, Syndrome sends a robot through space to destroy a city and make it appear like an alien attack. This is a key element of the climax of the Watchmen story.

• Powers: Certain people are born with superpowers, without an explanation (such as mutation). After a public-relations fiasco, superheroes are forced by the government to live in seclusion without the use of their powers. This reflects the anti-mutant sentiment exhibited in the Marvel Comics universe (particularly in The X-Men) and in a more limited fashion in the DC Comics universe.

• Astro City: The plot of the storyline "The Tarnished Angel" concerns a hero who wants to improve his reputation among the citizenry. He commissions a giant robot from a super villain that he will defeat in combat using a special remote control. Unfortunately for him, the villain double-crosses him and causes the robot to rampage out of control until another superhero teams intervenes to stop it. The hero's sidekick, realizing what his mentor has done endangering innocents for a mere publicity stunt, leaves him in disgust.

• Doom Patrol: Elastigirl's name was presumably inspired by Elasti-Girl, a founding member of the DC Comics superhero team The Doom Patrol. (Elasti-Girl's power is the ability to alter her size.) Another Doom Patrol reference appears when Mr. Incredible refers to his family as "my greatest adventure". The Doom Patrol first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80, June 1963.
• X-Men: Syndrome's main computer bears a striking resemblance to Professor X's Cerebro chamber as presented in the X-Men movies. Also, several of the superheroes, including Frozone, have goggles similar to Cyclops'. One of them, Gazerbeam, is seen to have incised letters into a cave wall while his body was pinned in place. (This is never actually displayed on-screen, thus dodging lawsuit problems, but the implication is clear.) In addition, in a attempt to stop Syndrome from carrying off Jack-Jack, Elastigirl tells her husband to throw her upwards toward the villain. That move is called "The Fastball Special" where a strong superhero throws a willing partner toward an opponent to attack, a favorite move of Colossus and Wolverine. The "missile lock" sequence on the plane also bears strong similarities to the Blackbird jet sequence in X-Men 2.
• The Spirit: In one scene, Mr. Incredible wears a blue suit with a red tie and a black domino mask. This is similar to the costume worn by The Spirit, a superhero whose adventures were published from 1940 to 1952. There are 2 differences: The Spirit's mask is blue and he always wears a blue fedora.
• Spider-Man 2: The scene where Mr. Incredible stops an elevated train from driving off the track bears striking resemblance to the scene in Spider-Man 2 where Spider-Man stops the uncontrolled train from driving off the track's terminus. Also, the arms of the omnidroid somewhat resemble the arms of Doc Ock, and it behaves like him too in several scenes. Also, the scene near the start of the film where a criminal shoots a machine gun at a tailing police car is similar to a scene in Spider-Man 2.
• The Black Hole: Some may not recall Disney's modestly successful 1979 theatrical release, but Brad Bird obviously did: his final Omnidroid version has some striking similarities to Maximilian, the evil servant of the mad-man scientist Dr. Reinhardt. If inverted, the head of Omnidroid has the same configuration and red glowing eye of Maximilian's head. The spinning blade arms are strikingly similar. The "sound" of the Omnidroid's laser cannon is virtually identical to Maximilian's similar weaponry.
• The War of the Worlds: Another possibility for the inspiration of the final Omnidroid may come from H.G. Wells' novel The War of the Worlds. Mostly visible in the scene directly prior to it emerges from its giant spherical container. Also, basic design for the Omnidroid has some similarities to some of the Alien ships in the War of the Worlds.
• James Bond: There are numerous Bond tributes, including many musical cues in the soundtrack. In The Spy Who Loved Me, Bond had a Lotus Esprit which became a submarine, bearing more than a passing resemblance to the aircraft which becomes a submarine to carry Mr. Incredible to Nomanisan Island; in fact, most of the appearance of Syndrome's "lair" bear a huge debt to many of the headquarters of Bond's villains, from the modest Dr. No underwater base to the sophisticated sets from Tomorrow Never Dies. In particular, the use of a volcanic crater as a villain's rocket launch site is quite similar to You Only Live Twice. The use of Mirage as the beautiful but evil character who turns to the side of good is a common Bond characteristic. Mr. Incredible's car, the Incredibile, has a passenger-side ejection system similar to the Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger. Finally, Edna Mode has been equated to Q in her role as provider to the heroes, as sarcastic commentator of the heroes' actions, and for her single-letter nickname "E". The soundtrack used for one of the trailers was The Propellerheads' track On Her Majesty's Secret Service, which shares its title with the Bond film and borrows heavily from many Bond themes.
• Mission: Impossible: Elastigirl's methods of stealth and espionage are reminiscent of the television show, as is the classic 5/4 time signature in the main musical theme. Also, the self-destructive device through which Mirage contacts Mr. Incredible is akin to those used in Mission: Impossible to assign missions.
• Star Wars: Dash's chase sequence with Syndrome's hover-saucer squads echoes, both in sound and visuals, the Endor Forest chase sequence between Luke, Leia and Stormtroopers on hoverbikes from Return of the Jedi, as well as the Podrace scene from The Phantom Menace. (On the 2nd disc of the DVD, there is shown a video clip of the "100 Mile Dash" scene in an early rendering stage. In the background is played the actual soundtrack from the speederbike scene from "Return of the Jedi".)
• Dragon Ball Z: Syndrome's appearance and costume is reminiscent of the diminutive Saiyan Vegeta from the manga and anime series.
• Freakazoid: In the deleted scenes part in the DVD, an early version of Syndrome is shown that makes him look like an evil version of Freakazoid.
• Mallrats: At one point, Mr. Incredible accidentally refers to Buddy as "Brodie" (the name of Jason Lee's character in this film).
• The Avengers: The plot of deliberately creating a destructive crisis so he could look the hero when he stops it was used by Avenger Henry Pym (Ant-Man, Giant Man, Goliath and Yellowjacket at various times) who felt underappreciated as a superhero. The Avengers found out the truth and expelled him. Like the Fantastic Four, The Avengers team also features its share of married superheroes, such as Ant-Man and Wasp.

• Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston: These highly respected animators, two of Disney's Nine Old Men and authors of The Illusion of Life, make a cameo appearance in the movie at the end, providing their own voices. They had advised Brad Bird during the making of the film. They also had a cameo appearance in The Iron Giant. Unfortunately, Thomas didn't see the finished movie, because he died in September 2004.
• The Year Without a Santa Claus: This Rankin-Bass stop motion special included the character Heat Miser - Syndrome's hair is clearly modeled on Heat Miser's. In addition, the design of several characters (out-of-proportion heads, facial features) mirror characters in Rankin-Bass productions.
• Jack-Jack Parr was not named for the late pioneering talk show host Jack Parr. The name came from a nickname director Brad Bird and his wife had for one of their sons. Incredibles trivia from imdb.com (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317705/trivia)
• Those Who Walk in Darkness, a novel by the author/director, John Ridley, tells the story of an LA cop--Soledad O'Rourke--part of a special squad called M-Tac, who hunts superhumans, former superheroes and villains called 'metanormals' who have been outlawed in U.S.

(This obviously mirrors what occurred with the supers in 'The Incredibles').

Mature themes

"The Incredibles" is set apart from other Disney and Pixar films by its adult themes. This is the first Pixar film to use only human characters, and also the first to receive a PG rating (though in the United Kingdom it received a lower U rating).

Family

Early in the film, Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl share playful and somewhat suggestive banter in a scene that takes place prior to their getting married. Years later, Bob and Helen are shown in a variety of domestic and passionate moments. One montage shows Bob and Helen playfully pinching one another in the derričre as each passes by the other in the hallway of their home; and later after they exchange an off-to-work kiss, Helen pulls him back into the home. Bob is clearly happy to be a costumed hero once again; Helen is happy for her husband also, because she believes he has moved up in his job.

On the other hand, Bob seems to alienate himself from his family. He holds on to the glory days; when he puts on his super suit, his attention seems more on becoming the center of attention he once was. Bob becomes somewhat distant, and his distraction with his heroics leads Helen to think he is having an affair.

Bob realizes how important his family is, once he believes they died by Syndrome's hand. Furthermore, as Bob and his family look to overcome the villain, all their abilities come together to win.

Violence and death

The Incredibles features an unusual amount of death and destruction for a Disney animated production.

There is a black-humor montage showing the death of supers who perished because of their capes getting caught in doors, jet plane engines, etc.

In an intermediate scene, Bob finds the skeletal remains of a fellow super, Gazerbeam, who had gone missing (presumably having taken the same offer Bob did to relive the glory days of being a super again). Bob later learns that many other supers (male and female) suffered the same fate and that these deaths are an indirect result of his having rejected Syndrome years earlier.

Bob briefly believes that his family (Helen, Dash, and Violet) are killed by Syndrome as they rush to the island to save him. In anger, he threatens to kill Syndrome's assistant, Mirage on two occasions.

Helen warns Violet and Dash that the "bad guys" will not hesitate to kill them just because they're children. When they are separated from their mother, they must and do protect themselves by hitting or indirectly (perhaps accidentally) killing Syndrome's henchmen. Bob and Helen are more active in incapacitating or destroying their enemies. Killing by superheroes is a rare occurrence even in adult-oriented comic books; killings caused by teenage heroes are almost unheard of.

Further along in the film, as Syndrome's deadly Omnidroid attacks a populated city, Bob and the family encounter a trailer full of henchmen who are cheering at the mayhem the Omnidroid is causing and drinking shots of liquor for every civilian who runs screaming.

As the airplane scene was originally written, Elastigirl's friend Snug (whom she called before flying the jet) piloted the plane and was killed when the missiles hit. However, the narrative demands of establishing audience rapport with the character, to provide emotional impact for his death, threatened to extend an already unusually long animated film (as Brad Bird explains in the commentary on deleted scenes). The scene was rewritten with Elastigirl piloting the plane, which had the additional benefit of showing her skills and her coolness under fire. Nonetheless the scene is harrowing to watch, with Elastigirl using real-life military transmission jargon (such as the term "buddy spike") in order to try and prevent what she believes to be a friendly fire incident.

Importance of role models

Buddy Pine, who later becomes the deadly Syndrome, seems to look up to Mr. Incredible as a big brother or father figure. He has been warped so much by Mr. Incredible's rejection to having a partner, that he holds a grudge for 15 years in order to get revenge on all supers.

Appeal of Elastigirl

From forums dedicated to "The Incredibles" on IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, IGN.com, to personal blogsites, and even online film reviews, there is a question, generally by male viewers, on whether or not it is right to say the characters of Mirage and Elastigirl are sexy eye-candy.

A reviewer for InnerArt.com (http://www.innerart.com/performancespace/#incredibles) of "The Incredibles": Since this is animation, we lose out on the pleasure of Holly Hunter in the flesh, but Elastigirl certainly fills out a lycra spandex suit in the best possible way. Another fan described her as the ideal life-mate. Smart, capable, funny, sweet, loyal, strong, sexy... Her heat is what we bring to her. IMDB thread (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317705/board/nest/13648301).

Unlike the overblown Jessica Rabbit, this character seems to appeal to the human side.

Additional images of Elastigirl

• En route
• A heroine for troubled times
• Ready for action

Awards

Won the Oscar in 2005 for Best Animated Feature as well as Best Achievement in Sound Effects Editing. The Incredibles also received nominations for Best Original Screenplay for writer/director Brad Bird and Best Achievement in Sound but did not win either.