Product Description

From the Academy Award(R) winning creators of FINDING NEMO (2003 Best Animated Feature Film) comes the action-packed animated adventure about the mundane and incredible lives of a house full of superheroes. Bob Parr and his wife Helen used to be among the world's greatest crime fighters, saving lives and battling evil on a daily basis. Fifteen years later, they have been forced to adopt civilian identities and retreat to the suburbs where they live "normal" lives with their three kids, Violet, Dash, and Jack-Jack. Itching to get back into action, Bob gets his chance when a mysterious communication summons him to a remote island for a top secret assignment. He soon discovers that it will take a super family effort to rescue the world from total destruction. Exploding with fun and featuring an all-new animated short film, this spectacular 2-disc collector's edition DVD is high-flying entertainment for everyone.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #372 in DVD
• Brand: Disney
• Released on: 2005-03-15
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Widescreen, Dolby, NTSC
• Original language: English, French, Spanish
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Dimensions: 4.00 pounds
• Running time: 115 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
After creating the last great traditionally animated film of the 20th century, The Iron Giant, filmmaker Brad Bird joined top-drawer studio Pixar to create this exciting, completely entertaining computer-animated film. Bird gives us a family of "supers," a brood of five with special powers desperately trying to fit in with the 9-to-5 suburban lifestyle. Of course, in a more innocent world, Bob and Helen Parr were superheroes, Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl. But blasted lawsuits and public disapproval forced them and other supers to go incognito, making it even tougher for their school-age kids, the shy Violet and the aptly named Dash. When a stranger named Mirage (voiced by Elizabeth Pena) secretly recruits Bob for a potential mission, the old glory days spin in his head, even if his body is a bit too plump for his old super suit.

Bird has his cake and eats it, too. He and the Pixar wizards send up superhero and James Bond movies while delivering a thrilling, supercool action movie that rivals Spider-Man 2 for 2004's best onscreen thrills. While it's just as funny as the previous Pixar films, The Incredibles has a far wider-ranging emotional palette (it's Pixar's first PG film). Bird takes several jabs, including some juicy commentary on domestic life ("It's not graduation, he's moving from the fourth to fifth grade!").

The animated Parrs look and act a bit like the actors portraying them, Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter. Samuel L. Jackson and Jason Lee also have a grand old time as, respectively, superhero Frozone and bad guy Syndrome. Nearly stealing the show is Bird himself, voicing the eccentric designer of superhero outfits ("No capes!"), Edna Mode.

Nominated for four Oscars, The Incredibles won for Best Animated Film and, in an unprecedented win for non-live-action films, Sound Editing.

The Presentation
This two-disc set is (shall we say it?), incredible. The digital-to-digital transfer pops off the screen and the 5.1 Dolby sound will knock the socks off most systems. But like any superhero, it has an Achilles heel. This marks the first Pixar release that doesn't include both the widescreen and full-screen versions in the same DVD set, which was a great bargaining chip for those cinephiles who still want a full-frame presentation for other family members. With a 2.39:1 widescreen ratio (that's big black bars, folks, à la Dr. Zhivago), a few more viewers may decide to go with the full-frame presentation. Fortunately, Pixar reformats their full-frame presentation so the action remains in frame.

The Extras
The most-repeated segments will be the two animated shorts. Newly created for this DVD is the hilarious "Jack-Jack Attack," filling the gap in the film during which the Parr baby is left with the talkative babysitter, Kari. "Boundin'," which played in front of the film theatrically, was created by Pixar character designer Bud Luckey. This easygoing take on a dancing sheep gets better with multiple viewings (be sure to watch the featurette on the short).

Brad Bird still sounds like a bit of an outsider in his commentary track, recorded before the movie opened. Pixar captain John Lasseter brought him in to shake things up, to make sure the wildly successful studio would not get complacent. And while Bird is certainly likable, he does not exude Lasseter's teddy-bear persona. As one animator states, "He's like strong coffee; I happen to like strong coffee." Besides a resilient stance to be the best, Bird threw in an amazing number of challenges, most of which go unnoticed unless you delve into the 70 minutes of making-of features plus two commentary tracks (Bird with producer John Walker, the other from a dozen animators). We hear about the numerous sets, why you go to "the Spaniards" if you're dealing with animation physics, costume problems (there's a reason why previous Pixar films dealt with single- or uncostumed characters), and horror stories about all that animated hair. Bird's commentary throws out too many names of the animators even after he warns himself not to do so, but it's a lively enough time. The animator commentary is of greatest interest to those interested in the occupation.

There is a 30-minute segment on deleted scenes with temporary vocals and crude drawings, including a new opening (thankfully dropped). The "secret files" contain a "lost" animated short from the superheroes' glory days. This fake cartoon (Frozone and Mr. Incredible are teamed with a pink bunny) wears thin, but play it with the commentary track by the two superheroes and it's another sharp comedy sketch. There are also NSA "files" on the other superheroes alluded to in the film with dossiers and curiously fun sound bits. "Vowellet" is the only footage about the well-known cast (there aren't even any obligatory shots of the cast recording their lines). Author/cast member Sarah Vowell (NPR's This American Life) talks about her first foray into movie voice-overs--daughter Violet--and the unlikelihood of her being a superhero. The feature is unlike anything we've seen on a Disney or Pixar DVD extra, but who else would consider Abe Lincoln an action figure? --Doug Thomas

More Incredibles at Amazon.com

The Incredibles Toy Store	CD Soundtrack	The Art of The Incredibles Book
Game Boy Advance	On VHS	The Essential Guide Book

The Pixar Feature Films

Toy Story, 1995 A Bug's Life, 1998 Toy Story 2, 1999

Monsters, Inc., 2001 Finding Nemo, 2003 The Incredibles, 2004

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Our Disney DVD Store	Looney Tunes Golden Collection	Walt Disney Treasures

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Also from Filmmaker Brad Bird

The Iron Giant (Writer/Director)	"Family Dog" on Amazing Stories (Writer/Director)	Batteries Not Included (Cowriter)
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From The New Yorker
A shiny new project from Pixar, sprinting in the footsteps of "Toy Story." Bob and Helen Parr are retired superheroes, raising their suspiciously gifted children in the suburbs. Bob, stuck in an office job, is lured back to the fray; being a lunk, he stumbles into a trap, and Helen, being a wife, has the guts and initiative to set out and rescue him. The movie, written and directed by Brad Bird, is a smart compound of shameless visual exaggeration (Bob's muscle tone alone is a special effect), and a touchingly unhip reliance on emotional realism. Instead of giggling references to other movies, we get snatches of ordinary family bickering, plus a distinct air of nineteen-fifties innocence-quite a fillip, given that many computer-animated movies pride themselves on technological progress and nothing else. The main voiceovers are delivered by Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, and-most winning of all-Holly Hunter. -Anthony Lane
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Ebert & Roeper
"TWO THUMBS UP"

Customer Reviews

The Incredibles Restored My Faith in Animated Films
The genre of family-oriented computer animated feature film, invented and pioneered by Pixar Animation Studios, has seen a great decline in the past couple of years. Now, every other movie studio churns out another one in hopes of being the next Toy Story or Finding Nemo. In this reviewer's opinion, the formula has gotten incredibly stale. It's the same thing over and over again - Lots of humor and silliness for the kids, with some clever pop-culture references for adults, lots of talking inanimate objects voiced by recognizable and popular celebrities, a song by a bankable pop star. Wrap it all up in a bright, shiny package and advertise it on Nickelodeon and network TV and you've got a recipe for success. This formula has now been repeated ad nauseam by the movie studios yet parents, in lieu of more intelligent and creative children's entertainment, snatch it up. Just look at the crop of upcoming CG family movies slated for 2005. There are at least four, maybe five.

However, if there is anything that you can depend on in the dreary world of computer animated movies, it is the name Pixar. Those five letters are quite simply synonymous with quality. They started the genre and still no one does it better. From Toy Story to Monsters, Inc. to Finding Nemo, Pixar has consistently produced astonishingly high quality films in both entertainment and artistic value. Pixar's latest, The Incredibles was written and directed by Brad Bird who gave us the wonderful 1999 film The Iron Giant. It is yet another staggering success for Pixar Animation Studios.

The Incredibles is not just another fine computer animated movie, it completely reinvents and transcends its tired genre. The film boasts extremely sharp writing and plotting (rewarded with a Best Original Screenplay Academy Award nomination), excellent voice acting, extraordinary conceptual design and, most importantly, the audacity to break from the mold and do something different. This is first hinted at by the film's rating; The Incredibles is Pixar's first PG-rated movie. It is not just an assortment of jokes and pop-culture references, it is a fully-realized story focusing on human (sort of) characters and the struggle of living in a society that you don't fit in with. There are no talking fish, no talking bugs, no talking toys. It's a real movie with real heart told with extraordinary skill and style. It was well-deserving of its Best Animated Feature Academy Award, however the fact that its only competition was Shrek 2 and Shark Tale diminishes that achievement. Yes, it's also an incredibly fun story about superheroes with lots of stunts, action, giant robots, superpowers and an evil villain. I found it to be one of the most satisfying, and best, movies of 2004.

Don't be deterred by the fact that it's computer animated and that it's from the makers of Finding Nemo. You don't have to be a child or a parent (I myself am neither) to love this film. It's a great movie that anyone can love and appreciate.

Incredible! A film that actually won the Oscar it deserved!
I have been and shall remain a lifelong fan not only of movies, but of comic books, heroes, etcetera. The delightful and refreshing The Incredibles blends both together for me - heroes and movies.

I'll be honest - in the past (with the exception of the first 2 Toy Story movies), when a trailer for a Pixar film was released, I was less than enthused. I have, however, seen every Pixar film and loved them all. The trailers never looked appealing to me until the Incredibles. Shrek, Shark Tale, Ice Age - they've got zip on Pixar!

Getting back to my review of this film, all I can say is The Incredibles is a winner on all levels. Animation is top notch (increasingly better with each film), voice acting (and the casting selection) is superb, cinematography (even though it's digital) is exceptional, and the score (especially with The Incredibles) is a perfect fit.

The premise is a fitting portrait of today's world. All the super heroes go into hiding and melt away into 'normal life' because of lawsuits pop up from individuals who didn't want to be saved, therefore causing a public superhero backlash. Naturally, it doesn't take long for heroes to re-emerge and once again save the day from terrible peril while being hoisted back into the public spotlight...that's enough premise/plot...just sit back and delight in the masterfully crafted film by Brad Bird (The Iron Giant) known as The Incredibles.

Whether you're an adult, child, or man-child, this movie will take you in and make you forget you're watching a movie. The visuals and story is captivating and well written. After just having suffered through about 1/3 of the 77th Annual Oscars (many thanks to the creators of TiVo), the highlight of the night for me was The Incredibles winning Best Animated Feature of 2004 (and Clint Eastwood winning Best Director and Best Picture for Million Dollar Baby). I was so worried that the vacuous Hollywood types were going to give the BAF Oscar to the vapid Shrek 2. Thank God the voting members have some sense!

If you like quality films, purchase this DVD now and don't look back. Enjoy!

Super Heroes Meet Suburbia
I was completely unprepared to like this computer-animated film. A smart, witty script, excellent animation by Pixar, and the talented voices of Holly Hunter, Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, and filmmaker Brad Bird have combined to create a winner that both kids and adults will appreciate, albeit on different levels. Mr. Incredible (Nelson) loves saving the world, even though he likens it to cleaning a room only to turn around and find it messy again. His soon-to-be wife Elastigirl (Hunter) is just as tough in her pursuit of justice, and often comes to her beloved's rescue. The city is full of super heroes who do the work of police and who receive thunderous applause after their life-saving exploits. Unfortunately for the super heroes, their glory days fade in a hail of lawsuits (people don't want to be saved and others use their injuries while in peril against the super heroes), and so all those with superpowers must enter normal life in a kind of witness-protection program. The Incredibles, now with three children, face a mundane life as Bob/Mr. Incredible supports the family with an insurance adjuster job, and Helen/Elastigirl struggles to stop sibling squabbles. Helen and Bob have become archetypal suburban parents, arguing about the kids and chores. Bob and his friend Frozone (Jackson) long for the good old days when they felt like real men. When Bob blows his cover, he is recruited by the mysterious Mirage (Elizabeth Pena) for some top secret superhero work. Of course, Helen knows nothing about it--she's too busy dealing with baby Jack Jack, risk-taking Dash, and reclusive teenager Violet. Predictably, Bob gets into trouble, and Helen has no choice but to don her old costume. Fashion designer Edna (Bird) gives the Incredibles both the push and the pizzazz they need to reclaim their rightful spots as superheroes.

The strength of this movie is the action-packed plot coupled with witty satire about contemporary American life. Like all aging suburbanites, the Incredibles have developed beer guts (Bob) and wide hips (Helen). They argue about issues that couples argue about everywhere, from financial concerns to not taking asked-for advice to ignoring the needs of the other. The young Helen is a feminist who refuses to leave saving the world "to the men," but she becomes a stay-at-home mom who shuttles the kids to and from school, cooks family dinners, and finds herself responsible for almost all of the kids' upbringing. The young Bob revels in his prowess, but in middle age he is beaten down by bureaucracy and a junky car. Small details, such as the "graduation" between fourth and fifth grade and the way lawsuits twist the truth, make these otherwise extraordinary people ordinary.

This sharp-witted adventure movie will delight both kids and adults. The hilarious extra "Jack Jack Attack" should not be missed, especially since it fills in some details referred to in the movie itself. Buy or rent this movie - and prepare yourself for some real entertainment.