Given that I recently covered the second season of Invincible I felt a fire igniting in my heart and mind to review another comic-themed property that also subverted the expectations of the genre. Short answer, we are covering Pixar’s The Incredibles! Let us not waste any more time and dive right in. This is The Incredibles!

Pre-Production & Background

        The Incredibles was the brain child of one Brad Bird who both wrote and directed the feature. Following the release and subsequent reception of his previous film Iron Giant Bird left Warner Brothers behind and pitched his idea of a superhero film to Pixar. The film was meant to be developed as an extension of comic book and spy films, paying homage to said properties in the 1960s. Many of the production staff who worked with Bird on Iron Giant followed Bird in his creative venture to produce The Incredibles.

                Bird would be the first outside director to direct a Pixar film, and this would also be the first film in Pixar’s filmography to feature an entirely human cast. Pitching and producing the film dates back to 1993, 11 years before the film’s release in October of 2004. The film was produced by John Walker, whilst cinematography was overseen by Andrew Jimenez, Patrick Lin, and Janet Lucroy. As a Pixar film it had two production companies attached to it in Pixar Animation Studios as well as Walt Disney Pictures, whilst the film was distributed by Buena Vista Pictures. The Incredibles was edited by Stephen Schaffer. whilst the score was produced by Michael Giacchino who was tapped over Pixar long runner Randy and Thomas Newman. Giacchino would go on to be a fixture for Pixar productions in the future as he would go on to be involved in films such as Ratatouille & Up. His exploits also included the Muppets: Wizard of Oz, Sky High, and Mission Impossible 3.

Synopsis & Writing

                Our film begins in the golden age of superheroes as they are both valued and respected by the people they protect. Mr. Incredible is one such hero who marries a fellow superhero, Elastagirl. Yet nothing lasts forever as the age of superheroes fades away as lawsuits against said heroes continue to mount up. In the face of this, the government establishes an initiative to integrate supers into the everyday world. Full amnesty will be granted for their actions, but they must never perform hero work again and just live ordinary lives.

                Years have passed since said regulations and Mr. Incredible is now living as Bob Parr with his family. He lives an ordinary mundane life as an insurance claims agent. Disillusioned with this manner of life and yearning for more, he views it as a blessing when a mysterious private corporation offers him the chance to be a hero once more. Desperate to relive the glory days of his heroism he accepts this offer without a second thought, ignorant of the consequences for both him and his family.

                This film at its core is a story about a family who just happen to have superpowers and I think that is part of what has helped it stand the test of time. The Incredibles is a film that is suitable for all ages as on the surface it’s one that children can enjoy whilst being thematically rich enough to appeal to more mature audiences.

The allegory of Bob so desperately seeking to relive the glory days that he puts his family at risk is an all too transparent portrayal of a man having a mid-life crisis. This is an essential part of his character arc in the film, as he learns that he was so obsessed on what he’d lost that he didn’t fully appreciate what he had. Bird was going through his own feelings of being a middle-aged film maker balancing his career aspirations with family life and has admitted that what he was going through in his own life filtered into the writing of this film. Fiction often imitates real life and The Incredibles is no exception in this regard.

The Incredibles also lamp shades and pays homage to many storytelling staples of comic books whilst also excellently subverting expectations of the genre. This film was produced in 2004 and many of the commentaries on the super hero fiction culture remain as relevant as the day it was  released, and I think that is a fine testament to the writing. Bird had conferred with Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli as he had visited Pixar during the film’s production, with Bird quoted asking, “Do the reels make sense or are they just American nonsense?” Miyazaki’s reply is, “I think it’s a very adventurous thing you are trying to do in an American film,” praising the production and the film overall.

From the beginning of the production Bird had in mind the members of the Parr family. He based their abilities on superhero and family archetypes, with fathers being pillars of tacit strength, giving Bob super strength, Helen as the mother being pulled in separate directions. Maintaining the family it seemed natural to give her the ability to stretch herself at will. Violet, the shy teenage girl who shuts herself off emotionally from others, being able to turn invisible and create force fields. Dash the overconfident boy who never stops moving was gift-wrapped to give him super speed, and finally Jack-Jack, the baby.  Despite this being a story centered around superheroes the writing is decidedly human, focusing on family dynamics first and foremost. Yes, it is a story about superheroes, but above all it’s a story about people, and a family.

Presentation & Score

        Many of the staff who worked with Bird on Iron Giant joined him in the production of this film as The Incredibles put an emphasis of computer-generated 3D film. This film was also the first in Pixar’s library to feature humans exclusively, which presented unique challenges in the production. Pixar had portrayed human characters in their films before but not to the extent seen in The Incredibles. So, this would be a critical film that established quality standards for Pixar films going forward.

                When selecting composers for the film, Bird had initially tapped John Barry as his first choice before settling on now famous Pixar associated composer Giacchino, so this was his first time working on the music for a Pixar film. Bird was insistent that the score was meant to be a callback to 1960s themed superhero and spy films, which Giacchino delivered on as the film was shooting for a retro-futuristic feel. The score received numerous accolades and critical awards.

                The Incredibles was produced on a budget of $145 million and ended up grossing $631.6 million across its theatrical runs. The Incredibles also held the record for the strongest box office opening of an animated film for 15 years until it was dethroned by Frozen II in 2019. The film received widespread critical acclaim praising its story, characters, and genre savvy homages to the medium. It was nominated for several awards and took home two Oscars in 2004 for Best Animated Feature as well as Best Sound Editing.

Conclusion

                True masterpieces are largely unaffected by the passage of time and The Incredibles is no exception. With strong writing, engaging characters, and a timeless commentary on the comic book genre I can recommend The Incredibles to anyone who enjoys a family oriented story!

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