Saw it this evening, was completely blown away, and the rest of the audience with me (especially the girls liked it, to my surprise). It got totally trashed by two (normally) popular movie critics here in Stockholm, but both of them are feminist liberal women who hate the concept of the nuclear family and one of them even commented on Syndrome the bad guy's building of WMD devices as "a stupid and insensitive move in these times we live in". Talk about having a garden rake up her ass.
I'm going to try and quantify why I think it was good, so it actually means anything and is not an OMG LOL-class review.
First off, effects. The shiny (almost shimmering) suits that resembled Superman's nylon, the hairdos (especially the daughter's) and the general detail of environments, realistic gyrodynamics and inertia, the best I've ever seen, on the microlevel.
Secondly, good actors. Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter and Sam Jackson are actors I really like and Hunter was the best. But I must say that I even liked the two kids a lot, I got no feeling of wanting to groan (Jar Jar syndrome) at any point. Especially the boy was so natural, unaffected and dynamic. Come to think of it, he felt like a really good Calvin (from Calvin and Hobbes).
Thirdly, the general facial/body animations (emoting), also the best I've ever seen in a CGI-cartoon. When Elastigirl saw a hi-speed tram approaching, she started rustling her feet and shoulders like a goalie countering a ball or a cat preparing to pounce. "ok-ok-ok-ok-GO!!". All the little details added to the realism as well, small eyebrow quirks, sublime mouth muscle movements. When other animators have done it before it has easily gotten crude and exaggerated, I never felt that here. Some closeup-scenes even surpassed Gollum in realistic facial expressions, I must say.
Then there's the drama. Helen warning her children that they might die, Bob in anguish after the plane explosion, all very risky maneuvers on the writers' and director's part. Funny enough, I've seen several superhero-movies these last 5 years that didn't get close to this drama quality, and they were live actors!
Some people claim that "The Incredibles" is a ripoff and plagiarism on the Fantastic Four and that Marvel should sue. Um, it's a parody on superheroes! Homage, tribute, nods! Anything getting through to you? No?
Actually, I think I won't enjoy "Fantastic Four" nearly as much as I did this movie, given how "Daredevil", "Hulk" and "Spiderman 2" felt to me. Those movies had some moments of heavy groaning.
I really appreciated the timing and delivery of the humor throughout the whole movie. The strongest impression I got was "This director knows what he's doing with what he's got!". The dinner-table fight and the sidewalk kid on the tricycle, just spot on.
Also, and this is very rare for me, I found Helen/Elastigirl really attractive and a believable character. Sensible, strong and intelligent, but not above snappiness under stress (missile chase) or anguish (realizing her husband may be lying to her or cheating on her but being hesitant to confront him yet, hoping she's wrong). She might be the most human cartoon character I've ever seen, and the most feminine.
It might just be me but seeing a headstrong but self-scrutinizing female lead that doesn't cross the line into bitchville, that's rare and very very sexy.
Some would probably say that this review and my praise is over the top and highflying for a "simple cartoon movie", and I say that's bullshit and I don't care and also I rule.
Even if the movie is largely tongue-in-cheek and the general premise and aforementioned nuclear family angle is saccarine-decent, this film evoked a range and depth of reactions in me that Tobey Macguire/Eric Bana could just forget about coming close to. (Blackhouse Down and Ciderhawk Rulez may be good, but Hulk and Spiddy-II put these two gentlemen into corned beef).
Ta ta!
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
For anyone who even remotely likes "The Incredibles", you absolutely MUST find and watch "The Iron Giant", director Brad Bird's earlier animated film. This underappreciated masterpiece has all the qualities that make "The Incredibles" a hit present in spades, albeit in a slightly less refined form. Still, the spot-on characters, writing, comedy and action make "The Iron Giant" one of my all-time favorite films of any genre or medium, as I'm sure this latest film will be as well. If you haven't, go watch! And if you have, go watch again!
And after you watch it, see if you can spot the verbal IG reference in "The Incredibles". Go on, I'll wait.
"Accept Jesus and get a Playstation 2!" is a bit strong. Like SomethingAwful's TruthMedia reviews.
Posted by Balaam Xumucane (Member # 419) on :
Just saw it this afternoon. Terrific. Really funny. Wonderful voice-acting. Nice new skin and hair modelling. Great lighting throughout. Tremendous timing. I think what I love is that they've improved technically but that hasn't distracted them one jot from making believable and interesting characters and then telling a story with them.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
I'm surprised noone started a thread on this sooner. It's been out a while in the States. I kept meaning to, but never got around to it.
I agree with everything that's been said so far. This was simply one of the best movies I've seen in a while. I wasn't bored for a minute.
The parts after Bob gets captured I think are probably the best. When he grabs white-haired chick and threatens to kill her... but can't. Wonderfully done. The missle attack and Elastigirl frantically trying to get her daughter to use her powers... beautiful. The jungle fight where the whole family works as a team. Absolutely stunning.
I thought the effects used to create the super power effects were also very impressive. The forcefield effect in particular.
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
The tremendous writing of this film helps define it for me. When Helen and the kids are being attacked by the missiles, I was literally on the edge of my seat - would they dodge them, use the force fields, cause them to crash into each other? NO! The resulting hair's breadth was exciting like no action film has made me in a long time.
And of course, Frozone adds a coolness factor (pun not intended) that puts this film over the top. I swear, Samuel Jackson could make a movie where he's just reading a phone book and STILL kick everyone's ass.
Mark
Aside: the Special Edition of "The Iron Giant" is out on DVD today. Even though I have the original release, I'm still gonna get this one. Seriously, IT'S THAT GOOD. Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
OOh! I must get the IGSE. I sense a lunch time mission coming. How much is it going for?
...Superman...
Posted by Utmost Nim (Member # 205) on :
meff
Posted by Utmost Nim (Member # 205) on :
Igse.cx, nonetheless.
I will buy IGSE, but I feel apprehension since I've seen the Futurama-episode where I think they spoofed Iron Giant (Tales! Ovvvv! Interest!!, Pt.II), and already now I have misgivings about what state it will leave me in. Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
I bought it at lunch. $15.
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
$18 CND up here, where I'll get it after work. If an increasingly-lousy US dollar is good for anything, it's imports.
Mark
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Just pretend that I have copied and pasted everything Nim said. It was good. A bit less humour and a bit more action than prevous Pixar films, but just as good. Those people are incapable of making a bad movie, it seems.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
Wait until they're free from Disney. My guess is that they get even better.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Maybe, although I don't see how. I doubt Disney exerts that much influence over them considering how successful they are. The only thing that might happen is that they might try making more "adult" CGi movies, which might not be a good thing.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
I don't know... never underestimate the power of a large corporation that thinks way too much of itself to screw up a good thing.
Posted by StarLord (Member # 1430) on :
I saw this film and it was really, really good. It worked on two levels--one for the kids, the other for the adults. Well done, well animated and a great story. I think we will probably see a Disney Channel TV show or an ABC Saturday morning TV show based on it rather than a sequel movie, but I enjoy the movie as much as my kids did.
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
...And it's out on DVD, now.
And it is a good, good thing. Pixar has always looked fantastic on any size screen, and this is no exception!
Mark
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
Must... buy... DVD...
Posted by Reverend (Member # 335) on :
Great film alround. My favourite bit has to be the jet/missiles scene. Very tense stuff, even for a live action film and Holly Hunter delivers the flight jargon dialogue in a surprisingly natural and convincing way. Anyone else notice the Mallrats reference when "Buddy" first shows up in the prologue?
I'm with Mark in regards to IG, it's a superb animated film. Right up there with the likes of Aladdin, Lion King and Spirited Away.
So what's this about an Iron Giant reference in The Incredibles?
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
Supposedly there's a verbal reference to Iron Giant somewhere... but I've not been able to find it (yes, I bought the DVD this weekend).
The jet scene is indeed fabulous. If you watch some of the extras, you'll see that originally, the pilot ElastiGirl called for the plane originally piloted them to the island and died in the explosion. I think the finished sequence with her flying, trying to control the kids, yelling on the radio, and finally chucking it all to run back to the children worked far better.
What's the Mallrats tie-in? I would've thought I would've caught that... I must slipping in my old age... (wait, was that a Mallrats tie-in too...)
Posted by Reverend (Member # 335) on :
Yeah I got the disc too and I think they made the right call in regards to having the pilot die. It would have been good drama and a brave move for an animated film (something disney has only donw twice before) but ultimatly, having Elastigirl alone with the kids' fate in her hands made the danger all the more personal and I think added to the desperation that really comes through in the vocal performance.
I have no clue where the IG reference is either, however the Mallrats reference is right at the beginning where Buddy/Incredi-boy appears in the car. Mr Incredible goes through some names trying to remember what the kid is called, one of those names is Brodie. For those who don't know, Brodie is the main charcter in Mallrats, played by Jason Lee, who also plays Buddy/Syndrome in The Incredibles.
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
The "Iron Giant" reference was in the plane sequence. Helen IDs the plane as "India Golf Niner Niner", or I.G. 99. "Iron Giant" was released in 1999. I laughed out loud in the theatre when I heard that one, to tbe bewilderment of the folks with me.
As for "Mallrats", when Mr. I is first annoyed by Buddy in the opening scenes of the movie, he calls him "Brodie" while recalling his name. Syndrome voice actor Jason Lee played Brodie in that film.
EDIT - A bazillion trivia references have been found here:
Wasn't IG-88 an Imperial droid, or bounty hunter or something, in The Empire Strikes Back? I remember the name from the action figures from back then...
Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
Yes.
Posted by Saltah'na (Member # 33) on :
I cried in Iron Giant. Really. Couldn't help it.
And yes, the Incredibles are incredible.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
I cry every time I watch Iron Giant. It starts after they launch the missile and IG starts to figure out that he can stop it. I was watching it with my girlfriend last weekend and whispered to her, "Chances are I'm going to cry here in a second. Don't think less of me."
Posted by Nim' (Member # 205) on :
Aw crud, I still haven't seen IG yet, curse my lazy yet fine ass. Ah well, Bender kind of gave it away in that IG-Futurama scene.
About Gazer-Beam (dead cyclops-guy in the cave), how could he know the codeword for the badguy computer network, wasn't that just a bit too convenient? Was there ever a rational explanation to that? I forget.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
It was in the script.
(I've always wondered about that too, but am willing to let it go in favor of the other finery that is the Incredibles)
We can assume he was summoned to Nomanisa Island under the same pretense that Mr. I was. He probably learned of the e-vil plot after having defeated a lesser bot and somehow ended up in the cave only to be taken out by one of Syndrome's toys. That's the only reason I can think of that he would've ended up in the cave instead of killed by the robot.
Posted by Slokunshialgo (Member # 1569) on :
After hearing all this, and watching a bit at walmart, I'm really tempted to get this movie after work tommorow, and have a look.
Then afterwords, popping the Iron Giant into my VCR, and watching that for the first time in about 2 years.
Posted by Masao (Member # 232) on :
The Incredibles is great. Loved it. In fact, I'm listening to the sound track album right now! But that upcoming "Cars" looks like a step backwards. Doesn't seem to have much in the way of interesting character design.
What I like about Pixar movies is that they don't take the lazy way out of relying on the character and appearance of the voice actors, on idiotic jokes on modern consumer products, or racial stereotypes in animal form, as some CG movies do. For example, that piece of shit Shark Tale. Fortunately, no one will remember Shark Tale in a few months.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
Yes, Cars looks dumb. I'll happily pass and wait for them to do something truly cool again.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Yes, pass on a movie that you know nothing. It does look silly. Like that one with the toys? Why would adults want to see a movie about toys? Idiots.
Posted by Nim' (Member # 205) on :
Excuse me ma'am, have you seen the trailer for "Cars"? 15 cars driving in a grey rectangle, but instead of being regular shoebox Nascar cars they are regular shoebox Nascar cars WITH EYES! It's pantsshittingly "out there"!
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Yeah, I wasn't overly impressed with the advert either. But deciding to skip on a movie based on a trailer made two years before the movie even comes out? That's just silly. And who likes sillyness.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
I specialize in sillyness. I simply have no interest in seeing it. If something comes along that changes my mind, I'll go. If not, I'll pass. I'm not picking a wife here... I'm just not interested in seeing a movie.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
Admit your wrongness or you will be at an end. An end!
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
If I'm wrong and the movie rocks, they can paint a picture of my big white butt on the side of one of the cars for the sequel, and write "Alan's butt was wrong" below it.
Posted by PsyLiam (Member # 73) on :
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
