What Makes "The Incredibles" Great.

The Incredibles is one of the most well-balanced films I have ever seen in terms of story. Director/Writer Brad Bird incorporates so many ideas and concepts in this film that it really is amazing that at no point does it feel like one aspect feels overshadowed or underdeveloped compared to another. The Incredibles is indeed a superhero action film with great comedy that's fun for the whole family, but it's also a mature look and critique on how society views those who are exceptional, and how we treat those individuals because of those views.

The film opens with protagonist Bob Parr donning his alter ego Mr. Incredible and going about various generic superhero stuff like saving cats from trees, stopping bank robbers, and battling an over the top supervillain, all while on his way to his wedding to marry fellow hero Helen AKA Elastagirl. All things look bright until the government enacts a superhero ban due to the collateral damage they tend to leave behind in their exploits. 15 years after this Bob and Helen now have three kids and seem to be doing fine, but Bob's meaningless job working for an insurance company has left him empty and desires to return to his superhero days, which often results in him and his friend Lucious AKA Frozone to sneak out at night and perform various illegal acts of vigilantism. Bob then gets the opportunity to be a hero again for real this time when he gets an invitation from a mysterious client. Bob gets more than what he bargains for when he realized the organization in question is not who they say they are, and he and his family are all forced to don there tights and save the world.

The best part about the Incredibles is the strong sense of realism and depth despite the premise. It's a very strong look at how society tends to force those of special talents into positions that are beneath them. It's this problem that takes center stage in Bob's arc where he is forced to work for a corrupt insurance company that sees him sitting at a desk taking calls and working on a computer all day. We also see through his job Bob doesn't just want to be a hero again just to be a hero, but also out of a sense of needing to help people. We see examples of this when he exposes a loophole in an old woman's mortgage so she can afford to keep her home. We also see this in quite possibly the most powerful scene in the movie where Bob is being criticized by his greedy boss for helping people keep their homes at an affordable rate, during this rant he sees a man getting mugged outside the window and attempts to go out and help but his boss prevents him under the threat of firing him, causing the mugger to get away and Bob throwing his boss through the wall out of frustration. Not only do scenes like this make us sympathize with Bob, but it also expands on the dangers of forcing those special individuals into positions beneath them, as when doing this, we prevent them from using their talents to make the world a better place. We also see this carry out in the rest of the family where Helen is fully adjusted to the basic life and has become somewhat hypnotized to the idea that it's okay to not stand out, which has negatively affected her kids. Their son Dash wants to use his abilities to participate in sports but is denied by Helen due to his special powers, which has caused Dash to become a trouble maker at school as this is the only way he can express his talents. Their oldest Violent is an insecure teenager who has become a victim to the system by making her feel ashamed of her power and that has caused her to be shy as opposed to trying to stand out and express herself. It's a very and complex topic that the film explores, but at no point does it feel like it's taking down to the audience.

This criticism of not allowing one to express their talent is also where our villain Syndrome comes in. He's a great villain not just because he is a hilarious egomaniac, but also challenges the protagonists in more than just a physical fight. He also views supers as a problem, but differently and in a more understandable way. He sees them as obstacles that hold other people back from wanting to be great. We see this in the opening where he wishes to assist Mr. Incredible but is frequently denied which causes his insecurity about not having powers to manifest. He doesn't want to destroy the world, in fact, he wants to be a hero himself. He kills several heroes with a weapon that he will use to destroy a city, only for him to show up and defeat it himself, to prove that despite not having powers, he is a greater hero than any other hero with special powers. He then plans to eventually level the playing field by giving the public his inventions helping them be super as well so no one can feel inferior like how he felt as a kid, which in reality would just result in the same problem as the superhero ban because as Syndrome says "when everyone's super, no one will be".

The action and comedy are also on point. The powers the family has aren't just used to help out in a fight but in very creative and subtle ways. There's a great sequence where Elastagril is trying to stretch through all the doors to steal a key from a guard, but when the doors close, different parts of her body get stuck and she has to work through the henchmen one room and one part of her body at a time. There's that amazing chase sequence with Dash outrunning the henchmen in their flying vehicles. the comedy is also great in what is possibly one of the funniest Pixar films to date. Some great bits, of course, comes from the over the top superhero costume designer Edna Mode voiced by director Bard Bird himself, who may not be in the movie long, but still makes the best of the time she's given. She is just so hilarious in her insane passion for what she does like when asked for a cape on a suit she not only refuses but goes on a hilarious rant on superhero deaths related to capes.

Pixar have always been masters of exploring deep and complex issues in their body of work that help their films appeal to adults as much as kids, and The Incredibles is one of the best showcases of that aspect. It's a strong social critique of society that makes it Pixar's most mature film to date.