The Incredibles: A Review (no spoilers)

I've had the opportunity to see The Incredibles twice in the last two weeks. This last time was at Pixar's facility in Emeryville. I thought I would give a little overview of the experience and a short review of the film itself.

A colleague of mine was nice enough to set aside a few tickets so that we could go see it for a second time on Thursday in Emeryville. Pixar has several days of private screenings for their employee's friends and family in a way to pay them back for their hard work and to perhaps create some buzz for upcoming movies. It had been a little while since I've been to the campus. The first noticeable addition to the lobby is a huge robot character from the movie we were about to see. It still looked miniature compared to the oversized hangar-like entrance to Pixar. You could play a game of softball in this room it is so big. Even the ceiling is high enough that a pretty well hit ball won't break a light.

We were shuffled into the theatre and found a groups of seats. We had about 10 or 15 minutes to talk with friends and one time co-workers, it was very nice to catch up with people I hadn't seen in years. The lights lowered and the stars on the ceiling lit up.

The first thing we got to see was a trailer for "Cars". This is an upcoming Pixar film being directed by Lasseter. I've seen some footage before, but this is the first time I have seen the teaser/trailer. It was very nice. This film has a lot of potential and could be really fun. I am looking forward to this film more than ever now. Who could of thought cars could have so much character. Initially I was skeptical of this project. But, I am happy to say I was proven wrong about its potential.

Next up was Boundin. A short directed by Bud Luckey for Pixar. This is probably my least favorite short from Pixar. It was just boring and unappealing to me. Bud is a great and talented guy and I have a hard time bad mouthing this project. So I will leave it at that.

The Incredibles began. The movie was quite a departure from the usual Pixar flick. Big action, lots of violence, and a few sexual suggestions here and there. No wonder this wasn't rated G. I've never seen so many characters crushed and blown up in an animated film before. Pretty fantastic!! The characters are interesting and fun to watch. They hold your interest and you really can't wait to see what is about to happen. The villian was insane and great fun to watch. There were several laugh out loud moments, and as a pretty laid back guy, I rarely laugh louder than a giggle while in a theatre. But, that Edna Mode character was simply hilarious. One of the best animated characters I've ever seen.

Since you can only rate Pixar films by other Pixar films. I cast 4 out of 5 Woody's for The Incredibles. For comparison. I rate Finding Nemo 2.5 Woody's


Technically speaking. The Incredibles is Pixar's finest. The hair and cloth simulations are pretty darn good. The special effects are 1 million times better than any previous CG movie. The eggheads certainly out did themselves on this one. As far as animation, they continue to get better in each movie. I've seen some pretty fantastic animation in my time, and some of the shots in this movie rate right up there with the best.

Pixar should be proud with what they have accomplished. Technically, it was beyond any of their previous films and story was right up their with the best of their releases (if not the best). And folks, coming from me, that is glowing praise. I am very critical of Pixar films and I'm not afraid to say when I don't like something. Not much to dislike here.

The Incredibles was true to its title.