Thursday, November 27, 2008

Long Live the Incredibles

By Fabian Toulouse

Walt Disney unleashed THE INCREDIBLES to almost immediate, worldwide acclaim. Essentially, the story is about a superhero family forced to live a "normal" life. Once the greatest superheros to ever walk the earth, the Incredibles have to live a stifling suburban life. This clever story was penned and directed by SIMPSONS veteran Brad Bird.

This marked the sixth Pixar production under the aegis of Walt Disney Pictures. Not only was it well-received, THE INCREDIBLES launched a phenomenal merchandising campaign that had boys between the ages of 5 and 8 scrambling for everything from cups to pajamas to toys to lunchboxes. It has quickly climbed the ranks to become a Disney animated classic.

The film starts with a bang as Mr. Incredible, on his way to his wedding, swoops in to save a man falling from a building. In the process of saving him, Mr. Incredible inadvertently damages a passenger train. Following his wedding, he and his superhero cohorts are slapped with lawsuits. It turns out the falling man was trying to commit suicide and feels his rights were infringed and the train passengers filed for millions in damages. Reacting to the public outcry, the government is forced to declare superhero-ism illegal and forces them to live in hiding.

Craig T. Nelson famously voices Mr. Incredible, while Academy award-winner Holly Hunter voices his wife, Elastigirl. They have settled down to raise their two children, Dash and Violet, who were born with super powers but are forbidden to use them. Their baby, Jack Jack, seems to be a normal child, much to Mr. Incredible's disappointment. Forced to live as "normal" people, working normal jobs, and going to normal schools, life is one dreary misfortune after another.

A crazed ex-fan of Mr. Incredible is determined, after being inadvertently snubbed by his idol, to reek vengeance. He begins to lure unsuspecting superheroes to his island lair as fodder for his indestructible superhero killing machine. Mr. Incredible, eager to get back to his former life, accepts a mission to the island to investigate. Little does he know he is being lured to his death.

Meanwhile, his wife Helen (Elastigirl) maintains home and hearth. She doesn't suspect anything is wrong until she notices a tear in her husband's old superhero outfit. After a bit of snooping, she discovers her husband has broken his promise to not fight crime, putting the family in jeopardy. Once Helen learns about his secret mission, she flies on a jet to confront him.

It so happens, Dash and Violet have managed to stowaway on the plane. Somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, the plane is attacked, forcing the children to fend for themselves. Helen has to quickly get her family working as a team to survive. Can they band together in time to save Mr. Incredible? Can they survive long enough to save the the future of superheroes and the planet? THE INCREDIBLES is a must-have Disney animated classic. - 15432

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