Belgian postcard by Boomerang. Image: Disney / Pixar. The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004). Caption: Now on DVD!
American postcard by Disney Enterprises / Pixar Animation Studios, 2005. Image: Pixar Animation Studios. Art by Robert McGinnis for The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004). From 'The Art of Pixar: 100 Collectible Postcards, published by Chronicle Books.
American postcard by Disney Enterprises / Pixar Animation Studios, 2005. Image: Pixar Animation Studios. Film image of The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004). From 'The Art of Pixar: 100 Collectible Postcards, published by Chronicle Books.
American postcard by Disney Enterprises / Pixar Animation Studios, 2005. Image: Pixar Animation Studios. Korean poster for The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004). From 'The Art of Pixar: 100 Collectible Postcards, published by Chronicle Books.
American postcard by Disney Enterprises / Pixar Animation Studios, 2005. Image: Pixar Animation Studios. Art by Paul Topolos for The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004). From 'The Art of Pixar: 100 Collectible Postcards, published by Chronicle Books.
Belgian postcard by Boomerang promoting the DVD of the film. Image: Disney / Pixar. Jack-Jack in The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004).
Ex-superheroes
The story of The Incredibles begins with a still young Mr. Incredible a.k.a. Bob Parr who, like any superhero, performs his daily heroic deeds. He is unexpectedly visited by Buddy, a young fan eager to become his helper. Buddy turns out to be more of a nuisance than a help, despite his self-invented gadgets, and Mr. Incredible sends him away.
Later that day, he marries the superheroine Elastigirl (Helen). Then, suddenly, things go wrong. After Mr. Incredible saves a man who was about to commit suicide, the man sues him. This leads to a chain reaction of lawsuits against superheroes. The government decides to help the superheroes by setting up a special programme that will pay for all their lawsuits and provide them with new identities, on the condition that they never do heroic work again.
15 years later, Bob and Helen have settled into a quiet little town. They now have three children: teenage Violet, 10-year-old Dashiell ("Dash"), and baby Jack-Jack. Violet and Dash each have superpowers, but Jack-Jack is apparently normal. Bob, who now works at an insurance company, is frustrated that he can't help anyone anymore. He still tries to be a "hero" by pointing out loopholes in the law to his clients so they can get their benefits. He also regularly goes out at night with his old friend Lucius (also an ex-superhero called Frozone) to help people.
He is unknowingly shadowed by Mirage, a mysterious woman. After Bob loses his job, Mirage contacts him. She offers him a large sum of money if Bob will take out a runaway robot, the Omnidroid 9000, on an island. Bob accepts the job and defeats the Omnidroid. After this, Bob gets more and more assignments. He starts training again to get in shape and has the fashion designer Edna Mode make him a new suit.
Two months later, Mirage calls Bob again. When Bob arrives on the same island again, he is attacked by an enhanced version of the Omnidroid. He is captured by the mastermind behind the Omnidroid, a man called Syndrome. This Syndrome is none other than his old fan Buddy. He has made a fortune over the past 15 years inventing and selling weapons. He has kept the best weapons in order to become a hero, despite his lack of superpowers.
Later, when Mr. Incredible escapes and looks into Syndrome's computer, he is horrified to discover that Syndrome has already killed dozens of superheroes to prepare his Omnidroid for battle with Mr. Incredible. At home, Helen discovers Bob's absence. When she sees that his old superhero suit has been repaired, she immediately goes to Edna.
Edna shows the superhero costumes that she has made for all the members of the family. From Edna, she hears that Bob was fired months ago and has started working as a superhero again. Thanks to a transmitter Edna fitted into Bob's suit, Helen discovers Bob's location and immediately jets off to the island. Dash and Violet come along as stowaways. Unfortunately for Mr. Incredible, the transmitter also gives his location away to Syndrome and he is captured again.
American postcard by Disney Enterprises / Pixar Animation Studios, 2005. Image: Pixar Animation Studios. Film image of The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004). From 'The Art of Pixar: 100 Collectible Postcards, published by Chronicle Books.
American postcard by Disney Enterprises / Pixar Animation Studios, 2005. Image: Pixar Animation Studios. End credit art by Teddy Newton for The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004). From 'The Art of Pixar: 100 Collectible Postcards, published by Chronicle Books.
End credit art by Teddy NewtonAmerican postcard by Disney Enterprises / Pixar Animation Studios, 2005. Image: Pixar Animation Studios. Film image of The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004). From 'The Art of Pixar: 100 Collectible Postcards, published by Chronicle Books.
American postcard by Disney Enterprises / Pixar Animation Studios, 2005. Image: Pixar Animation Studios. Concept art by Lou Romano for The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004). From 'The Art of Pixar: 100 Collectible Postcards, published by Chronicle Books.
American postcard by Disney Enterprises / Pixar Animation Studios, 2005. Image: Pixar Animation Studios. Concept art by Lou Romano for The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004). From 'The Art of Pixar: 100 Collectible Postcards, published by Chronicle Books.
Belgian postcard by Boomerang. Image: Disney / Pixar. The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004). Caption: Now on DVD!
Alternating breakneck action with satire of suburban sitcom life
Brad Bird originally conceived the screenplay for The Incredibles for a traditional, animated film for Warner Bros. According to his own account, he got the idea from a drawing he had made in 1993. He developed the film as an extension of the 1960s comic books and spy films from his boyhood and personal family life. After the film Looney Tunes: Back in Action (Joe Dante, Eric Goldberg, 2003) became a flop, Warner Bros. closed its animated film division, and the project for The Incredibles was cancelled.
When Bird later talked to his friend John Lasseter about the film, Lasseter convinced him to give Pixar a try. Bird and Lasseter knew each other from their college years at CalArts in the 1970s. Pixar accepted Bird's script but changed the animation to computer animation. This made it the first Pixar film to feature only human characters.
At his request, Bird was allowed to put together his own crew. He approached people he had worked with on The Iron Giant (Brad Bird, 1999), among others. Bird's idea contained many scenes that were difficult for computer animation to do. Among other things, new techniques were needed to realistically depict human anatomy, clothing, and skin. Among other things, Violet's long hair was technically difficult to draw. The film was largely treated as if it were a live-action production.
John Barry was the first choice for the composer because of his music for the trailer of the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service (Peter R. Hunt, 1969). However, Barry did not want to recreate his old soundtracks for the film, so Michael Giacchino was approached. The music in the film is entirely instrumental.
Critics' reactions were very positive. Critic Roger Ebert awarded the film 3.5 out of 4 stars and wrote: "The Pixar Studios, which cannot seem to take a wrong step, steps right again with "The Incredibles," a superhero spoof that alternates breakneck action with satire of suburban sitcom life. After the "Toy Story" movies, "A Bug's Life," "Monsters, Inc." and "Finding Nemo," here's another example of Pixar's mastery of popular animation."
The film is generally regarded as one of the best Pixar films. One point that many critics noticed was that the film had a much more serious and mature undertone than previous Pixar films. However, this was also a point of negative criticism. The film clearly contained more and more realistic violence than previous Pixar films.
The film won the Academy Award in 2005 for the Best Animated Film (the second Pixar film to win this award) and the award for best sound effects. The film was also nominated for the award for best screenplay and best sound. The Incredibles made $70,467,623 in its opening week, more than any Pixar film has ever made in its opening week. The film even (just) beat Finding Nemo's revenue of $70,251,710. The film brought in a total of $261,441,092, making it the second most successful Pixar film ever, and the fifth most successful film of 2004. Worldwide revenue was $631,436,092. A sequel, Incredibles 2, was released in 2018.
British postcard by Arcard Cards promoting Toshiba's Qosmio AV Notebook PC, no. 678. Image: Disney / Pixar. Bob Parr, Mr. Incredible in The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004). Caption: Mr. Incredible. HT: 2.0m. WT: 158 kg. Powers: Strength & Agility. Fifteen years (and fifty pounds) after he hung up his hero suit, Mr. Incredible, once the best-known most popular super alive, has gone underground and is living as Bob Parr, a claims adjuster at possibly the world's worst insurance company, Insuricare. Though Bob's preoccupation with bygone days has taken a toll on him and his family, he's surprised to learn that his greatest adventures lay ahead.
British postcard by Arcard Cards promoting Toshiba's Qosmio AV Notebook PC, no. 679. Image: Disney / Pixar. Helen Parr, Elastigal in The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004). Caption: Elastigal. HT: 1.73 m. WT: 56.7 kg. Powers: Flexibility & Stretching. Helen Parr, Bob's wife, has adjusted to normal life quite well and is busily focused on caring for her three children. While she occasionally uses her amazing stretching ability to meet the daily challenges of motherhood, she is careful to do so only behind the closed doors of their suburban home. She misses the old days but doesn't dwell on them. She only wishes that Bob would do the same.
British postcard by Arcard Cards promoting Toshiba's Qosmio AV Notebook PC, no. 680. Image: Disney / Pixar. Dash in The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004). Caption: Dash. HT: 1.22 m. WT: 29.5 kg. Powers: Super speed & Superior Reaction Time. Like most ten-year-old boys, Dash seems to be moving even when standing still. Full of restless energy, he has the power of super speed, a power so useful for playing pranks on his least favourite teacher that he has difficulty keeping it in check. Dash has been called into the principal's office more than once, but he's never been caught. Dash doesn't understand why his family should hide their powers - why would they have them if they weren't supposed to use them?
British postcard by Arcard Cards promoting Toshiba's Qosmio AV Notebook PC, no. 681. Image: Disney / Pixar. Violet in The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004). Caption: Violet. HT: 1.37m. WT: 158kg [sic]. Powers: Invisibility & Forcefield. Violet Parr is, in most ways, a typical shy, insecure teenage girl stuck at the crossroads between child and woman. She, like her superhero parents, possesses special powers. It seems only right that hers allow her to disappear from view and her problems, at a moment's notice - especially for someone who desperately wants to be like everybody else, but isn't.
British postcard by Arcard Cards promoting Toshiba's Qosmio AV Notebook PC, no. 682. Image: Disney / Pixar. Jack-Jack in The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004). Caption: Jack-Jack. HT: 0.76m. WT: 11.3kg. Powers: unknown. Jack-Jack is the little black sheep of the family. The most unusual thing about him is how there is nothing unusual about him. But who knows? Like all babies, he has 'incredible' potential.
British postcard by Arcard Cards promoting Toshiba's Qosmio AV Notebook PC, no. 683. Image: Disney / Pixar. Lucius Best, Frozone in The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004). Caption: Frozone. HT: 1.88m. WT: 81.6kg. Powers: Freezing Ability. Lucius Best used to be known as Frozone - the coolest Super of them all. His style, wit, and ability to create ice from moisture in the air (not to mention his special multi-function boots) made him the envy of every gadget-loving little boy. The best friend of Mr. Incredible. Lucius knows the old days are done and doesn't try to relive the past. But he knows Bob still wants to and tries to help him chill out in any way he can.
British postcard by Arcard Cards promoting Toshiba's Qosmio AV Notebook PC, no. 684 Image: Disney / Pixar. Edna 'E' Mode in The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004). Caption: Edna Mode. Ht: 1.12 m. Wt: Not telling, Dahling! Powers: Fashion Genious, Dahling! Though she first gained notoriety as the world's leading superhero costume designer, Edna Mode (known as E) remains a leading figure in international fashion. Still at the top of her game, E is bored with vapid, "brainless" supermodels, finding it particularly galling as she "used to design for Gods." She longs for the return of the Supers, for a real design challenge, for one more chance to fuse the latest technology with her impeccable fashion sense.
British postcard by Arcard Cards promoting Toshiba's Qosmio AV Notebook PC, no. 685 Image: Disney / Pixar. Buddy Pine a.k.a. Syndrome in The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004). Caption: Syndrome. Ht: 1.85 m. Wt: 83.9 kg Powers: Unlimited Budget. Highly intelligent and cunning, Syndrome spends his days on Nomanison Island, a remote paradise on the far side of the world. An accomplished inventor, Syndrome is torn between admiration and resentment towards the Supers.
Sources: Roger Ebert (RogerEbert.com), Wikipedia (Dutch and English), and IMDb.
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