January 11, 2005

The Incredibles movie review – Unbelievably Incredible (!)

The Incredibles

Why would Vishnu incarnate as Rama in the epic of Ramayana and be sent to exile? He needs to kill Ravana. Thats one perspective. Being a staunch bhaktha of Shiva, it’s the path that Ravana chose to attain Moksha. Thats another. Put both into a single glass and see through it. I am sure you get another perspective. Every perspective also has a moral. A moral that so glaringly and sometimes very subtly told. This probably is the reason Ramayana still exists as the numero-uno of moral story building forte.

The paragraph above has nothing to do with the movie The Incredibles. It’s just how every Pixar movie starts with a moral depicting short film. So does a review. I know you want to kick me but then I love to follow the Pixar way. Even when the first-time-Pixar-movie-watchers are shocked with the kind of un-related story that starts, I certainly believe it is a way to prepare your audience for the grandness that follows. The morality could be similar but the presentation format amazes. Bounding is the short film thats been played in the beginning of this movie.

The Incredibles is truly incredible for the most part. Of course it’s unbelievably incredible(!) just like the huge robot ball that creeps on to the earth in the motive of destroying mankind. The Incredibles has a story that is metaphorically exhilarating but as it travels through the screenplay roller coaster, it boils down to pedestrian fantasy movie.

Just like how Mr.Glass of The Unbreakable was looking out for super heroes, Syndrome, the so called villain dude is also tracing and following the super heroes. His theory, “If everyone has super powers, no one really has“. And he is characterized by bristling hair, jazzy dress and a whacky smile, good to enough to say that he is a villain. He succeeds one third of a movie to put our hero to trouble and finally gets destroyed. Yet another kollywood masala. Yet another James Bond + Indiana Jones combo. Still, there lies a difference. Incredibles has a what-if story. What if Superman, Spiderman, Batman, Mandrake, Phantom and all super heroes are represented, indirectly, in a single movie? That’s probably the best aspect of the movie giving a large scope for creativity to unleash.

As a family to superheroes, dubbed by the public for de-railing the social laws, are sent in exile by the government, to live among the commons, as commons. The story then treads into a land of reality and details the living of superheroes in a distant city trying to fulfill the American dream. Our hero, the patriarch of the family, Bob Parr, is frustrated by the mediocrity and hypocrisy which the commoners posses and writhes to escape from the middle class exile. There comes an opportunity for him to break this cage and so he does.

Bob’s unwillingness to stay in exile is clearly depicted at two instances. During his son’s kindergarten convocation ceremony, he remarks in perplexed tone, “They keep finding new ways to celebrate mediocrity“. One single line that conveys all. Secondly, his body language when he drives that unfitting sedan from office. Bob’s wife, Elastigirl(voice by Holly Hunter) has an untypical role of savior and a mom with super powers. While in exile, her characterization and intonation ring in front a typical American housewife. The costume designer needs a special mention here. Then there are three kids of Bob, each with a special quality and extremely witty in their own ways. Violet, the teenaged daughter, who is head-over-heels on a school stud. Dash, the naughty and loud, speed runner. And the last kid, who has a hair similar to Ananda Vikatan symbol. All these plus there is a buddy of Bob Parr named Frozone (rendered by Samuel Jackson) who is the positive Mr.Freeze of Batman and Robin.

If I am rambling this much about the storyline in an animated movie, it’s an accolade for the entire technical crew. Because, I’ve got over the fact that there are no real humans in the movie but computer rendered graphical shapes that is make-believe to be a human. The humans are nearly true to life. Their skin texture, their facial movements and their amazingly perfect shadows are all the magic of software run on Pixar’s computers. Robert Zemeckis and his team nearly perfected the art of shadowing two dimensional animation even in Who framed the Roger Rabbit? But then Pixar always makes a giant step and they keep perfecting the art. Having read Pixar’s biography in The Second coming of Steve Jobs it’s interesting to visualize the growth of Pixar in the animation industry. Pixar would continue to grow and their animation would become milestones for other aspiring animation factories.

The sets and the costume design are cleverly designed to be address reality and at the same be spectacular. The background score by is shockingly silent. Very refreshing because the visual effects gets are highlighted and noticed.

Brad Bird, the director of the movie, is also popularly know for his direction of The Simpsons and The Iron Giant (which I would love to watch), gets the entire credit. He gives due regard to the audience intelligence and hence makes you feel elated as the movie passes, unseamed.

As the movie title goes, it is an incredible watch except for the stereotyped climax. The movie thoroughly extends the borders of large-scale animation entertainment by engulfing the adults also to watch it. A phenomenal success this is.

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