The Incredibles

It is rare in animated film that a particular film can have an impact on the general film industry and cause a buzz. This is what happened with The Incredibles. It is also no accident that most successful animated films that cross borders and barriers are aimed squarely at adults, though they are wrapped up in a neat little bow pretending to be made just for kids. Films like The Incredibles have a story that all ages can enjoy, but when they are written with adults mainly in mind for the humour, pathos, drama and strategic pop culture references, the film can become a supernova.

From the start, right to the end, you’re rooting for all of the Incredibles. When an animated film cleverly aimed and unabashedly promoted at young people draws an even bigger adult audience, something special has happened. Though animated film has been around for decades, it has been in just the past 25 years that a renaissance has occurred – began by Beauty and the Beast with its huge box office, critical acclaim and revitalized and modern animation. Perhaps Disney, Pixar and all the others have recognized that the way to grow and be a successful animation film studio is to aim at the adults – not market to them, but create stories that will appeal to them, their sense of humour and their childhood.

Brad Bird’s witty, intelligent, sardonic writing clearly comes from his early days with The Simpsons. It’s used to great effect here. Anything that comes out of E’s mouth you know has origins from Bird’s Simpsons days. E is laugh out loud funny. Violet’s characterization is spot on. Without this great writing, The Incredibles would have become just one of the many straight-to-video releases. Instead, it is one of the modern-day classic animated films that is referred to in terms of quality, story, characterization and voice. One of the best animated films ever made.

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