The Incredibles
The Incredibles is a 2004 American animated superhero film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Written and directed by Brad Bird, it stars the voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Spencer Fox, Jason Lee, Samuel L. Jackson, and Elizabeth Peña. Set in a retro-futuristic version of the 1960s,[5][6][7] the film follows Bob and Helen Parr, a couple of superheroes, known as Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl, respectively, who hide their powers in accordance with a government mandate, and attempt to live a quiet suburban life with their three children. However, Bob's desire to help people draws the entire family into a confrontation with a vengeful fan-turned-foe.
This article is about the film. For other uses, see The Incredibles (disambiguation).The Incredibles
Brad Bird
- Andrew Jimenez
- Patrick Lin
- Janet Lucroy
- October 24, 2004 (El Capitan Theatre)
- November 5, 2004 (United States)
115 minutes[2]
United States
English
$631.6 million[3]
Bird, who was Pixar's first outside director, developed the film as an extension of the 1960s comic books and spy films from his boyhood and personal family life. He pitched the film to Pixar after Warner Bros.' box office disappointment of his first feature, The Iron Giant (1999), and carried over much of its staff to develop The Incredibles. The animation team was tasked with animating an all-human cast, which required creating new technology to animate detailed human anatomy, clothing, and realistic skin and hair. Michael Giacchino composed the film's orchestral score.
The Incredibles debuted at the El Capitan Theatre on October 24, 2004, and was released in theaters in the United States on November 5. It earned $632 million worldwide, finishing its theatrical run as the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2004. The Incredibles received widespread acclaim from critics, with praise for its animation, screenplay, action sequences, sound design, humor, music, and is frequently considered to be one of the greatest superhero movies of all time. The film won Best Animated Feature and Best Sound Editing at the 77th Academy Awards, with two additional nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Sound Mixing, as well as the Annie Award for Best Animated Feature. It was the first entirely animated film to win the prestigious Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. A sequel, Incredibles 2, was released in June 2018.
Plot
On the day of his wedding with Helen Truax (alias Elastigirl), superhero Bob Parr (alias Mr. Incredible) thwarts a civilian's attempted suicide by tackling him through a skyscraper window. Bob then discovers supervillain Bomb Voyage robbing the building but is interrupted by his devoted fanboy Buddy Pine, who wants to be his sidekick. Bob rejects Buddy, and Voyage clips a bomb onto Buddy's cape; Bob manages to get the bomb off, but it destroys part of an elevated train track, forcing Bob to abruptly stop an oncoming train. After his wedding, Bob is sued for collateral damage by the suicidal civilian and the injured train passengers. Similar lawsuits create a negative public attitude towards superheroes, so the government initiates the Superhero Relocation Program, banning all "supers" from using their powers in public and forcing them into hiding.
Fifteen years later, Bob lives with Helen and their children, Violet, Dash, and baby Jack-Jack, in Metroville. Although he loves his family, Bob misses his superhero days and resents his mundane job as a claims adjuster, moonlighting as a vigilante with his best friend Lucius Best (alias Frozone). One day, Bob's supervisor, Gilbert Huph, stops him from preventing a mugging. A frustrated Bob injures Huph and is consequently fired. The same day, a woman named Mirage secretly offers Bob a mission to subdue a giant "Omnidroid" robot loose on Nomanisan island. Bob succeeds by tricking the machine into ripping out its own power source. Rejuvenated by the action and higher pay, Bob improves his relationship with his family, trains to get back into shape, and asks superhero costume designer Edna Mode to fix a tear the Omnidroid made in his old suit. Incorrectly assuming Helen knows of Bob's new job, Edna makes new suits for the entire family.
Summoned back to Nomanisan, Bob discovers Mirage is working for Buddy, now calling himself "Syndrome" after being embittered by Bob's rejection. Syndrome has become wealthy by inventing weapons that mimic superpowers. He also has been perfecting the Omnidroid by luring supers to fight it until it kills them. Syndrome intends to send an Omnidroid to attack Metroville, then defeat it publicly with secret controls, thereby gaining "hero" status. He then plans to sell his inventions to the world to make the term "super" irrelevant.
Helen visits Edna and learns what Bob has been up to. She activates a beacon Edna built into the suits to find Bob, inadvertently causing Bob to be captured while infiltrating Syndrome's base. Helen borrows a private plane to fly to Nomanisan; Violet and Dash stow away, leaving Jack-Jack with a babysitter. Despite knowing that there are children on the plane, Syndrome shoots it down with missiles, but Helen and the kids survive and make it to the island. Disillusioned by Syndrome's callousness, Mirage releases Bob and informs him of his family's survival. Syndrome's guards pursue Dash and Violet, who fight them off with their powers and reunite with their parents. Syndrome imprisons the family and follows the Omnidroid to Metroville. The Parrs escape to Metroville as well with Mirage's help.
Syndrome's plan backfires when the Omnidroid's artificial intelligence recognizes that Syndrome's remote control wristband is a threat; it shoots the remote off of Syndrome, who is knocked unconscious as he tries fleeing. The Parrs and Lucius fight the Omnidroid; Helen and the kids retrieve the remote control, allowing Bob to destroy the robot's power source. The Parrs and Lucius are hailed by the public just as Syndrome awakens to see their victory. Returning home, the Parrs find Syndrome retaliating by abducting Jack-Jack to raise as a sidekick. As Syndrome flies away, Jack-Jack's superpowers manifest, and he escapes Syndrome's hold. Helen rescues the falling baby, and Bob throws his car at Syndrome's plane; Syndrome is sucked into the plane's engine, killing him and causing the plane to explode.
Three months later, the Parrs witness the arrival of supervillain the Underminer. They don their masks and suits, ready to face the new threat.
Themes
Several film reviewers drew precise parallels between the film and certain superhero comic books, like Powers, Watchmen, Fantastic Four, Justice League, and The Avengers. The producers of the 2005 adaptation of Fantastic Four were forced to make significant script changes and add more special effects because of similarities to The Incredibles.[42] Bird was not surprised that comparisons arose due to superheroes being "the most well-trod turf on the planet," but noted that he had not been inspired by any comic books specifically, only having heard of Watchmen. He did comment that it was nice to be compared to it, since "if you're going to be compared to something, it's nice if it's something good".[16]
Some commentators took Bob's frustration with celebrating mediocrity and Syndrome's comment that "when everyone's super, no one will be" as a reflection of views shared by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche or an extension of Russian-American novelist Ayn Rand's Objectivism philosophy, which Bird felt was "ridiculous."[9][16] He stated that a large portion of the audience understood the message as he intended whereas "two percent thought I was doing The Fountainhead or Atlas Shrugged." Some purported that The Incredibles exhibited a right-wing bias, which Bird also scoffed at. "I think that's as silly of an analysis as saying The Iron Giant was left-wing. I'm definitely a centrist and feel like both parties can be absurd."[9]
The film also explored Bird's dislike for the tendency of the children's comics and Saturday morning cartoons of his youth to portray villains as unrealistic, ineffectual, and non-threatening.[43] In the film, Dash and Violet have to deal with villains who are perfectly willing to use deadly force against children.[44] On another level, both Dash and Violet display no emotion or regret at the deaths of those who are trying to kill them, such as when Dash outruns pursuers who crash their vehicles while chasing him, or when both of them witness their parents destroy several attacking vehicles with people inside, in such a manner that the deaths of those piloting them is undeniable. Despite disagreeing with some analysis, Bird felt it gratifying for his work to be considered on many different levels, which was his intention: "The fact that it was written about in the op/ed section of The New York Times several times was really gratifying to me. Look, it's a mainstream animated movie, and how often are those considered thought provoking?"[9]
Release
Marketing
A teaser trailer of The Incredibles premiered on May 30, 2003, and was attached to the screenings of Finding Nemo.[45] Several companies released promotional products related to the film. In the weeks before the film's opening, there were also promotional tie-ins with SBC Communications (using Dash to promote the "blazing-fast speed" of its SBC Yahoo! DSL service) Tide, Downy, Bounce and McDonald's.[46] Dark Horse Comics released a limited series of comic books based on the film.[47] Toy maker Hasbro produced a series of action figures and toys based on the film.[48] Kellogg's released an Incredibles-themed cereal, as well as promotional Pop-Tarts and fruit snacks, all proclaiming an "Incrediberry Blast" of flavor.[49] Pringles included potato chips featuring the superheroes and quotes from the film.[50][51] In July 2008, it was announced that a series of comic books based on the film would be published by BOOM! Studios in collaboration with Disney Publishing by the end of the year.[52] The first miniseries by BOOM! was The Incredibles: Family Matters by Mark Waid and Marcio Takara, which was published from March to June 2009 and collected into a trade paperback published in July of that year.[53]
Theatrical
The Incredibles was released theatrically in the United States on November 5, 2004.[54] In theaters, The Incredibles was accompanied by a short film, Boundin' (2003).[55] The theatrical release also included sneak peeks for Cars and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.[56] While Pixar celebrated another triumph with The Incredibles, Steve Jobs was embroiled in a public feud with the head of its distribution partner, The Walt Disney Company.[57] This would eventually lead to the ousting of Michael Eisner and Disney's acquisition of Pixar the following year. In March 2014, Disney CEO and chairman Bob Iger announced that the film would be reformatted and re-released in 3D.[58] The Incredibles was re-released and digitally re-mastered for IMAX theaters (alongside its sequel, Incredibles 2) using their DMR Technology in a double feature on June 14, 2018.[59]
As part of Disney's 100th anniversary The Incredibles was re-released between September 1 to 14, 2023 in the United States[60] and October 5 to 11 in Latin America.[61]
Home media
The film was first released on both VHS and a two-disc collector's edition DVD set on March 15, 2005.[62][63] The DVD set was THX certified, consisted of widescreen and a pan and scan fullscreen versions and included two newly commissioned Pixar short films, Jack-Jack Attack and Mr. Incredible and Pals, which were made specifically for this home-video release, and Boundin', a Pixar short film that premiered alongside the feature film in its original theatrical release.[64][65] The VHS release only featured the short, Boundin'. It was the highest-selling DVD of 2005, with 17.38 million copies sold.[66] The film was also released on UMD for the Sony PSP.[67] Disney released the film on Blu-ray in North America on April 12, 2011,[68] and on 4K UHD Blu-ray on June 5, 2018; this marks Disney's first 4K Blu-ray reissue on the format.[69]
Reception
Box office
The Incredibles earned $261.4 million in the United States and Canada and $370.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $631.6 million.[3] It was the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2004, behind Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Spider-Man 2.[70]
The Incredibles was released with Alfie on November 5, 2004. It debuted earning $70.7 million from 3,933 theaters.[4][71] This made it the second-highest opening weekend for an animated film, trailing only behind Shrek 2. The film opened in the number #1 spot at the box office, dominating Saw, The Grudge, Shark Tale, Ray, Ladder 49 and other films. Despite its opening, the overall Hollywood revenues fell, continuing a box office slump that had lingered for most of the fall season. The top 12 movies took in $136.1 million down to 5% from the same weekend the previous year, just after the openings of The Matrix Revolutions and Elf.[72] For 15 years, The Incredibles had the biggest November opening weekend for an animated film until it was dethroned by Frozen II in 2019.[73] It continued to rule the box office while staying ahead of The Polar Express. Its second weekend earnings dropped by 28% to $51 million,[74][75] and followed by another $26 million the third weekend.[76] The Incredibles completed its theatrical run in the United States and Canada on April 14, 2005.[77]
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 97% of 248 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "Bringing loads of wit and tons of fun to the animated superhero genre, The Incredibles easily lives up to its name."[78] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 90 out of 100, based on 41 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[79] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a rare average grade of "A+" on an A+ to F scale, making it Pixar's fourth film to receive this grade (after Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., and Finding Nemo).[80]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three-and-a-half out of four, writing that the film "alternates breakneck action with satire of suburban sitcom life" and is "another example of Pixar's mastery of popular animation."[81] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone also gave the film three-and-a-half, calling it "one of the year's best" and saying that it "doesn't ring cartoonish, it rings true."[82] Giving the film three-and-a-half as well, People magazine found that The Incredibles "boasts a strong, entertaining story and a truckload of savvy comic touches."[83]
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution was bored by the film's "recurring pastiches of earlier action films", concluding that "the Pixar whizzes do what they do excellently; you just wish they were doing something else."[84] Jessica Winter of The Village Voice criticized the film for "playing as a standard summer action film", despite being released in early November. Her review, titled as "Full Metal Racket," noted that The Incredibles "announces the studio's arrival in the vast yet overcrowded Hollywood lot of eardrum-bashing, metal-crunching action sludge."[85]
The Incredibles was included on a number of best-of lists. It appeared on professional rankings from The Guardian based on retrospective appraisal, as one of the greatest films of the twenty-first century.[86] Travers also named it as number 6 on his list of the decade's best films.[87] Several publications have listed it as one of the best animated films, including: Entertainment Weekly (2009),[88] IGN (2010),[89] Insider, USA Today, Elle (all 2018),[90][91][92] Rolling Stone (2019),[93] Parade, Complex, Time Out New York, and Empire (all 2021).[a] The Incredibles appeared on several lists of the best superhero films, by outlets including: Time (2011),[98] Paste, Vulture, Marie Claire (all 2019),[99][100][101] IGN (2020),[102] Esquire, The Indian Express, and Parade (all 2021).[103][104][105] In December 2021, the film's screenplay was listed number 48 on the Writers Guild of America's "101 Greatest Screenplays of the 21st Century (So Far)".[106] Others have named it one of the best conservative films,[107] best action films,[108][109] and best political films.[110]
Video games
It has received several game adaptations: The Incredibles (2004), The Incredibles: When Danger Calls (2004),[114] and The Incredibles: Rise of the Underminer (2005).[115] Kinect Rush: A Disney–Pixar Adventure (2012) features characters and worlds from five Pixar films, including The Incredibles.[116][117] Disney Infinity (2013) includes The Incredibles playset featuring the film's playable characters.[118] Lego The Incredibles was released in June 2018.[119]