Pixar has achieved another successful gender crossing, age crossing animated full-length feature.  This time the theme is 'be who you are' and the characters parody comic book genre superheroes.  The storyline is filled with sequences we can all identify with in our lives: conforming to corporate life, stifling job positions, ethical compromises, working around the system, sullen teens, sibling hassles and the inequity of traditional family roles. 

Superhero vs. an evil genius is a well-worn plot and you might wonder whether it's worth seeing the same old story revisited.  But the fresh twist here is twofold: (1) they are a family and (2) with the help of the superhero protection program, they have gone underground in an attempt to disengage from superhero tasks, i.e. become normal.  We are all special and we want to feel that way, but further, we imagine at some point what it would be like to have some kind of numinous power.  This family has got it and they are suppressing it. 

Pixar delivers the plot at a breakneck pace.  The storyline moves right along and there are no ends of challenges for our 'Incredible' family.  But Pixar has made all the characters quite human with details in their actions and expressions that are so good, we forget that they are animations and relate to their adventures vicariously and seamlessly just as we would with human actors.  And we have all known arrogant specialists like the one person in the film's world who can create or repair superhero costumes.  Watch for her; she's funny.

To my knowledge, this is the last joint venture that Pixar (Steve Jobs) has contracted with Disney Studios.  With a great string of hits in their back pocket, they don't need Disney.  But Disney hasn't been doing all that well recently and they need Pixar.  So I expect the new CEO of Disney will be courting Steve Jobs.  Regardless, I look forward to more animations that are the quality of Toy Story I (1995), A Bug's Life (1998), Toy Story II (1999), Finding Nemo (2003) and The Incredibles (2004). 

Reviewed March 28, 2005

MPAA: Rated PG for action violence.