#12: The Incredibles

God bless Brad Bird.  Most people don't even know the name, but you've most certainly loved his work.  He works include The Fox and the Hound, The Simpsons (he is credited for directing the first appearance of Sideshow Bob, the best Simpsons character of all time), The Iron Giant, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Ratatouille  and most importantly The Incredibles.  I will argue with anyone that will listen that next to Steven Spielberg, Mr. Bird is the greatest storyteller in Hollywood right now.

The first time I was introduced to The Incredibles was on a date while in college at BYU.  This girl (we will call her A. Menlove, or maybe Amy M.) raved about it, and I, wanting to impress her, decided to take her to a showing of it.  The last Pixar film I had seen was Finding Nemo, which I was sinfully unfond of.  I was pleasantly surprised by Incredibles, not only for its superhero aspects, but also for its family values.  As my movie tastes have matured, I have fallen even more in love with this film.  

REVIEW

There is so much to like in this movie, I'm really not sure where to begin.  Like most Pixar movies, every scene is perfectly pristine, working on every level.  I'm constantly amazed at how these guys run such a tight ship.

The voice acting is spectacular.  I have to remind myself who those actors really are, because I'm constantly lost in their performances.  I can safely say that this is Samuel L. Jackson's BEST ROLE TO DATE as Frozone.

The music is among the best Michael Giacchino has done, and is probably the Pixar soundtrack (although Up gives it a run for its money).

The story works so well and despite it being about superheroes, is really easy to relate to.  The family chemistry is so real.  It teaches timeless lessons about staying together through the rough times.

TRIVIA

• Edna Mole (the superhero costume designer) is voiced by the director, Brad Bird. 
• Was originally supposed to be called 'The Invincibles.' 
• In order to give Dash a realistic out-of-breath voice, Brad Bird made Spencer Fox run laps around the studio. 
• When Edna gives Helen the homing device for the first time in the laboratory, the GPS zooms into the San Francisco area, where the Pixar Animation Studios is located (Emeryville, California) and the old studio building in Point Richmond. 
• Edna, the costume lady, is based on Edith Head, who worked as a studio costume designer on hundreds of movies over more than fifty years. 
• Brad Bird was listening to Public Radio International and heard Sarah Vowell, a frequent contributor to the PRI program "This American Life". He felt her voice was perfect for Violet even though she had never acted before. To convince her, Pixar animators animated one of Vowell's segments from "This American Life" and sent it to her. 
• The movie went through 3 different composers, finally settling on Michael G.  Michael Kaman (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) was first in line, but unfortunately died during pre-production.  Then they went with John Barry (James Bond movies) and he ended up doing several demos before leaving.  

CONCLUSION
My confession is that this is my favorite (gasp) superhero movie.  It is the most polished, most relatable, and most fun.  If you haven't watched it, it is very important to do so.  Your life may depend on it.