December 3, 2006
Ohhhh PIXAR…I was on the fence, but now I’ve decided. PIXAR good. Dreamworks not so good.
I’m sorry Dreamworks…we can still be friends, right? It’s not you, it’s me. I just don’t like you in that way. I love you, but I’m not IN LOVE with you. Am I seeing someone else? No, of course not. Oh, The Incredibles? I just watched it once…it didn’t mean anything, I swear!
Maybe I’m being a little bit overdramatic, but I really do feel like I’ve dumped someone. For years, I’ve been singing the praises of Shrek and Shrek 2. I even watched several episodes of the ill-fated crapfest Father of the Pride. (Even I couldn’t handle all the Siegfried and Roy bestiality jokes.) But then I saw Over the Hedge. It didn’t suck, it just wasn’t exceptional in any way. In retrospect though, when compared to The Incredibles or Finding Nemo, yeah – it was pretty sucky.
So, The Incredibles was…would it be ridiculous to say it was incredible? I know that Superheroes are all the vogue these days and The Incredibles didn’t really bring anything new to the table – but somehow, it still felt incredibly fresh. The story had a good family-oriented message, but wasn’t sappy or cloying, something that is incredibly hard to find in a kid’s flick these days. It was incredibly long, but I never once got bored. The incredibly brisk pace managed to keep my toddler’s attention for fifteen minutes at a time in places – incredible!
Ok, I’ll stop using the word “incredibly.” It’s become incredibly unfunny in just one short paragraph. Doh!
Jason Lee makes me very happy in everything he’s in – Kevin Smith or not. (I think it’s his nostrils.) He made a great nemesis for Coach’s Mr. Incredible. (I can’t NOT think of Craig T. Nelson as Coach…sorry.) Holly Hunter I can usually take or leave, but she was pitch perfect as Elastigirl. I wouldn’t ordinarily buy Samuel L. Jackson as a sidekick, but his performance was so subtle that it took me a few minutes to figure out it was him. Now THAT’S some acting. As a matter of fact, all the voice talent seemed to acting, as opposed to reading. How incredibly refreshing! (Oops, I did it again.)
Jack Jack is the stuff of nightmares. Seriously.
P.S. I still haven’t seen Toy Story. Or Monsters, Inc. Or A Bug’s Life. Or Cars. Is my rebuke of Dreamworks premature? Or am I spot on? As I start watching more of these films with my son, I think I’m going to start keeping score.
Rating – PG
Runtime – 115 minutes
Genre – PIXAR Computer Animation
Director(s) – Brad Bird
Writer(s) – Brad Bird
Actor(s) – Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Lee, Wallace Shawn
BOB Rating – Four BOBs
Favorite Quote – "Your boy's suit I designed to withstand enormous friction without heating up or wearing out, a useful feature. Your daughter's suit was tricky, but I finally created a sturdy material that can disappear completely as she does. Your suit can stretch as far as you can without injuring yourself, and still retain its shape. Virtually indestructible, yet it breathes like Egyptian cotton." - Edna (Brad Bird)