TODAY'S MOVIE REVIEW: 'The Incredibles'




Today finds us examining two alternate versions of my review of "The Incredibles" in today's Oregonian:

ALTERNATE VERSION No. 1: The print version -- which for some reason has been given a byline belonging to my colleague Marc Mohan. Poor guy.

ALTERNATE VERSION No. 2: Pasted below is a bizarre, FAQ-formatted version of the review -- a format I played around with for about 10 minutes at 2 a.m. the night before it was due, with my editor's permission. Fortunately, my inner editor realized before deadline that this was a really silly, self-indulgent idea, and a more linear version of the review hit newsstands Friday. With another guy's byline. But still.

What's that? Silly? Self-indulgent? Then by all means it should be reproduced here!
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THE SUPER-HELPFUL "INCREDIBLES" FAQ

Q. So how does Pixar Animation Studios keep making one bloody amazing cartoon after another -- from "Toy Story" to "Monsters Inc." to "Finding Nemo"?

A. In an interview last year, Pixar director Andrew Stanton told me his company's approach to filmmaking could be summed up in a single word: "sprezzatura."

Q. "Sprezzatura"?

"It basically means 'the art of concealing art,'" said Stanton, who directed "Finding Nemo." "If something looked deceivingly simple, there was probably so much blood, sweat and tears behind it to make it look effortless."

He also summed up the Pixar mindset: "We’re junkies for entertainment , first and foremost -- but then we’re almost equal junkies for tapping into the life-truth of something. And when the two can be married just right, I mean, there’s nothing better."

Q. "Life-truth"?

A. I know, I know. But everything he said pretty much perfectly sums up the joy of watching "The Incredibles."

Q. Did Stanton direct this one?

A. Actually, no. It was written and directed by a newcomer to the Pixar stable: Brad Bird, whose previous credits include "The Simpsons" and 1999's overlooked "The Iron Giant." But it's as wonderful as anything Pixar's ever made, and for all the usual reasons: It's hilarious, thrilling and filled with "life-truth" -- but also conceals its effort under a layer of great writing and subtle craftsmanship.

Q. Thank you for that lengthy and overwritten movie-reviewer sentence.

A. Putting it another way, with fewer adjectives: "Spider-Man 2" is now the year's second-best superhero movie.

Q. What's it about?

A. A family of superheroes forced to hide (with the help of the Superhero Relocation Program) when the public starts suing them for property damage.

Q. Sounds funny.

It is. Fifteen years into his "retirement," the father -- the indesctructible strongman Mr. Incredible -- has become a flabby insurance-claims adjuster, saving the world "one policy at a time." (The scenes where he quietly seethes in his hopelessly tiny car are among the film's funniest; it's as if Arthur Miller had written "Death of a Superhero.") His wife, the super-flexible Elastigirl, is now mother to a brood that includes invisible-teen Violet and her lightning-fast little brother Dash.

The best part is that Bird finds comedy in the subtle moments that immediately follow bigger bits of slapstick. When Mr. Incredible lifts a car over his head in a fit of impotent rage, it's the little boy who watches him, gum popping, who gets the laugh.

However, a warning to parents with little kids: It does get off to kind of a slow start.

Q. Uh-oh. How slow?

A. Well, At 115 minutes, this is the longest computer-animated cartoon ever, and the 40 minutes of setup will probably test the patience of younger viewers. But what a payoff! When a mysterious benefactor woos Mr. Incredible to a remote island fortress worthy of a '60s Bond film, the movie kicks into gear, dragging the family back into the superhero biz with a vengeance -- and pummeling you with a series of comic and action set pieces that leave you with that deep-tissue satisfaction so rare in Hollywood blockbusters. You may find yourself giggling the way Dash does when he realizes, in the middle of a frantic chase, that he can run on water.

Q. I saw that it's rated PG. Is it even appropriate for little kids?

The movie's rated PG for some deftly handled bits of action violence, but also for its emotional peril: As Violet moans at one point, "Mom's and Dad's lives could be in danger -- or, even worse, their marriage!" Moments like that give "The Incredibles" the sort of quiet, grown-up heft that marks a true all-ages film. "The Incredibles" is ultimately a joyful movie that celebrates family and, like Pixar itself, challenges mediocrity.

Q. Are you sure it's appropriate for little kids?

A. There's a difference between being grown-up and being "adult," if that makes any sense.

Q. How's the voice cast?

A. Amazing. It's wonderful to see a cartoon where the voices are cast for appropriateness rather than star power -- who but Pixar would cast the voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson and Sarah Vowell?

Q. Sarah who?

A. Vowell. The author and NPR personality. Anyway. The best voice-work in the movie is by Bird himself, doing a hilarious drag turn as an Edith Head-style fashion designer who specializes in high-tech supersuits.

Q. So it's worth my hard-earned entertainment dollars.

Absolutely. There's so much more praise that could be vacuum-packed in here: Samuel L. Jackson retains his cool even when reduced to a cartoon voice. Michael Giacchino's lush score evokes a '60s James Bond soundtrack far better than any recent Bond movie's. And Bird uses computer animation in a truly cinematic way -- to create discreet lighting, camera and film-grain effects even as the movie wows you with scenes of nighttime sieges and giant-robot battles.

As Elastigirl tells her husband at one point: "If we're gonna make this [marriage] work, you're gonna have to be more than Mr. Incredible." Likewise, Bird realizes that a cartoon has to be more than incredible-looking. Thanks to his considerable efforts, Pixar's latest once again looks effortless.

Supercharged comedy (The Oregonian, Nov. 5, 2004)


Posted: Fri - November 5, 2004 at 11:25 AM        

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