Film Review: The Incredibles [dir. Brad Bird; 2004]

A couple of years ago, when Sight & Sound were compiling their list of the most important films of the last decade, I was pleased to see that one of the few computer animated movies they’d considered for inclusion was The Incredibles. Its original release wasn’t met by the ecstatic plaudits which were heaped upon Wall-E, Up and Toy Story 3, but I’ve always considered it to be one of Pixar’s finest creations and I’m pleased to say that it stood up very well to my recent repeat viewing. With its wickedly inventive, postmodern story of a family of super-heroes trying to live a normal life in a society that no longer takes kindly to the intervention of people in capes and funny costumes, it treads that fine balance between appealing to both children and adults without pandering to either. The production design and incidental score are superb – and make several sly nods to slick thrillers from bygone days – and the animation manages to remain touchingly human without scrimping on spectacle. A real winner, especially on Blu-ray.