Review of The Incredibles (2004) by Trevor R — 07 Apr 2014

The voice-acting, animation, and soundtrack are excellent all around, but I don't find most of the subversive elements to be found in "The Incredibles" particularly clever or smart. Not only is the basic premise lifted straight from "Watchmen," but many of the attempts to undercut and point out the inherent absurdity in superhero stories-- such as the dangerous effects of capes as a darkly comic Chechov's gun-- end up clashing with the decidedly retro approach to the material. But why doesn't Edna bother to point out the stupidity of domino masks that do nothing to hide the characters identities? Even Mr. Incredible's overly harsh treatment of Buddy-- that inadvertently pushes him into a life of crime--is never acknowledged. The good guy is the good guy because he's good, and the bad guy deserves to die because he's bad. The film has this kind of selective cynicism that comes off as wildly hypocritical.

Perhaps worst of all is the disturbingly gleeful manner with which people are killed (by everyone, including the two kids). It's sad that a film generally meant for children stands out so harshly within a genre whose greatest characters--Batman, Superman, Spider-Man-- are known for fighting to preserve human life at all costs. The movie is undoubtedly fun and well-made, but too morally murky for my taste.