‘The Incredibles’ - What’s another word for incredible?

As a big fan of the Pixar movies (Toy Story, Finding Nemo, etc.), I knew that I was going to like “The Incredibles.” The question was how much was I going to like it and the answer is a lot.

“The Incredibles” is the story of what happens to superheroes after they are forced into relocation programs because of rampant lawsuits. Mr. Incredible, a.k.a. Bob Parr and his family are the focus of the film. After years of saving the day, Parr has settled down to a mild-mannered suburban life working for an insurance firm, while his wife takes care of three kids. Parr yearns for the good old days and when a chance to put the uniform back on comes around, he jumps at the chance. Too bad it’s a trap and it is up to the family and their super powers to rescue dear old Dad and save the day.

That’s only a quick summary of what’s going on in the film as “The Incredibles” is as jampacked with sub-text as it is with action. Audiences will leave the film jazzed about the amazing visuals and fantastic action sequences, but they are also left with a great message about responsibility and families. Though it is not as goofy or silly as other Pixar films (no Ellen DeGeneres or Billy Crystal for comic relief here), “The Incredibles” is vastly entertaining. It is more in the vein of ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ or ‘The Goonies’ than it is of ‘A Bug’s Life.’

In this day and age, it is not a big stretch for animated films to be nominated for Best Picture Oscars, but “The Incredibles” may be the first to truly deserve a nomination. The voice talent, especially the interplay of Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) and wife, Helen, aka Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), is top-notch, while the visuals are the absolute, hands-down, best in cinema all year (Sorry, Sky Captain, Shrek and Spiderman).

In what is sure to be a family friendly holiday movie season (“The Polar Express,” “Spongebob,” “A Series of Unfortunate Events”), “The Incredibles” gets things off to a rollicking start and sets the bar extremely high.