[Gambit]

The Incredibles

Took the fam to see this film over the weekend. If you've not heard of it, it's another Pixar/Disney effort like Finding Nemo.

The premise is that superheroes exist today. Our central character is Mr. Incredible, who is super-strong and super-tough. One of his super-friends is Frozone, played by Samuel L. Jackson, and his powers are basically equivalent to Iceman.

Well, being a superhero is fun, but when people start suing superheroes for property damage and whiplash when you've just saved their life, it's time for the government to step in, with a superhero relocation program on the condition that the supers don't go do super-stuff. Mr. Incredible marries Elasti-girl (kind of like plasticman) played by Holly Hunter, and they have three kids: teenage Violet, who can project a force field and become invisible, Dash, the hyperactive hyper-zippy 8-year old, and baby Jak, powers unknown. When Mr. Incredible is secretly contacted and offered a chance to relive the glory days, he can't resist and the action begins.

It's a long movie. And right before things start to pop, they get a little humdrum as we're shown how being super doesn't preclude a family from having typical family problems. But other than that, it's fast paced, it's funny, and there are gizmos, gadgets, music styles and special effects ripped right out of the old Bond movies. Tropical islands with pod-cars, secret missile bases, airplane/submarine combos, it's all there. Then you get to throw in superhero comic-book stuff, and it's quite a mix. And a wonderful bit with an arrogant super-costume designer voiced by the director, too. And an evil genius villian with his world-conquering city-smashing robots? Did I leave that out? How about nods to Star Wars and other popular movies hidden here and there?

It's a ton of fun. Safe for kids, fun for adults.

I'll give it 4.5 Gryphons.