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ERRRRK! I Can

Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...

Oh, Jesus, I want to see this movie. I need to see this movie. I watch that new trailer, and I can’t concentrate on anything else for an hour afterwards. This movie looks fan-fucking-tastic, and then I get a review like this in the mailbox, and it gets even worse:

Hi Harry, not much time to write this up so I'll be quick.

Had the great fortune of seeing a work in progress and all I can say is, roll on November so I can see it complete.

Some of the situations the super heroes find themselves in are so typical of society today - if you sneeze at the wrong person you get sued and that's what happens to our poor heroes who are just trying to live up to their reputations and keep the world a safer place - they get sued for damage to property, endangering innocent lives and forced to renounce their powers and go into hiding – think of it as witness protection plan for superheroes. But some of them find it difficult to cope, especially if you work in a deadend job as an insurance adjuster with a snotty short guy as your boss, out to humiliate you every day because that's the only way he gets noticed – being stuck in traffic with the rest of us mere mortals - but Mr Incredible's temper tantrum is slightly more damaging than ours - think very small Japanese car, 6.8 tall superhero with his arm out the window, crumpling the frame of the door and roof unintentionally as he tightens his grip out of sheer frustration. The scene where he gets home, gets out of the car, trying to close the door but of course it won't since the frame is crumpled, is priceless.

There are many such comedic moments but you can absolutely identify with these characters. Poor Dash (their young son) has a very difficult time too - at athletic events at school his parents confuse the hell out of him when they're "cheering" him on ... 'no, no slow down slow down .. OK, go faster now .." obviously he'd leave the rest of the sprogs in the dust if he were to run at full speed but that would risk exposing the family's 'true' identity. But the film has darker moments than most of Pixar's films to date.

SPOILER SPOILER; At one point, Dad thinks his family had been killed in a plane crash as mom and the rest of the gang attempt to rescue him - I must admit, as a CG character Mr Incredible actually displays more emotion than some of the A list actors we've seen recently - you really feel for the guy. There's lots of stunning moments that lift Pixar movies from the 'rest' - Edna Mode is one of my favourite characters - that deadpan voice and expression gets me every time. And Mr Cool himself, 'Frozone' nails it every time - you've seen the bit in the trailer where he asks his wife for his superhero suit in that resigned whine husbands usually have when asking their wives something without wanting to piss them off.

I'm sure other readers will have more detailed and better reviews than this one but I really felt that The Incredibles reached so many different levels that would appeal to different people out there - the frustrated husband who feels worthless because he can't save lives anymore, Elastigirl who seems happy doing the whole family thing but you can't help but think she's also longing for the days when she kicked butt and showed the guys how it should be done, and the kids who have these superpowers but it's drilled into them from an early age that they cannot be preceived as 'different'.

It would be interesting to see feedback once more people have seen the film but for one, I'll be there when it opens, waiting to share this fantastic experience with an audience.

Call me Miss Harris

I know November is just about six weeks away, but it feels like eternity. Damn it, Disney, WHERE’S MY SUPER SUIT?!?!

"Moriarty" out.





Readers Talkback
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  • Sept. 20, 2004, 5:39 a.m. CST

    Can't wait...

    by redtom

    ...for this one, that latest trailer is coooliocious...

  • Sept. 20, 2004, 5:39 a.m. CST

    I want to watch it now.

    by el zar

    But the long wait begins for the rest of us mere mortals without sneak peek prvileges.

  • Sept. 20, 2004, 5:48 a.m. CST

    Looks fun

    by John Anderton

    yay

  • Sept. 20, 2004, 7:23 a.m. CST

    It's not going to be THAT good.

    by Rupee88

    I think it will be a fun movie, but it is not going to be the 2nd coming of Star Wars Ep IV. You mofos need to calm down before you wet your pants.

  • Sept. 20, 2004, 8:27 a.m. CST

    You'd think the whiners would have learned their lessons after p

    by minderbinder

    Why, if it isn't the boy who cried "THIS is the one where Pixar drops the ball..."

  • Sept. 20, 2004, 8:39 a.m. CST

    I seem to remember liking this film.

    by MrVess

    When it was titled "Mystery Men".

  • Sept. 20, 2004, 8:48 a.m. CST

    CoffeeEnema -- What the fuck is a kindergarden?

    by SmarkJobber

    Is that like a nicer sort of meangarden? Are you implying that plants have emotions? Just wondering. /// As minderbinder pointed out, wannabe parade-rainers have been saying that "this is gonna the Pixar movie that knocks 'em off the pedestal" since "Monster's Inc." Well, it ain't gonna happen soon, and it definitely won't be with "Incredibles." /// In terms of quality and consistency, Pixar has no competition. PDI *is* going to take one in the jaw with "Shark Tale."

  • Sept. 20, 2004, 8:51 a.m. CST

    by EdCrane

    this will be at the london film festival on the 27th and 28th of october

  • Sept. 20, 2004, 8:55 a.m. CST

    london film festival

    by EdCrane

    on the 27th and 28th of october - sorry, forgot to add a title

  • Sept. 20, 2004, 9:50 a.m. CST

    hopefully it was be more in the Shrek mold

    by greyspecter

    than the monsters inc mode. that is, more aimed at experienced humour than little kids. if so, i might give it a shot. certainly not spazzing out over it, though. bring on Oceans 12! is more like it

  • Sept. 20, 2004, 10:44 a.m. CST

    I'm still waiting for a good 2D animated film to get made

    by mbaker

    Seriously, CGI is overrated, and Hollywood needs to realize that 3D is not the solution to their 2D woes.

  • Sept. 20, 2004, 3:20 p.m. CST

    How come the average film for kids is better-written than the av

    by FrankDrebin

    As much fun as SKY CAPTAIN was, it was sorely lacking in the script department. And after watching the trailer for SAHARA, I can only conclude that Hollywood hates me, and is actively trying to cause me pain.

  • Sept. 20, 2004, 6:45 p.m. CST

    I don't get it...WHY exactly do people root for a movie to fail?

    by minderbinder

  • Sept. 20, 2004, 7:58 p.m. CST

    MrVess is on LSD if he thinks the Incredibles resemble Mystery M

    by eraser_x

    MrVess, did you also like Sky Captain better when it was called Bambi? Because they probably also seem exactly the same to you. ;-)

  • Sept. 20, 2004, 8:20 p.m. CST

    Sky Captain WAS disappointing

    by Rupee88

    I just saw it today and the story was SO boring...

  • Sept. 20, 2004, 10 p.m. CST

    PLANT!

    by Undead03

    As per Brad Bird @ Comicon, the film's been finished for over a month. This is a very poor plant--giving just enough information without giving anything away. Great job, Disney! But next time, be a little less obvious.

  • Sept. 21, 2004, 4:43 a.m. CST

    A bowl of...fuck? Ok. Is there mayo in that?

    by SmarkJobber

    As for mis-representing your name, I apologize profusely, Mr. Enema. The usage of spaces was not well taught in my "kindergarden." Maybe it's because my teacher was a rose bush.

  • Sept. 21, 2004, 6:06 a.m. CST

    This is the Pixar movie.....

    by Drunken Fugitive

    That all you negative bastard's have been screaming for! You bitch about them making all there flick's too childish, now they've made a fanboy flick that's gonna kick everyone's ass, all I can say is sit back and enjoy this shiit while it last's!!

  • Sept. 21, 2004, 8:26 a.m. CST

    "Duped"? Wow, could you be any more fucking arrogant?

    by minderbinder

    When 90% of the population loves something (including critics and including awards), you just might have to consider the possibility that what they love is actually good (and you have bad taste). But if you want to insist that it is crap and Everyone But You was somehow fooled, feel free. I thought trying to look cool by bashing things that are popular went out of style back around '99...guess you didn't get the memo. Can't wait until this comes out and is a huge hit so I can laugh at chumps like you. (no way this makes under $200M)

  • Sept. 21, 2004, 8:36 a.m. CST

    Kids films written better than adult films?

    by mbaker

    If you think that kids films are better written than adult films, allow me to give you the following exceptions to the rule. Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed Garfield: The Movie Superbabies: Baby Genius 2 Thunderbirds Confessions Of A Teenage Drama Queen A Cinderella Story Yu-Gi-Oh: The Movie Elle Enchanted

  • Sept. 21, 2004, 3:29 p.m. CST

    minderbender - a note

    by Fish Tank

    First off, I love everything Pixar has done, and have high hopes for this movie. But to your point about 90% of the population liking something, so it must be good, I'd counter with both Shrek and Shrek2. TERRIBLE movies with no originality relying too heavily on boring safe formulas, modern tie-ins and REALLY boring fart bubble humour. The mindless sheep LOVED those movies. Note: This is not an attack on you at all, it just serves to remind us that enough mindless sheep can sometimes form an oppinion (a wrong one). Cheers.

  • Sept. 21, 2004, 9:09 p.m. CST

    While we're piddling in the genre of superhero families...

    by tango fett

    USA Today printed pics of the FF costumes. Check em out at comingsoon.net, they're not as bad as I feared.

  • Sept. 22, 2004, 9:43 a.m. CST

    Fishtank

    by minderbinder

    True, there are weak movies that make a ton of money (although I'd disagree that either Shrek movie is awful). But I didn't just mention general audiences - critics and award voters are gaga over the pixar stuff as well. So who exactly are the "experts" who get to deem pixar's stuff "crap"?