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The Incredibles

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I think that, overall,t his movie was wonderful. From the previews it seemed like the main superhero would be this bumbling idiot who could lift cars and break walls, but at the same time couldn't lock the seat belt over his bulging beer belly. I'm glad the movie was nothing of the kind. Although some of the themes I wish they did a liiitle bit better, others were spectacular - the value of family, the value of one's own uniqueness, the dis-value of mediocrity - all explicitly stated and woven into the film's primary storyline.

If nothing else, the best part about this movie was that it was an exuberant film about values, that was not afraid of itself, nor tried to trivialize its message. It was an unbridled romp of exciting and joyous struggle for values, and that alone made it a very rare film. Take the big modern classics, like Rambo, or Terminator. Sure they have fun adventure and explosions and big muscled tough guys, but in the end of the day, what moves the main characters other than an animal desire for survival? Take practically any movie today, and think about what the point of the movie is, and what you carry away in the end. In this analysis, The Incredibles is so rare as to be incredible itself :D

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I enjoyed the movie.

SPOILERS AHEAD....

A man with super powers being kept down by society, only to break out again and win the day, might sum it up. The super heroes were tied down and turned into mediocrities. But, the protagonists had great senses of life and heroic qualities through and through. They couldn't be kept down.

I loved the 1960s look and feel to their life style, and the mixture of James Bond-esque spy scenes and Star Wars-esque action scenes. The saucers chasing the boy were mindful of the levitating bikes in forest chase scene of The Return of the Jedi.

The movie was flat out fun! The computer animation is awesome.

Now, I didn't like the way business was portrayed. They were down right malevolent people running that company. Very vicious. The movie comes down a couple of notches for that. That's my only caveat.

Definitely worth seeing and even owning, with that one caveat.

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What interested me more were the numerous previews before the Incredibles for a movie called "Bigg's Adventure"- or something along those lines. The main characters have mottos such as "I can do anything" and "I would have built Rome in a day." What's even better is that they appear to use their minds and machinery to accomplish their feats, instead of supernatural powers that they were mysteriously born with.

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There was a short scene in the Incredibles, from inside the Incredible's house, where a bookshelf in the background had noticeable lettering for titles. However, the shot went by so fast I couldn't make any of them out. I have a feeling Pixar threw in some self-references there, and I can't help but wonder if there were any other interesting titles there... something heroic... about the men of ability...

It'll have to wait until DVD and freeze frame, I guess.

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There was a short scene in the Incredibles, from inside the Incredible's house, where a bookshelf in the background had noticeable lettering for titles. However, the shot went by so fast I couldn't make any of them out. I have a feeling Pixar threw in some self-references there, and I can't help but wonder if there were any other interesting titles there... something heroic... about the men of ability...

It'll have to wait until DVD and freeze frame, I guess.

They put stuff all over the place. A few that have been noted:

-- A squad car in the police chase had the license plate "KR 54," a reference, of course, to the 1960s TV show.

-- Kevin O'Brien is one of the storyboard artists for the movie. A framed TV guide on the wall in the Indredible's house reads "Kevin O'Brien: First Artist on the Moon."

-- Dash's principal's name is John Walker (as seen on a plaque of his wall), also the name of the producer.

I'm sure that many others have already been found, and I am equally sure that, as gnargtharst implies, many more will be found when the DVD arrives. These are clever and playful guys!

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Yet another (negative) Ayn Rand mention with explicit references to Atlas Shrugged and "objectivism."

I have not seen the movie, but I am puzzled: if all these critics despise Ayn Rand, why are they so eager to use the movie to attack Objectivism, when the parallels are indirect, at best? Or is this just a case of parroting the original Rand reference?

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GC, if you didn't see The Incredibles, then what explains your short review of it here? I ask because in that post you have a link to a review by an Oist who calls this movie Nietzschean, as if you agree with him and thus point your readers in that direction for more info. Yet you haven't seen the movie, so how do you know the validity of that review?

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I have a question about the "PG" rating. Would those who have seen it comment on whether there is anything that would be inappropriate for a 7 year old and their 6-year old friend?

I'm sure some (much?) of the movie would go over my daughter's head. But, specifically, is there anything that would be inappropriate. I tend to be on the prudish side of "normal" when it comes to exposure to sex. (For instance, I find aspects of many Disney flicks inappropriate.)

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I have a question about the "PG" rating. Would those who have seen it comment on whether there is anything that would be inappropriate for a 7 year old and their 6-year old friend?

I recall some hugging and brief kissing, nothing more explicit than that. At one point Mr. Incredible is working on getting back into shape, and his wife twice eyes him hungrily and tugs him back inside, but I think your child would gloss over it as random slapstick.

As far as language, I don't remember anything more aggressive than a "gee golly" or a "shucky darn."

Plenty of cartoon violence.

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*This talks about a little scene of the movie in relation to Objectivism, but is not a major plot spoiler:

I loved the part when upon arriving home from work, Mr. Incredible has a fit with his car and lifts it midair. A little neighbor boy passing by on his tricycle eyes him in amazement. After this spectacle, the youngster yet again appears in another scene lingering at the foot of the driveway. Mr. Incredible then demands, "What are you waiting for!?" In reply the kid innocently states, "I don't know. Something amazing, I guess."

Those lines had the same effect on me as the scene from The Fountainhead between Roark and the boy on the bicycle.

"Don't work for my happiness, my brothers-show me yours-show me that it is possible-show me your achievement-and the knowledge will give me courage for mine."

:dough: Super

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  • 3 months later...

I saw a quote from the director of the Incredibles, which seems to put to rest some of the notion of an Objectivist base to the movie. Kind of disappointing, but it was still a great movie nonetheless.

Q:"The Incredibles" generated quite a lot of ink on op-ed pages, where pundits debated the film's thesis that mediocrity is celebrated in America and that people with special abilities were being discouraged from being quite so special. Were you surprised?

Brad Bird:The idea that "The Incredibles," a mainstream animated feature, was thought of as provocative was wonderful to me. I was very gratified, though I thought some of the analysis was really kind of goofy.

Q:Such as?

Brad Bird:Some pieces compared the viewpoint to the objectivist philosopher Ayn Rand. I thought that was silly and the writers were humorless. I was into Rand for about six months when I was 20, but you outgrow that narrow point of view. Some compromise is necessary in life.

Source

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Wow, I've never heard that line before......

Well at least he's consistent. He certainly compromised when it came to his film.

This explains the movie perfectly in fact. The film's basically good and heroic message was corrupted by several irrationalist ideas. That the director is roughly familiar with Objectivism but failed to grasp it fully makes sense. I take it as another sign that Objectivism is spreading.

This movie failed to reach its potential, both cinematically and philosophically, but I still enjoyed it a great deal.

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I was into Rand for about six months when I was 20, but you outgrow that narrow point of view. Some compromise is necessary in life.

Sounds like my creative writing teacher in College and just about anybody else I come across most of the time. Especially when the talk gets to being about love. A good example is the fact that I am an Atheist and lets say I may be attracted to woman who is religious. Why is it assumed that I would be the one who would have to make the compromise?

:)

Edited by Richard Roark
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I think, in terms of Objectivism, that a movie like this is a great way to get the foot in the door. It's the kids who watch movies like that, and want to be like that, who will later read and accept Rand. That's really a big step for movies, I think.

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