Incredible

[Brandon B]

OK, I've been waiting for someone else to start a thread, but evidently it's gotten too cold up in the great white north and Texas and wherever the rest of you live to venture out to a theater to see this movie.

I seriously, seriously love this film. I have enjoyed all of Pixar's efforts, from liking them quite a bit (Bug's Life, Monsters, TSI, Nemo) to something a bit more than that (TSII). But right now, I cannot shake the urge to see this film repeatedly. Bought the soundtrack (something I have not done inn a decade or two for any new film, well except LOTR), hum it all day, etc. Haven't been this hung up on a movie since summer 1977.

I am sort of squarely in one it's main target audiences (40-something family guy, not keen on my job lately, miss some things about my young adulthood, frustrated with the way the world is going) and also a fan of superhero flicks (the few I think are well done), so it's a given I'd react positively, but this may be one of my favorite few movies ever.

Story is great, characters are great, action is great, music is great, etc., etc. While it is a parody of comic books/superheros, there is no mocking. It is plainly the work of someone who really loves the genre, and actually stands on its own as a superhero movie. ANd there are many little bits of homage to comic heroes (most notably the Fantastic Four). Although animated, that rarely entered my mind. The action sequences were for me better than anything from any "live" action CGI movie I have seen.

All my friends, neighbors and coworkers who have seen it have had the same reaction. Really, really recommend it.

I have seen a few people perplexed at the positive reaction, and a couple who thought it was outright boring. One of those was a fan of all previous Pixar efforts. So I guess it's not 100%. So don't shoot me if you are one fo those.

And the DVD of this is going to seriously rock. And the film is scope format, BTW.

Also recommend the soundtrack if you like big band swing jazz type James Bond theme music. Interestingly in the liner notes, they recorded the orchestra all live together (no adding tracks) and with all analog equipment to maintain the feel of 60's film scores.

Anyway, someone else go see this and post, so I know if I'm just being giddy.

Even wangled one of these out of SBC, and I am not a merchandise or collectibles guy.

BB

[Burke Strickland]

Hey BB -

Thanks for your enthusiatic review of "The Incredibles". Glad you're having a lot of fun with this one! Friends in this area who have seen it agree with you that the "story is great, characters are great, action is great, music is great, etc., etc." and that I should go see it ASAP.

Like you, I enjoy well done animation and super hero action/adventure flicks, and am also a fan of like big band swing jazz type James Bond theme music. So with the usually-dependable recommendations I'm getting from you and the others, I'd be surprised if this one isn't a winner for me, too.

But since they never caught the big snake that had my neighborhood cineplex closed for over a week, I guess I'll check out this "incredible" movie at one of the many other theater complexes where it is playing in and around the Houston area. So it might not be until the weekend that I get to report back with my own review.

In the mean time, enjoy being giddy. :>) Dictionary definitions of "giddy" -- a: lightheartedly silly b: joyfully elated. Take your pick -- as adults, we don't get to feel that way often enough.

Burke

[George Bellefontaine]

When you're 68 and you get to wake up the next morning... that's GIDDY.

Now, as for The Incredibles, well y'all know I not that much of a theater goer but I am considering going to see this one. But as Brandon alluded to earlier, it's just too damn cold to go out.

[Chris D]

I'm going to try to see this one this Friday. I'm always skeptical when a big company like Disney, Pixar, etc that has done fantastically on previous films, puts out another movie. I'm always wondering if this one is going to be just a rehash of gags and a recipie of sidekicks. (cough... Pocohantas... cough) Pixar hasn't let us down yet, though!

Hey, Brandon, on this topic, I just heard that Disney wants to make Toy Story III, using the same characters, but since Disney is splitting with Pixar, this would be made WITHOUT Pixar. :wtf: Danger, Will Robinson!

[Brandon B]

Let's just say the reaction to the TS news seems to be consistent across every single person I have heard from, online or in person.

As for consistently good movies, it really looks to me as though Pixar has chosen their next film, Cars, with which to falter on the success train. But I will bet it will be a commericial success regardless.

BB

[Cowanrg]

i saw it at a private screening that TI and samsung put on using a 3-chip DLP projector. it was awesome. for a movie, its a perfect 10 in my book. good drama, good characters, great action, etc...

its as good as entertainment gets.

[Stevepaul]

I wasn't as enthused about this one...

It is a really good movie....good story line, etc. But, this movie never grabbed me, or made me laugh much, or scared me, or surprised me....

I was in the mood for a good movie and had my favorite 3 bags of 'Skittles' ready. My wife likes many different kinds of movies and she said that it was a great movie....Yet, it just didn't hold her attention. Even my 12 year old daughter didn't place this movie in the top 10 that she has seen....though she certainly enjoyed it. My 8 year old was very happy and enjoyed the movie very much...but, just taking her to the movies gets her pumped up.

I went on opening night and the theater was packed.....but, nobody seemed to be laughing any more than I did. It didn't fully involve my intellect, didn't make me belly laugh much, didn't get my adrenalin flowing much.

It definitely was worth the money and I am glad I went. But, I may just let my kids go with their friends to these types of films in the future.....I can't seem to get the idea out of my head that this is anything more than a mildy humorous, well done, clever, 2 hour cartoon.

I loved 'Nemo'.....laughed all the way through it. It played to my inner-child. This movie played to my 41 year old midlife crisis and parental worries. I started to comment to my wife that I would never put my children in harms way like these parents did.....and it was a cartoon! Nope....not my cup of tea.

Maybe I just wasn't the target audience...

Steve

[monkeyboy69]

I'd have to agree

It just didn't hit the spot as previous films (toy story, finding nemo, monsters inc) did. My 9 year daughter even thought it wasn't that good.
Theres no faulting the animation but the story line was just too linear and you knew how it would progress until the ultimate good guys win scenario.
The only scene I found funny was the

spoiler

"honey, wheres my suit.... ?", as havoc rains outside the window

which has been shown so many times as an advert it ruined that moment. Maybe I'm being too critical and expect too much from films these days but considering all the hype I thought it would be better. Mind you I thought Shark tale was awful as well

Damn am I getting too old for these films now

[Azeke]

I beg to differ, I took the kids and cousin, ages 7,9, and 11, and we were throughly engrossed. I laughed, felt sad, etc., I rate this animation as one at the top of my list. I asked the kids their opinion, and they felt that only the Lion King was better, I begged to differ with them as well.

I give this animation a 9.5, and it is a great movie for the whole family to enjoy.

Just one man's opinion, your mileage of course may vary.

Regards,

Azeke

[Brandon B]

Reading all the threads at various forums online, it seems Monkeyboy is not all alone. About 1 in 10 or so people seem to share his reaction, and most seem to be fans of all Pixar's efforts. Curious what the differences are between Steve, him and myself are.

It seems tailor made for late 30s-40 something dads who like comic book action to me.

Did you guys enjoy Spiderman 2 to any great degree?

BB

[Brandon B]

Seeing at an industry screening again tonight on a 2K digital DLP projector at this place tonight. I'll report back in the main forum what I thought of the equipment performance.

BB

[David Meek]

Jeez, Brandon:

* (2) Christie Digital CP2000 m25 Projection System (Texas Instruments DLP Cinema) with 4,500 watt lamphouse and HD Leeza scaler

* Kinoton FP75E/C 35mm/70mm Projector

* Stewart Ultramatte cinema screen, perforated, 1.3 gain

* Panasonic Model 3700 HD-D5 Tape Deck

* Dolby Digital CP650 Surround Processor

* Lucasfilm-THX 1138 Digital Crossover

* DTS 6AD Cinema Processor

* 16 Crown Theater Amplifiers

* 3 JBL 5674 Left, Center and Right Screen Channel Speakers

* 12 JBL 3677 Screen Channel Speakers used as Surrounds

* 4 JBL Dual 18-inch Subwoofers

And that's just SOME of the specs from the Digital Cinema Laboratory. How was it? Inquiring minds. . . .

[Brandon B]

I'm gonna post in the main forum so everyone can drool.

I'll add a link to the post back here when I finish.

Edit: link

BB

[Stevepaul]

response to Brandon and Monkeyboy...

In discussing our similarities and why the three of us felt vaguely dissatisfied with 'The Incredibles'; you are right, I have enjoyed most of the Pixar offerings. I do enjoy animated movies and seeing them with the entire family is great; though I wouldn't see/rent them by myself.

While I find the animation cool and can admire the work and skill required to make a movie such as this.....I just don't get all pumped about an animated movie. It's still a 'cartoon' to me.....and cartoons better have lotsa' humor. Maybe I was brought up on too many Mel Blanc cartoons during the 60's and 70's......slapstick humor, action, and animation go together. All that dialogue and suspense better include someone getting shot 10 times....then drinking a bottle of water and having it squirt out all of the bullet holes!! :frypan: :rofl:

I am 41 years old with 8 and 12 year old daughters. I enjoy movies that have a lot of computer generated effects....but, a fully animated movie is just too far removed from reality for me to really take it seriously.

I believe, that at some point, they will be able to create life-like actors via computers....without using real actors. That type of movie making may be able to involve me more from an emotional standpoint. Who knows?

Sorry to ramble.....

Steve

[Brandon B]

No rambling, no apology, I am actually really curious.

The "animation = cartoon" frame of mind is something else to add to the equation. I know a few people who feel the same way, but I am probably at the other extreme. Aside from that, sounds like we are the same, demographically speaking. So that is probably why we had different reactions.

I often feel animation can convey things that would be not be so easy to do in live action, not meaning the physically possible, but rather things that the exaggeration of animation can impart to the visuals that would literally not work as real physical things as it would just look "wrong". But even ignoring that, I have no trouble accepting animated characters as "real" people. And because of that, the family relationships in this movie are probably one of the 2 or 3 main things that make it so appealing to me. His enjoyment of his son's abilities, his feelings for his wife when his self-esteem is restored, his frustration earlier on, the whole human side to the thing.

As for the life-like human figures - not there yet. The almost-real-but-enough-wrong-that-they're-just-creepy animated humans of Polar Express have garnered it a nickname - Nightmare of the Living Christmas.

BB

[Sarahbee]

Just finally caught this movie (trying to catch up on a lot of movies this summer) and LOVED it... Something about the all-too-human themes mixed in with the superheroes' lives and the animation...I was hooked from the opening and the newsreel.

Watched it with a few others, one who was pretty bored throughout, so understand how some people love it and others don't. But as for me...it was great.

[JonMarsh]

They've been showing this on the airlines lately, and so far I've avoided watching it by zoning out and either reading a book or watching another DVD "privately" instead.

HOWEVER, I am very much looking forward to it, but I want to save the experience for after I get the 10PG setup. Got quite a few "experiences" like The Incredibles saved up, including the last two LOTR movies (all extended), saving Private Ryan, and quite a few others... yes, I've yet to see those movies at all, anywhere.

Just gotta figure out a way to make some time. :roll:

~Jon