5 Reasons Why Pixar’s The Incredibles Is On Parr With Any Superhero Movie There Is
The 2000-2010 timeline is widely considered the golden era of Disney movies, with masterpieces being released almost every year such as Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc., Ratatouille, Wall-E, Cars, or Up. The Incredibles is one of the blockbusters that premiered during this era, and it even has an almost equally impressive sequel in 2018 to boot. Following the footsteps of the Parr family into danger, The Incredibles is an epic adventure that never fails to amaze the audience no matter how many times they’ve watched, and has soared to extraordinary heights to capture the hearts of both children and adults alike.
While it’s a Pixar animated movie, it’s not exaggerated to say The Incredibles franchise is as amazing as any superhero movie from Marvel or DC, the two behemoths in the genre, with action-packed sequences, visually mesmerizing scenery, and even more. Let’s learn through this article about the 5 most underrated aspects of The Incredibles that make it one of the best Pixar franchises ever.
#1. Both movies tackle more grounded matters.
Instead of just focusing solely on the superhero works, Pixar uses it to portray the more grounded aspects of the Parr family’s life. Firstly, it’s the daily struggle to fit in and live in a normal household. Having super strength or elastic abilities doesn’t help you much with raising your kids or changing Jack-jack’s diapers, which means both Bob and Helen have to learn how to do it the human way. The same can be said for both Violet and Dash, who struggle with their own problem at school that their superpowers can’t solve.
Secondly, it’s the family matter itself. At first, the Parr family was a mess, with Bob’s negligence towards his children, Helen’s futile endeavor to connect with her kids, and Violet and Dash’s daily squabbles. However, as the story goes on, we can see how the Parr starts learning and understanding each other more, as they have to work together as a team to fight against the Syndrome. At the end of the first movie, all of them have learned the true value of family, and start treating each other differently since.
#2. Bob and Helen are very relatable protagonists, while they aren't perfect.
Once a famous and prestigious superhero of the city, Bob Parr has to learn the hard way that his current daily life doesn’t have any place for his super strength. Bob is far from the ideal father figure, but adult viewers can somehow relate to his struggles to have a normal life: making money for his family, taking care of his children, and so on. Being a good husband and parent is no easy job, and no superpower can help you in these circumstances.
In the sequel, as Helen is hired by Winston Deavor, Bob has to replace her to do the more mundane jobs in the house, including helping Dash with his homework, and taking care of Jack-jack. Seeing Bob’s struggle, we can see the efforts he has put in, and through these events, he has learned how to appreciate his wife even more.
The same can be said about Helen, who seems like a perfect housewife model at first, but even she has her own problems fitting in with society. While trying her best to raise her children, Helen lacks empathy to understand her kids, and is always very overprotective of them. After fighting the Syndrome, Elastigirl has finally learned how to trust and understand Violet and Dash more, and let them grow and embark on their own path.
#3. The villains are very well-built.
Unlike current Marvel or DC villains, the bad guys in The Incredibles franchise are much more grounded, as they’re all human. Their backstories and upbringings aren’t anything noble and complicated either: Syndrome just wants to get back at Mr. Incredible for denying him in the past, while the Screenslaver desires to tarnish the superheroes’ reputation and let the society deal with their own problems as a revenge for her late father.
By building these two villains, Pixar implies one thing: It takes only a bad day, and a simple event to turn someone evil. However, having a simplistic background doesn’t make Syndrome and Screenslaver any less cunning and malevolent. In fact, they are much more well-written than some of the Marvel and DC villains nowadays (looking at you, Kang).
#4. Stunning visuals and action sequences.
Needless to say, you can’t call it a superhero movie without action, and both movies nailed this aspect with flying colors. Every fighting scene was done with care and extreme details (I can’t emphasize enough how I’m always amazed whenever Frozone got to display his ability), and are intense enough to rival any modern superhero movie. We simply cannot take our eyes off the screen whenever the Parr is in action.
Besides the action, the backdrops are also wonderfully created. From the greenery and liveliness of the island, to the smooth transition in Syndrome’s headquarter, the first movie already impressed us with the staggering visual, but the sequel is even better in terms of details and animation. In the movie, we can even see the fibers on Bob’s clothing, and don’t get me started on the scenes where Jack-jack got to showcase his powers.
#5. The side characters steal the spotlight.
There are very few Disney and Pixar side characters that can match Edna Mode in terms of charisma and eccentricity. She manages to capture our hearts in the first movie with her unique charm and personality, and we’re all glad to see our favorite fashionista have an even more prominent role in the second. Her encounter with Jack-jack in the 2018 sequel has formed an unexpected, but very welcomed friendship between the two, and shows us that even Edna can have her soft side as well.
Frozone is another very notable side character in the franchise. Serving as Bob’s best friend and partner in the superhero business, but Lucius manages to stand his own ground with his powerful ice-manipulating ability. Frozone also has some fun interactions with Bob’s kid, and we can never forget his iconic line in the first film: “Honey, where’s my super suit?”
Do you agree that The Incredibles are one of Pixar’s best franchises ever? Do you think it can rival a Marvel or DC superhero movie? Let us know in the comment.