Brad Bird’s 2204 masterpiece The Incredibles is, by many measures, the best superhero movie ever made. In a year that brought us the mediocre Home on the Range, the dreary Shrek 2 and the truly awful Shark Tale, this fine movie stands out even more. Pixar, long revered for protecting story, outdid themselves by juxtaposing the fantastic and the mundane in such a way that it turned the standard cliches on their heads. That alone would have been enough, but the Pixar crew did it all in the service of a great story. Never mind the superlative design, the impeccable animation and the amazing technology; the same can be said of Robots, Ice Age and many lesser animated features. No, the thing that sets this movie apart is its story and crisp direction. Word is that Brad Bird has not ruled out a sequel. Great news, if it happens. And we know that if it isn’t great on the page then it never will happen at all, which is a good thing.
