When I went into The Incredibles, I was expected a superhero parody. After all, what was I presented with? A middle-aged overweight former super hero who was longing for his glory years. It screamed parody. The fact that DC and Marvel had nothing to do with it also indicated a parody since most other outlets won't do serious looks at superheroes without known names. Indeed, it has only been in very recent years that computer gaming would release titles that were not directly affiliated with widely recognized superheroes in them.

What The Incredibles turned out to be was more of a homage than a parody. It had comedy, but it wasn't making fun of superheroes nor was it making fun of the common conventions often found in stories about superheroes. If anything, there was a blatant parody of those who worship these figures. In this movie, your biggest fan can actually turn out to be your worst enemy. There is a lesson to be learned there, but surprisingly they opt to not beat the audience over the head with it.

The other surprising aspect was that it seemed to encourage people of exceptional ability to stand out. In our society where "everyone is a winner", it is often difficult to be accepted for doing a better job than everyone else. I believe we all have the potential to be great at something, but all too often people settle for something they can just be ok at so long as they are comfortable. Boy, is that message heard loud and clear here! What is the point of being special if you are not allowed to shine? I'll admit, I don't know anyone with super strength or the ability to generate ice, but I have met plenty of people with exceptional abilities. They are often met with fear and jealousy by those who have chosen an easy life of mediocrity.

I liked that the movie bucked the trend of "Stupid Guy". It's been popular to establish males in any relationship, whether boyfriend, husband, or father, as being clueless neandrathals who only care about sports, cars, sex, and booze. In this movie, the Dad is out of touch with his family because he is not allowed to be great, nor is he allowed to encourage his own children to be great. Imagine wanting to be proud of your children, but not being allowed to be proud of what they are good at. In other words, he is dooming not only himself to mediocrity, but his children as well. Is it any wonder that his own wife describes him as distracted? You get the feeling he does care about his family, he just feels so utterly stuck in a rut. The one time he shows excitement for his son, it's because his son was exceptional, and that's not allowed. Sadly, I see this in real life all the time.

The mother, while the unpopular enforcer of mediocrity, is also great. She genuinely loves her husband and kids and is doing her best to deal with a bad situation. Her speech in the film about "The bad guys are not like what you've watched on Saturday morning" positively gave me chills. By the way, while I thought most of the voice casting was excellent, Holly Hunter as Elasti-girl was sublime. If you could have found someone better to characterize who Elasti-Girl should be, I don't know who it is. Not that there isn't plenty of talent out there, but Holly Hunter definitely brings something to this particular role. I'm not even a fan, and I still thought she did an outstanding job.

While we expect a Disney movie to be a great affirmer of the importance of family, The Incredibles does it in a much different way. There is a great moment in the film when the kids get to see their parents in action, probably for the first time. You can just see the awe in their eyes when Mom and Dad take on the bad guys. There is that moment of pride when they discover that seemingly boring Mom and Dad are actually pretty darn cool. At least when they're allowed to do what they do best.

There is plenty of comedy and action, but also some real touching moments. It's not sappy or overdone, there is a distinct lack of melodrama. Instead we're given a lot of honest emotion, and I'll admit, that seems to be bucking a big trend for Disney. Although they may have extraordinary powers, the characters all act like real people. They have real emotions and real concerns. The film isn't afraid to go into some darker themes, but it doesn't attempt to be "edgy" either. To its credit, the film does what it needs to do to tell the story. There is gun violence because it is necessary. There is some blood, because it is also necessary. There is some innuendo, but oddly enough it goes back to what I said about real emotion, and so it is also necessary. Yet they never get exploitive with the material. They never use more than what they need.

I have not seen a film this good, ever. I might have been halfway through the movie when I had already decided I wanted to see it again. I'm ready to pre-order the DVD right now.

The only bummer was when it was over. As we were driving out of the parking lot, my son said "I can't wait for the next one!"

*sigh*