The Incredibles (2004)

97% of critics liked it
(229 reviews)
67% of users liked it
(31,081,260 ratings)

Directed by Brad Bird, The Incredibles revolves around former high-profile superhero Bob Parr (aka Mr. Incredible), who has not-so-successfully settled into suburban life along with his wife and kids under the watchful eye of the Superhero Protection Program. A far cry from the "glory days" during… More Directed by Brad Bird, The Incredibles revolves around former high-profile superhero Bob Parr (aka Mr. Incredible), who has not-so-successfully settled into suburban life along with his wife and kids under the watchful eye of the Superhero Protection Program. A far cry from the "glory days" during which "supers" were a welcome addition to society, the Parrs' living situation was brought on after a series of superhero-related lawsuits forced them into hiding. When not trying to fight small-time crime undercover with fellow former superhero Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson), Parr (voice by Craig T. Nelson) is muddling through the corporate world as a paunchy, emotionally unsatisfied insurance claims adjuster. His family is like any other with some notable exceptions -- his daughter has the uncanny ability to become invisible and create impenetrable force fields at will; his son, Dash, can run at incredible speeds; his wife, Helen (Holly Hunter), is known in super circles as Elastigirl, one of the most respected (and pliable) superwomen of her time. Just when it looks as if things can't get any worse for Bob, he gets a summons to show up at a remote island to receive instructions for a highly classified assignment, which he promptly accepts. Thrust back into the world of fighting crime, the Incredible family is back in familiar territory -- saving the world from Syndrome, a jilted former fan of Mr. Incredible. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: PG, 1 hr. 55 min.
Directed By: Brad Bird
Written By: Brad Bird
Genres: Animation, Kids & Family, Comedy

In Theaters: Nov 5, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Mar 15, 2005
Studio: Buena Vista Pictures

Critic Reviews

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
The sleek computer animation is spellbinding as usual.
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
The often wry and pointed dialogue reminded me of the glory days of radio.
Anthony Lane, New Yorker
The folks at the movie's heart are exaggerated way beyond our capacities but not quite beyond our imaginings. The title is unjust; these are the very slightly credibles.
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
Exemplary mixture of top-notch storytelling, visual razzle-dazzle, accessible humor, and involving action.
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com
The Incredibles has that rare quality of feeling modern and classic at the same time.
Jennifer Frey, Washington Post
As always, Pixar excels with its animation, but what makes this family film even more appealing is the smartness of the script, which is clearly written, end to end, to appeal to adults as well as children.
R. L. Shaffer, IGN DVD
A sharp, even amusing, homage to comic book lore, a great family-friendly action-comedy, and a thoughtful marital drama all wrapped up in a deliciously exciting package.
Chris Cabin, Slant Magazine
The conflict between natural talent and learned and practiced ability shapes the heart of The Incredibles, even as it goes about trumping every superhero film ever made.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
As the kids discover their powers and this family hovers between super and dysfunctional, "The Incredibles" finds its voice . . . and it speaks to families everywhere.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Incredible and action-packed fun for the entire family.
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy
Assembled with an intense amount of care and love so that every cut, every sound, every movement, builds to a euphonious whole.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...far from engrossing...
Steve Biodrowski, Cinefantastique
This truly is a film that turns is every bit as incredibly good as it has been made out to be.
Devin Faraci, CHUD
Frame for frame, The Incredibles is as good as any live action superhero film ever made, and often far more convincing.
Daniel Etherington, Film4
Wonderful stuff.
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
It re-animates the thrill, not just the nostalgia, of old-school comic books and pulp adventure.
Joe Lozito, Big Picture Big Sound
In a word: Incredible.
, Time Out
Bombastic finale aside, it's a cut (and an age-range) above the simplicities of Finding Nemo.
Pete Vonder Haar, Film Threat
A movie that demonstrates once again why the studio continues to leave competing product from the likes of Disney and DreamWorks in the dust.
Uri Lessing, www.kcactive.com
...the real secret to Pixar's greatness lies not in the animation, but in their wonderful choice of stories that appeal to both children and parents.

Read all 20 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Tim S

The Incredibles, directed by Brad Bird, is one of the finest action movies of not just the Pixar animated era but any era really. It has a really fantastic story, great visual work, wonderful voice acting and a tightly-edited framework that's both fun and engaging, as well as… More
The Incredibles, directed by Brad Bird, is one of the finest action movies of not just the Pixar animated era but any era really. It has a really fantastic story, great visual work, wonderful voice acting and a tightly-edited framework that's both fun and engaging, as well as action-packed. Unfortunately, like every film that she's in, the presence of Holly Hunter brings the film down a half star for me. I really dislike Holly Hunter. I find her so ridiculously annoying. The way she speaks, acts and even the way the animators made her character's expressions and lip movements reflective of her annoy me. It's a shame really because I really do enjoy this movie, but I just wish they had gone with another actress to play her part. The character could have been more memorable and much more fun to me if they had. Other than that, this is fanastic movie.
Lenny M

Fun and sexy.
Lady D

My eight year old nephew's choice and what a great choice, I thought it was brilliant. Great animation, great storyline, great characterisation and very funny on an adult and child level. VERDICT: Difintiely worth a watch even if you have no children to watch it with.
Directors C

The main characters are a perfect reflection on the modern family and the action and violence excites flawlessly.
Alexander D

THE INCREDIBLES is a fun, cool, action-packed, totally awesome superhero movie...if you're a little kid who is unfortunate enough to not even have seen any of the SUPERMAN movies. Don't get me wrong, Pixar has had some fantastic ideas, most of which were brilliantly and… More
THE INCREDIBLES is a fun, cool, action-packed, totally awesome superhero movie...if you're a little kid who is unfortunate enough to not even have seen any of the SUPERMAN movies. Don't get me wrong, Pixar has had some fantastic ideas, most of which were brilliantly and creatively tackled. Sadly, this is not one of them. It was a mediocre idea, and it missed its target by a LOT.
c0up

'The Incredibles'. Darker than your average Pixar movie, this superhero spoof has to be up there with the best superhero films of all time. It works as a family / marital dramedy, it works as a spoof, but my god the ingenuity in some of the action sequences is what stands… More
'The Incredibles'. Darker than your average Pixar movie, this superhero spoof has to be up there with the best superhero films of all time. It works as a family / marital dramedy, it works as a spoof, but my god the ingenuity in some of the action sequences is what stands out the most! The characters powers are blended together really cleverly time and time again, and when you think about how linear action sequences can be when there's an ensemble team, 'The Incredibles' and Brad Bird look all the more special.
Brad W

A animated acheivment, whoever didn't enjoy this masterpiece is ridiculous. Robert Parr (Craig T. Nelson) is the father of three kids and is married to Helen Parr (Holly Hunter). He was a famous superhero back in the day named Mr. Incredible but now the government has forced… More
A animated acheivment, whoever didn't enjoy this masterpiece is ridiculous. Robert Parr (Craig T. Nelson) is the father of three kids and is married to Helen Parr (Holly Hunter). He was a famous superhero back in the day named Mr. Incredible but now the government has forced the supers to stop protecting them for law reasons, and Robert never got over it, he misses his glory days. After being fired, he is offered a job at a anonymous company to help people again, and he accepts. But what he doesn't know is the owner of the company is a old aquaintance who will send him and his family of superheroes on a wild adventure. This is the best animatedsupero fil ever, I kbow thats not saying much but its still incredible. The plot is great for all ages, and awesome action. The music is catchy and cool. A great film for everyone, what a masterpiece.
Jameson W

Another great animated film!
Film C

Its an enjoyable movie. Its a good cartoon, hero based movie that is amusing and thoroughly enjoyable, is there room for a second one? :)
Sophie B

I saw bits of this a few years back and wasn't really impressed. Watching it now it is brilliant and hilarious for both adults and kids. Clever, witty, and a brilliant family film.
Drake T

Smart, fun, exhilarating family film about a, well, family. The beauty of this was Pixar's use of premise by grounding the Superhero genre with the idea of them getting sued for collateral damage, reminiscent of Marvel's brilliant "Civil War" story arch in concept.… More
Smart, fun, exhilarating family film about a, well, family. The beauty of this was Pixar's use of premise by grounding the Superhero genre with the idea of them getting sued for collateral damage, reminiscent of Marvel's brilliant "Civil War" story arch in concept. Combined with a villain that literally embodies classics like Lex Luthor coming to gripes with his inherent shortcomings/lack of powers you've got yourself an incredible story to work with. Then to top it all off, we're delivered Pixar's same brand of awe-striking animation, character design and emotional depth. A really great movie.
Conner R

It's hard to not enjoy The Incredibles. It's sort've an attempt at a family version of Watchmen, but with less devious messages in mind. While it basically did take a lot of existing superhero properties and combine them into one, I don't think the intent was to… More
It's hard to not enjoy The Incredibles. It's sort've an attempt at a family version of Watchmen, but with less devious messages in mind. While it basically did take a lot of existing superhero properties and combine them into one, I don't think the intent was to squander their success. I mean I can't really sit here and blame The Incredibles because people thought the Fantastic Four movie was a rip-off of it. While it's not a movie i'm particularly crazy about, I really do respect it for what it is. It's beautiful looking in both animation and stylization, not to mention the breath-taking neo-60s backdrops. I think the intentions here were really good and the voice actors behind the characters do a great job at making the story less of a spoof and more of a serious and straight-forward plot.
Cassie H

A great example of the perfect dysfunctional super hero family in the battle of their lives against Syndrome played perfectly by Jason Lee :) Another great winner from Pixar :)
Jason L

The Incredibles is Pixar Animation Studio's sixth film. In my opinion, it's their best one yet. The story starts out with Mr. Incredible. He's the world's best superhero, and he's at the top of his game. After another day of saving lives, he gets married.… More
The Incredibles is Pixar Animation Studio's sixth film. In my opinion, it's their best one yet. The story starts out with Mr. Incredible. He's the world's best superhero, and he's at the top of his game. After another day of saving lives, he gets married. (As Robert Parr, his secret identity) Everything seems perfect for him and his bride, fellow superhero elasticgirl, until he gets sued. Right before the marriage, he saved a man who was committing suicide. He sues for 'pain and suffering' from his fractured neck. Soon, more people start to sue other superheroes. The lawsuits were costing the government millions. That's when superheroes were told to hang up their capes. Fifteen years later, Robert Parr is trying to live a normal life. And failing. He hates it. He wants to feel the thrill of being a superhero again. After some more events, he gets fired. All seems lost. Then suddenly, he gets an offer to become a superhero again. To defeat a robot created by an organization, that overcame them. To get paid triple his old salary. He accepts. After defeating the robot, he spends months reconnecting with his family and enjoying life. Then the plot changes. The head of the company is exposed. He wants revenge on Mr. Incredible for not letting him be his sidekick when he was younger. He thought the robot would destroy him. So, he plans on becoming the best superhero by creating false adversaries and getting false glory. Twisted isn't it? But there is more going on. His wife starts to suspect Robert is cheating. She goes to the island were Robert is being held captive (She uses a tracking device; she doesn't know that he is resuming secret hero work) and brings the children. Here's where the story picks up; Robert and his family start to thwart the evil, and after a series of blockbuster events lead to an ending of 'incredible' proportions. Consensus: The incredibles is a brilliant movie. It's a real breath of fresh air to have something as thoroughly exciting and as multiply satisfying as this. 99/100
Mark W

Pixar have had numerous heroic characters throughout their animations but here director Brad Bird introduces us to a full-blown superhero story. When Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson), catches a jumper who doesn't want to be saved, he opens the door to a wave of legal… More
Pixar have had numerous heroic characters throughout their animations but here director Brad Bird introduces us to a full-blown superhero story. When Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson), catches a jumper who doesn't want to be saved, he opens the door to a wave of legal compensations that puts all superheroes out of business and into a relocation programme. Years later, Mr. Incredible, real name Bob Parr and wife Helen (Holly Hunter) - formerly Elastigirl - are trying raise a 'normal' family when they receive a mysterious call for help, bringing them back into their crime fighting ways to save the world. An interesting take on a similiar story covered by "Watchmen", whereby superhero's are resigned to living a normal life and attempting to fit into society, despite the superhuman powers they possess. The animation is second to none in the Pixar catalogue and it's refreshing to have a cartoon with human characters as the main focus. There's no cuddly sidekicks or talking animals, it's all from the (human) heart this time, which is quite a brave change of direction for a Disney film. Thankfully for us though, it's a winner and ranks as one the best that Pixar have produced. Great voice cast also, Nelson and Hunter are perfectly suited to their characters, as is Samuel L. Jackson as their sidekick 'Frozone' and Jason Lee as the evil nemesis 'Syndrome'. They are all warm, humourous and believably written. A bit overlong for younger viewers but bags of fun, once again from the Pixar team. A real treat.
Michael E

A very very funny film that was a great take on what superheros do in retirement which was very funny
Richard C

B+
KJ P

The Incredibles, along with every other pixar film is fantastic, however, this one has a little something more to tell. It is a brilliant story that is told for kids and adults to understand which is why it is such an amazing movie!
Albert K

best pixar movie
Bently L

This is very different than the other Pixar films. It has all-human characters and a more adult storyline. But "The Incredibles" delivers. The film follows Bob Parr who was a superhero known as Mr. Incredible. He gave up that job in order to get married with his wife,… More
This is very different than the other Pixar films. It has all-human characters and a more adult storyline. But "The Incredibles" delivers. The film follows Bob Parr who was a superhero known as Mr. Incredible. He gave up that job in order to get married with his wife, Helen, who was a superheroine known as Elastigirl, and raise his three kids. Two of them were born with powers. Bob dreams of going back to fighting crime. His wish comes true after he is recruited to stop an evil robot known as the Omnidroid from destroying the world. Little does he know that he's being set up. Like my Ratatouille and Cars reviews, this in my opinion is not a Pixar classic. But stands as being one of the most original films I've ever seen. The animation is great also. The Incredibles is an action-packed romp anyone can enjoy. It may be one of the very few, but The Incredibles is the BEST ANIMATED SUPERHERO FILM EVA!!!!! "Next time you gamble, bet on your own life."