Nothing Shy of Incredible

If you ask anyone what the most important part of their life is, odds are most people will say family and friends. Disney Pixar’s animated film The Incredibles tells the story of a family of super heroes that is trying to live their lives as if they were not super at all but also save the world from the evil Syndrome. In the beginning of the film, the main character, Mr. Incredible is the most famous and well-recognized super hero in the world. Known for stopping the bad guys and being “incredible”. He later marries another super hero named Elastigirl, known for her flexibility and  ability to beat the bad guys as well. They go on to have three children, Violet (known for her ability to turn invisible and create force fields), Dash (known for his speed), and Jack Jack (not know for any specific super hero power yet).  This film is recognized as the most action packed and violent films that Pixar has ever created (commonsensemedia.org), with the many explosions, gunshots, and general adult material. The main positive messages being family, teamwork, and courage, the film also portrays some negative messages.

Towards the beginning of the film, Mr. Incredible is sued for saving the life of a man that was attempting to commit suicide by jumping off the top of a building. He is also sued for causing damage and pain to passengers aboard a subway train that was about to run of the end of the tracks after someone destroyed them. Many people became angry with Mr. Incredible and the whole super hero population saying that they were causing more damage than help. The film says that, “It is time for them to join us or go away” (The Incredibles film). This means that their secret identities need to become their only identities. This is where the negative message comes into play. Many people think of a super hero has an above average super human bound to do good and protect the people. In this film the people view the supers as causing more pain than they dohelp. This means that super heroes often sometimes are not perfect and do too much and this causes harm to others. With this all be said the people think that no one should be super.

As the film goes on the entire super hero population and the Parr family must join society as normal humans. Missing the glory days, Mr. Incredible and his best friend Frozone, participate in crime fighting activities under cover from time to time in order to re live and be able to re use their super hero powers.

Mr. Incredible is later given a assignment by a unknown boss to travel out to a research island and attempt to destroy a rogue machine that is attempting to destroy all of the island’s facilities. What Mr. Incredible does not know is that it is all a trap created by the evil villain Syndrome and his master plan to unleash all of these rogue machines in the big cities around the world and prove to world that he is the best super hero when he stops these machines. He believes that with his new technology and lack of real super powers, that if he can stop this machine he will be the best super hero in the world and society will love him and want to buy all of his new technology. Syndrome philosophy is that if kills off all the real super heroes and sells everyone his technology then no one will ever have the chance to be super again.

In the end Syndrome’s plan does not go according to plan because he cannot control the rogue machine and it is up to The Incredibles and Frozone to stop the machine from destroying the city. Through teamwork and courage they are able to defeat the machine and safe the people.

With all of this being said, even though this movie pushes the grounds of being a PG rated film, I believe it is still appropriate and portrays a effective message to kids that in the end good can defeat evil and that teamwork always beats selfishness.