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Writer's pictureThomas Duncan

The Incredibles (2004) ft. Robb Conlon and Walter Gainer II

Updated: Oct 28



Guests:


Cast:

  • Brad Bird, Writer/Director, Edna/E

  • Michael Giacchino, Music

  • Craig T. Nelson as Bob Parr / Mr. Incredible

  • Holly Hunter as Helen Parr / Elastigirl

  • Sarah Vowell as Violet Parr

  • Spencer Fox as Dashiell "Dash" Parr

  • Eli Fucile and Maeve Andrews as Jack-Jack Parr

  • Jason Lee as Buddy Pine / IncrediBoy / Syndrome

  • Samuel L. Jackson as Lucius Best / Frozone

  • Elizabeth Peña as Mirage


*Recognition:

  • The Incredibles premiered on October 24, 2004.

  • The film would be a massive box office success again for Pixar grossing $631.6 million during its run, and finishing as the #4 film at the 2004 worldwide box office.

  • Critics would laud the film, and it was rewarded with four Academy Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Sound Mixing, winning for Best Animated Feature and Sound Editing.

  • The American Film Institute also included it as one of the top 10 films of 2004.

  • It was since included on Empire's 500 Greatest Films of All Time at number 400, and it had a commercially successful sequel in 2018.

  • The Incredibles currently holds a 97% among critics on RT, a 90 score on Metacritic, and 4.1/5 on Letterboxd.


Plot Summary: In a world where superheroes were once revered, an oppressive government now forces these titans of justice into mundane lives of obscurity. Among them is Bob Parr, a titan of strength, grappling with the weight of anonymity while craving the days of glory. Secretly slipping into the world of heroism, Bob is drawn into a sinister conspiracy masterminded by the malevolent Syndrome, a dark mirror of what once was. When Bob is captured, the stage is set for a battle of wits and power, drawing his family into the fray.


The Incredibles transcends mere action, weaving a tapestry of psychological and existential exploration with a family’s struggle against a dystopian reality becoming a cosmic odyssey of self-discovery and unity.


Did You Know:

  • Brad Bird got the idea for this movie in the early 1990s, basing the story on his own experiences trying to balance a career with family.

  • Lily Tomlin was considered for the part of Edna Mode, but turned it down when she heard Brad Bird's vocal performance, saying, "What do you need me for? You got it already."

  • When Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) is called into Mr. Huph's (Wallace Shawn's) office, at one point Mr. Huph places his hand on a piece of paper. Judging from Mr. Incredible's expression, it seems like this paper is a termination notice. Actually, it is a memo to all employees, letting them know they will be responsible for buying all of their office supplies. It also states that parking will be metered by the hour, and that their electricity usage will be deducted from their paychecks. The letter concludes by saying that Insuricare has "recorded its highest profits in years."

  • Writer and director Brad Bird was listening to Public Radio International and heard Sarah Vowell, a frequent contributor to the Public Radio International program "This American Life". He felt her voice was perfect for Violet even though she had never acted before. To convince her, Pixar animators animated one of Vowell's segments from "This American Life" and sent it to her.

  • In order to give Dash a realistic out-of-breath voice, Brad Bird made Spencer Fox run laps around the studio.


Ask Dana Anything:

  • Walter Gainer - Boss Locks Media

    • How are you incorporating AI in your business?

  • Robb Conlon - Westport Studios

    • Thoughts on the 2024 Presidential Election


Best Performance: Brad Bird (Writer/Director/Edna)/Holly Hunter (Helen)

Best Secondary Performance: Holly Hunter (Helen)/Jason Lee (Syndrome)/Craig T. Nelson (Bob)/Brad Bird (Edna)

Most Charismatic Award: Bret Parker (Kari)/Michael Giacchino (Music)/Domnique Louis (Bomb Voyage)/Samuel L. Jackson (Frozone)

Best Scene:

  • Opening Sequence

  • Bob's Insurance Woes

  • Edna's

  • Happy Bob

  • Missile Avoidance

  • Jungle Fight

  • Saving the City

Favorite Scene: Saving the City/Bob's Insurance Woes/Jack-Jack

Most Indelible Moment: Opening Sequence/Missile Avoidance/Edna's/Gazerbeam's Corpse


In Memorium:

  • N/A


Best Lines/Funniest Lines:

Lucius: YOU TELL ME WHERE MY SUIT IS, WOMAN! We are talking about the greater good!

Honey: 'Greater good?' I am your wife! I'm the greatest *good* you are ever gonna get!


Bob: Well, what are *you* waiting for?

Little Boy on Tricycle: I don't know. Something amazing, I guess.

Bob: [sighs] Me too, kid.


Dash: Are we there yet?

Mr. Incredible: We get there when we get there!


Syndrome: Because when everyone's special, no one is.


Edna: This is a horrible suit, darling. You can't be seen in this. I won't allow it. Fifteen years ago, maybe, but now? Feh!


Press Conference Politician: It's time for their secret identity to become their only identity.


Mr. Incredible: No matter how many times you save the world, it always manages to get back in jeopardy again. Sometimes I just want it to stay saved! You know, for a little bit? I feel like the maid; I just cleaned up this mess! Can we keep it clean for... for ten minutes!


Dash: We're dead! We're dead! We survived but we're dead!


Syndrome: See? Now you respect me, because I'm a threat. That's the way it works. Turns out there are lots of people, whole countries, that want respect, and will pay through the nose to get it. How do you think I got rich? I invented weapons...


Bernie Kropp: You're letting him go again? He's guilty! You can see it in his smug little face. Guilty, I say! Guilty! Guilty! No!


Edna: I didn't know the baby's powers so I covered the basics.

Helen: Jack-Jack doesn't have any powers.

Edna: No? Well, he'll look fabulous anyway.


Mr. Incredible: You mean you killed off real heroes so that you could *pretend* to be one?

Syndrome: Oh, I'm real. Real enough to defeat *you*! And I did it without your precious gifts, your oh-so-special powers. I'll give them heroics. I'll give them the most spectacular heroics anyone's ever seen!


Bob: E, I just need a patch job. For... sentimental reasons.

Edna: Fine. I will also fix the hobo suit.


Syndrome: Oh, ho ho! You sly dog! You got me monologuing! I can't believe it...


Boy on Tricycle: That was totally wicked!


Edna: [to Mr. Incredible] My God, you've gotten fat.


The Stanley Rubric:

Legacy: 8

Impact/Significance: 9.25

Novelty: 8.88

Classic-ness: 7.63

Rewatchability: 7.88

Audience Score: 8.1 (87% Google, 75% RT)

Total: 49.74


Remaining Questions:

  • Are the real villains of the movie litigious lawyers?

  • In this universe, superpowers are genetic?

  • How would Syndrome know about Jack-Jack?

  • How good of friends is Elasti-girl to borrow a lear-jet?

  • How does Edna know Bob by sight, but not Helen other than as Elasti-girl?

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