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Spend a day with 'The Incredibles' Few things in the world of DVDs are more predictable than making-of featurettes. Pixar, the 3-D animation outfit that loves to think different, does so in the making-of content for "The Incredibles." Energetic, visually adventurous and surprisingly edgy, the half-hour docu directed by Rick Butler distills the story behind the hit film about a family of undercover superheroes -- and unmasks the offbeat gang at Pixar that made it happen. Listen in: "Businessmen hate the film business" because they're gambling, not making widgets, producer John Walker says. Writer-director Brad Bird, an outsider, was "a strong cup of coffee" to deal with, one Pixar staffer reports with a nervous laugh. Bird says he was brought into Pixar because it really needed to be "shaken up a bit" -- and the Randy Newman music really had to go. Budget-minder Walker complains, "Whoever thought of making movies this way is out of his mind." Downright subversive by making-of standards. The docu is backed by an unusual "more making-of" section that tops 40 minutes, with chapters allowing viewers to pursue their interests, such as story development, lighting, sets or music. That's just the tip of Frozone's iceberg on the double-disc DVD of "The Incredibles." Most of the content is worthwhile and non-repetitive. With the double commentaries mixed in, fans could kill a day taking in the extras. Or just a fulfilling half hour with the making-of. The Oscar-winning CG feature looks sensational in its pure digital-domain visuals. The letterboxed images set at an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 keep the action tight (avoid the full-screen version). The 5.1 Dolby Digital sound boasts EX encoding and has plenty of punch, but as is typical with Disney-related DVDs, the rear soundstage feels a bit underused. One must-see extra is the lengthy black-and-white animatic of Bird's original opening, considerably darker than the finished intro. Like other bits in the movie, it feels like Sean Connery-era 007. The docu crew caught Bird and producer Walker testily doing battle over finances and creative priorities, but they'd made up by the time their commentary was recorded, just before the film was released. The men speculate about reaction to "The Incredibles," but, c'mon, they knew it was in the bag. A second group commentary with animators digs deep into animation theory and CG processes. Some of the illustrators Bird brought with him reflect on making the transition from traditional ("2-D") work to 3-D. The commentary menu contains an animated Easter egg, as do most of the other menus (wait out the music; watch for little creatures). Other winning extras include a DVD-exclusive short featuring the cute-but-creepy baby and his panicked babysitter; the theatrical toon "Boundin' " with a fun talk from its folksy creator; a handful of segments on the way-cool retro score and its old-school recording process (actual musicians playing live, without computers!); and a faux-dated TV cartoon featuring Mr. Incredible and Frozone, who do a commentary but can't believe how stupid the episode is. Feel free to skip the character sit-downs with TV interviewers and the grating live short featuring the young woman who voices Violet Parr.