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A New Type of This Old Genre In a certain way, it's a shame that each new Pixar feature signals such an onslaught of media hype and mass merchandising that for a segment of the viewing public like myself, the film becomes anathema to our sensibilities. At least that's my excuse for waiting so long to see the 2004 entry from the state-of-the-art animation studio. Directed and written by Brad Bird, this one is indeed different from its predecessors, straying away from more kid-friendly messages and characters in favor of straight-ahead action and a decidedly adult perspective on the power of family and self-worth. Combine a smart, heartfelt script that addresses these themes intelligently with of course, the predictably amazing animation, and the result is a startling creation that sharpens the mind as well as dazzles the senses. The plot revolves around a superhero, Mr. Incredible, whose heroic rescues have been met in the cynical early nineties with lawsuits around personal damages and privacy issues. After getting married to fellow superhero, Elastigirl, he is banished into a relocation program and forced to live solely as their secret identities. Fifteen years later, Mr. Incredible is now just Bob, a bored insurance agent raising three kids (Christina Ricci look-alike Violet, mischievous speedster Dash and baby Jack-Jack) with his wife Helen, the former Elastigirl. But he can't get his heroic nature out of his system, as he moonlights on weekly "bowling nights" with fellow retired superhero, Frozone, to perform feats of derring-do in order to save lives. Enter Mirage, a mysterious woman who offers Bob an opportunity to resume his former identity on a remote volcanic identity. There, Mr. Incredible meets up with his nemesis, Syndrome, a techno-nerd who used to worship his now middle-aged and beer-bellied adversary and now has a dastardly plan to kill off all the superheroes. Of course this means his entire family needs to use their individual superpowers to thwart the plan before the world becomes a battlefield of destruction. How the plot twists and turns will remind you less of Pixar's previous concoctions but rather the James Bond franchise, "Star Wars" in all its iterations, Japanese anime and the outsider mindset of the X-Men. From the faux-archival footage at the beginning, the visual invention is continuously breathtaking all the way to the inevitable ending. Like all the Pixar films though, the vocal talent is a perfect match for the visuals - Craig T. Nelson's comically sincere baritone as Bob, Holly Hunter's unmistakably defiant twang as Ellen (her cartoon counterpart even has Hunter's upper lip curl), Samuel L. Jackson's street-smart voice underutilized as Frozone, and Bird himself providing the pretentious, pseudo-Milanese voice of avant-garde clothing designer Edna. The animation of the humans is obviously stylized but remarkably convincing capturing expressions with surprising subtlety. The location animation is just as impressive. This is one DVD package brimming with worthwhile extras. First, the direct digital transfer and the Dolby Digital 5.1 EX soundtrack are phenomenal, replicating the in-theater experience as much as technologically possible. Bird and produced John Walker provide insightful commentary on an alternate track. Thirteen of the army of animators provide commentary on another track and seems essential even to non-techno-geeks interested in the meticulous preparation and execution of the animation. Disc 2 has two great shorts: "Jack-Jack Attack", which shows us what happened at home with the babysitter as the rest of the family was out saving the world, and "Boundin'", created by Bud Luckey, about a dancing sheep who learns from a jackalope how to cope with his life between shearings. There is a series of deleted scenes, most understandably excised, including an alternate opening, all in the unfinished storyboard format. Also included are two making-of documentaries, both really intriguing looks at the hugely collaborative effort involved. But the funniest piece may be the faux-ancient cartoon, "Mr. Incredible and Pals", which hilariously uses the old live lip-action technique of the early sixties and includes a Caucasian-ized Frozone and a sidekick bunny named Mr. Skipperdoo. Definitely listen to the scripted inanity of Nelson and especially Jackson commenting on how bad it is on an alternate track. Faux-interviews with the cartoon characters, teaser trailers and an extensive photo gallery complete perhaps the most extensive set of extras I have seen with a movie. Great movie and a great package.