The Incredibles (2004)

A Pixar original story by Brad Bird.

Intro (“The Glory Days”). On the day of his wedding with Helen Truax (alias Elastigirl who has the ability to stretch), superhero Bob Parr (alias Mr. Incredible who has super strength) thwarts a civilian's attempted suicide by tackling him through a skyscraper window. Bob then discovers supervillain Bomb Voyage robbing the building, but is interrupted by his devoted fanboy Buddy Pine, who wants to be his sidekick Incrediboy. Bob rejects Buddy, and Voyage clips a bomb onto Buddy's cape; Bob manages to get the bomb off, but it destroys part of a train track, forcing Bob to abruptly stop an oncoming train. Bob reprimands Buddy and hands him over to the authorities. After his wedding, Bob is sued for collateral damage by the suicidal civilian and the injured train passengers. Similar lawsuits create a negative public attitude towards superheroes, so the government initiates the Superhero Relocation Program, banning all "supers" from using their powers in public and forcing them into hiding.

Fifteen years later, a now-overweight Bob lives with Helen and their children, Violet, Dash, and baby Jack-Jack, in Metroville. Violet has the power of invisibility and forcefields while Dash has the power of speed. Although he loves his family, Bob misses his superhero days and resents his mundane job as a claims adjuster at Insuricare, moonlighting as a vigilante with his best friend Lucius Best (alias Frozone who has ice abilities). One day, Bob's supervisor Gilbert Huph stops him from preventing a mugging. Bob injures Huph in frustration and is fired as a result. He meets with Rick Dicker, a government agent who has been responsible for keeping the Parrs undercover for the past 15 years, who states that the Pams are on their own now after multiple relocations and the government not having the funds to continue relocating them. The same day, a woman named Mirage secretly offers Bob a mission to subdue a giant “Omnidroid 9000” robot loose on Nomanisan island. Bob succeeds by tricking the machine into ripping out its own power source. Bob continues to work for Mirage’s unknown boss. Rejuvenated by the action and higher pay, Bob improves his relationship with his family, trains to get back into shape, and asks superhero costume designer Edna Mode to fix a tear the Omnidroid made in his old suit (“Life’s Incredible Again”). Incorrectly assuming Helen knows of Bob's new job, Edna makes new suits for the entire family on the condition of “no capes”.

Summoned back to Nomanisan, Bob discovers Mirage is working for Buddy, now calling himself "Syndrome" after being embittered by Bob's rejection. Syndrome has become wealthy by inventing weapons that mimic superpowers, however he keeps the best for himself such as zero-point energy. He also has been perfecting the Omnidroid by luring supers to fight it until it kills them. Syndrome intends to send an Omnidroid to attack Metroville, then defeat it publicly with secret controls, thereby gaining "hero" status. He then plans to sell his inventions to the world to make the term "super" irrelevant. Mr. Incredible is able to escape and finds himself in a cave which contains the remains of Gazerbeam, a former superhero he knew. Gazerbeam had written “Kronos” into the wall prompting Mr. Incredible to sneak back into Syndrome’s base to investigate, discovering that “Kronos” is the password to Syndrome’s computer as well as the project name of his Omnidroid plan i.e. Project Kronos.

Helen visits Edna and learns what Bob has been up to. She activates a beacon Edna built into the suits to find Bob, inadvertently causing Bob to be captured. Helen borrows a private plane to fly to Nomanisan; Violet and Dash stow away, leaving Jack-Jack with a babysitter. Despite knowing that there are children on the plane, Syndrome shoots it down with missiles, but Helen and the kids survive and make it to the island. Disillusioned by Syndrome's callousness, Mirage releases Bob and informs him of his family's survival. Syndrome's guards pursue Dash and Violet, who fight them off with their powers and reunite with their parents. Syndrome imprisons the family and follows the Omnidroid to Metroville. The Parrs escape to Metroville as well with Mirage's help.

Syndrome's plan backfires when the Omnidroid's artificial intelligence recognizes that Syndrome's remote control wristband is a threat; it shoots the remote off of Syndrome, who is knocked unconscious as he tries to flee. The Parrs and Lucius fight the Omnidroid; Helen and the kids retrieve the remote control, allowing Bob to destroy the robot's power source. The Parrs and Lucius are hailed by the public just as Syndrome awakens to see their victory. Returning home, the Parrs find Syndrome retaliating by abducting Jack-Jack to raise as a sidekick. As Syndrome flies away, Jack-Jack's superpowers of transforming into multiple forms manifest, and he escapes Syndrome's hold. Helen rescues the falling baby, and Bob throws his car at Syndrome's plane; Syndrome’s cape is sucked into the plane's engine, killing him and causing the plane to explode.

Three months later, the Parrs witness the arrival of supervillain the Underminer. They don their masks and suits, ready to face the new threat (“The Incredits”).

TRIVIA

The Parr family’s superpowers were based on their personalities. As a dad, Bob had to be the strong one, and mom Helen had to handle being pulled in all directions. Violet, the insecure teen, doesn’t want people to look at her, while Dash represents a typical hyperactive boy. And baby Jack-Jack is all about undiscovered potential.

Visual Style

• The world of The Incredibles evokes the future as imagined in the early 1960s. Pixar designers found inspiration in TV shows like Jonny Quest, the early Bond pictures, and Disney’s Tomorrowland.

• Edna Mode’s house was designed to be very modern and minimalist but also incorporates superhero elements—inspired by Greek mythology and art.

Deleted Scene(s)

• A deleted scene expands on Snug Porter, an old friend of Helen, who originally would’ve piloted the plane to Nomanisan Island but would die when the plane explodes.

A 2005 Pixar short Jack-Jack Attack follows Kari the babysitter during the night she babysits Jack-Jack in The Incredibles.

Attraction(s)

• Incredicoaster (Disney California Adventure)