Thanks to a good friend who works at Pixar, I got to attend one of the friends-and-family screenings of THE INCREDIBLES last weekend.

THE IRON GIANT is near the top of my list of favorite Hollywood films of the last ten years. I deliberately tempered my expectations for THE INCREDIBLES, partly because THE IRON GIANT had set them so high, and partly because I have not been especially moved by Pixar's product so far. TOY STORY was cute, but forgettable. And while I liked FINDING NEMO more than I expected, I felt no need to see it a second time. I couldn't know beforehand whether THE INCREDIBLES would be more a Pixar film than a Brad Bird film or the other way round. So, I managed to approach it with pretty much a blank mind, which as it turns out was unnecessary. Had I not tempered my expectations at all, they would have been exceeded and then some.

The trailers for THE INCREDIBLES are somewhat misleading, giving the impression that the film is a mix of THE SIMPSONS and The Fantastic Four. While that is one comedic thread in the film, it's by no means the dominant element. There are many levels to this film, all of them rendered with charm and wit and fabulous style.

Brad Bird has a talent approaching Miyazaki's skill at being able to make a family film with heart, but without even a hint of sappiness. The film is moral, but there is no moralizing. You care about the characters right from the start, and their flaws and foibles touch you even as they make you laugh. What moral notions are present flow naturally from the characters, nothing is forced or artificial.

Because the characters are so engaging, the action sequences - and there is a lot of action, another element the trailers leave out - are thrilling beyond the mere mechanics of the excellent CG animation. There is one scene which will have George Lucas holding his head in his hands and moaning, "Why didn't the pod race work that well?" I hope someone is there to answer him in time to give EPISODE III some substance.

The character of the villain is something I'd like to come back to in a spoiler-laden chat after others have had a chance to see the film. There will be a lot to talk about then!

THE INCREDIBLES has the potential to be a massive, massive hit. If it is, I hope the studios will recognize the reason, and give Brad Bird carte blanche on his next feature.

- Lon, Floating Glowing Head

Even before seeing the previews I knew I was going to see this movie no matter what. The reason alone is because it's done by the same person who made THE IRON GIANT and I consider that to be one of the best animated films there is. Good enough reason to me!