In 15 years, Pixar has created not only some of the finest animated motion pictures, but also some of the best films of the last decade and a half. Before the 11th film, Toy Story 3, comes out on June 18, here’s my ranking of Pixar’s first 10 outings.
9. The Incredibles (2004)
More than $631 million earned worldwide. A 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Best Animated Feature Academy Award. And I’m just not into this movie. Maybe it’s because we’ve been onslaught with superhero movies over the past decade. Maybe it’s because it was all too close to the Fantastic Four. Maybe it’s because I found the plot to be far too predictable. Unlike the rest of the world, I just have never dug The Incredibles.
Think about it. Here’s a film that hasn’t really built a strong franchise around it. No planned theme park attractions. No announced sequel. And now that Disney has Marvel, is there really any need for this set of superheroes? I would firmly argue “no.” Why keep Mr. Incredible around when you have The Thing. Of course, no one probably could ever have dreamed that the Marvel would come into the fold back in 2004. The point is, there isn’t anything all too original here.
This was also Pixar’s first turn at a film truly about human characters. After toys, bugs, monsters and fish, maybe it was time. But I had come to rely on these totally imaginative worlds that Pixar had created with anthropomorphized characters. It’s a Disney staple. It was also the first film not originally dreamed up by the founders of Pixar. It started at Warner Bros. until that studio shut down its animation wing. Plus, it was a holiday release. And to me, Pixar should always come out as a summer blockbuster. In time, I fear The Incredibles will become a forgotten Pixar tale.
The highlight of the film for me was Brad Bird’s own turn as Edna Mode. You can tell Bird enjoyed throwing in his own personal touch with this character. But it’s not pretentious or overwhelming. It works. In fact it works really well, for Edna steals every scene she’s in. If there ever is another movie from this universe, I’d say make it an Edna spinoff, not a true sequel. I think she could carry a film in her own wacky adventures.
Previously ranked:
10. Cars (2006)
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