Wonkette Movie Night: The Incredibles
'Leave the saving of the world to men? I don't think so.'
“NO CAPES!” — Edna “E” Mode.
That is just one of the fun differences that sets The Incredibles apart from other superhero movies. It pokes a little fun at the genre — and this animated film has more heart than some of the live action flicks that dominate this type of cinema. It creates a universe that is easy to accept as it is presented, where we can suspend disbelief and let ourselves enjoy thinking of what our own super powers would be.
Mr. Incredible spends his days stopping bank robbers, rescuing kitties that are stuck in trees, and battling evil villains like Bomb Voyage. His best friend is Frozone, who can put the freeze on when things get too hot. Mr. Incredible enjoys some friendly competition with Elastigirl, which soon turns to love.
A fanatical young man begs to be Mr. Incredible’s sidekick but ends up getting in the way and putting the superhero in more danger than with any bad guy he has ever fought. He must now face LAWYERS!
He is sued for helping someone who didn’t want help and the collateral damage that his and other superheroes’ actions frequently have caused. This casts the entire hero community into a bad light where they are forced underground and into giving up being super. They try to fit into society as normal people, as their previous alternative identities become their only identity. After 15 years, Elastigirl and Mr. Incredible had started a family, with their two children having special skills that they also must hide.
But an evil from the past will show itself, and the superhero must once again don his mask and tights. The gear has been updated thanks to Edna “E” Mode, except that now Mr. Incredible has a family to support him, whether he wants help or not. So they all get the outfits with a big “i” that are “Virtually indestructible, yet it breathes like Egyptian cotton.”
Will our heroes step out of the shadows to help those who had forced them into the dark?
The Incredibles is available with subscription on Disney+. $3.99 in the usual places.
The Incredibles stars the voice talents of Holly Hunter, Craig T. Nelson, Brad Bird, Samuel L. Jackson, Jason Lee, Sarah Vowell, Spencer Fox, and Wallace Shawn. Directed by Brad Bird.
To make requests and see the movie lists and schedules go to WonkMovie.
The animated short is When Life Shifts Quietly | A Rose Is Still a Rose by Soul, Style, and Shenanigans with Eli.
The next Movie Night selection is in honor of Labor Day. Salt Of The Earth (1954) is available with subscription on MGM+, Prime, Sling and Fubo TV. Free on YouTube. Free with ads on Tubi, Plex and Pluto TV.
𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐔𝐒 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐀:
Edna "E" Mode, the costume lady, is based on an amalgam of two famous costumers. The first is Edith Head, who won 8 Oscars and garnered 35 Oscar nominations. The mannerisms, mid-century design style and round glasses are based on her. The second is wardrobe supervisor Edna Taylor, on whom the name and hairstyle were based. Among many other things, Edith Head designed the airline uniforms for the film Airport (1970). She also designed a line of women's apparel; the Airport Collection, which was inspired by the mid-century modern look of the early sixties, which was also the school of design that inspired The Jetsons (1962) cartoon series and the entire look and feel of The Incredibles. Unfortunately, the clothing designs were a full ten years behind the times and the line failed, with the only source being a department store in Indianapolis. In a way, this paralleled the semi-retirement of Edna Mode. She received a few more nominations after Airport and continued to work for another decade, with her final designs appearing in Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982) a year after her passing in 1981.
Thanks everyone! Next Saturday we are watching 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐭 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 in honor of Labor Day. We are not doing a Labor Day matinee this year as I am taking the day off.