Incredibles, The

There once was a time when superheros saved the day...when the police and the public looked to them for extra help in times of crisis. Then came the day of liability and lawsuits...when civilians began suing the "Supers" for pain and suffering. So the superheros were put into the Superhero Protection Program and released into society, never to use their powers again. In The Incredibles, Bob Parr (voice of Nelson), formerly known as Mr. Incredible, has unhappily settled into a dead-end job to support his family—his wife Helen "Elastigirl" (voice of Hunter) and three kids (all of whom have suppressed powers of their own), and their suburban living. Desperate for something to spark in his life, he secretly meets up with a former Super, Frozone (Jackson), to listen to CB radios and fight small-time crime. But when a mysterious assignment arises, Parr secretly takes off to a remote island to receive instructions for a highly classified assignment. Immediately thrust back into his role as Mr. Incredible, he faces off against Syndrome, a jilted former fan. The Incredibles is an exhilarating, edge-of-your-seat adventure with a rollercoaster of emotions. (Gary Reber)

Special features on Disc One of the four-disc set include commentary with Producer John Walker and Director Brad Bird; commentary by Supervising Animators Tony Fucile, Steven Hunter, and Alan Barillaro, plus Animators Gini Santos, David DeVan, Kureha Yokoo, Dave Mullins, John Kahrs, Robert Russ, Angus MacLane, Travis Hathaway, Doug Frankel, and Peter Sohn; the short Boundin (HD 04:42) with optional commentary by Director Bud Luckey; the short film Jack-Jack Attack (HD 04:44); a visual commentary with Bird, Story Supervisor Mark Andrews, Character Designer Teddy Newton, and Animator Bret Parker on Jack-Jack Attack Exploded (HD 04:44); "The Incredibles Revisited" roundtable discussion with Bird, Walker, Story Supervisor Mark Andrews, Supervising Technical Director Rick Sayre, Production Designer Lou Romano, Character Designer Teddy Newton, and Fucile (HD 22:09); sneak peeks; and up-front previews. Disc Two
contains bonus material only: Paths To Pixar: Story Artists (HD 05:55); Studio Stories: Gary's Birthday (HD 01:25); Ending With A Bang: Making The End Credits (SD 01:35); "The New Nomanisan: A Top Secret Redevelopment Plan," which is a guided tour of Nomanisan Island, post-syndrome, pitching the island as a vacation resort paradise; seven deleted scenes; "The Incredibles" teaser trailer; the following under "Classic Content": Making Of The Incredibles (SD 27:25), Story (SD 06:39), Character Design (SD 05:28), E Volution (SD 02:51), Building Humans (SD 06:16), Building Extras (SD 02:07), Set Design (SD 03:18), Sound (SD 03:27), Music (SD 05:14), Lighting (SD 02:50), "Tools" (SD 02:45), "Mr. Incredible And Pals" (SD 04:03), Mr. Incredible And Pals commentary by Mr. Incredible and Frozone, NSA Files (Audio +21 Stills), Who Is Bud Luckey? (SD 03:57), Vowellett—An Essay By Sarah Vowell (SD 09:23), and an art gallery; easter eggs; and character interviews (SD 06:36); 11 trailers under "Publicity"; and D-BOX® Motion Code™. Disc Three is a DVD of the film, and Disc Four is a digital copy.

In Issue 94, the DVD review stated "You are not going to believe your eyes when you play this DVD in your home theatre!" The picture looked absolutely phenomenal! From the moment Mr. Incredible intercepts a police chase, the anamorphically enhanced 2.35:1 DVD picture exhibited jaw-dropping, gorgeous images. The digital-to-digital transfer was unbelievably sharp and detailed, with outstanding clarity, textures, and definition. Colors were incredibly rich and brightly saturated, with fantastic gradations and attention to detail, from the highlights in Elastigirl's hair to the moonlight reflections on the ocean water and "shadow detail" in Chapter 15, the picture excelled in presenting a flawless visual experience. All aspects of the picture quality helped to keep you on the edge of your seat with excitement. Well, the Blu-ray Disc™ 2.39:1 1080p AVC picture is absolutely even more amazing! Resolution is incredibly razor-sharp! Fine detail and nuances are exceptionally articulate and fantastically rendered. The picture simply glows in high-definition glory. The colors are fabulously rendered with a vividness and richness that is incredible. Hues appear perfectly balanced and natural in tone, density, and intensity. Contrast is exceptional and perfectly balanced with deep, solid blacks and revealing shadow delineation. The clarity and purity of the color palette is mesmerizing. No artifacts are to be found, for an absolutely pristine visual experience. As stated previously, if you don't think you can suspend disbelief with an animated title, just give The Incredibles a try. This Blu-ray is not to be missed. If the picture was to be described in just one word, it would be...well, you know what it is. (Gary Reber)

The Dolby® Digital 5.1-channel soundtrack that accompanied the DVD reviewed in Issue 94 presented good localization of effects around the room, with seamless pans between each loudspeaker pair. The front soundstage created a very wide and deep feeling but could occasionally sound out of place, with on-screen action portrayed well beyond the boundaries of the screen. Surrounds were used well, creating a detailed environment for the story. Dialogue was directionalized across the front three screen channels when multiple subjects were on the screen, but its exact location was not properly defined. Panning across the front three screen channels was impressive and was especially noticeable when a character walked across the screen while talking. The LFE channel was used well when needed, and low-bass information was also presented through each of the full-frequency channels. Action scenes were especially impressive, with imaging around the room to keep the audience in the story. This new rendering in the lossless DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1 ES format is true to the previous attributes, but the overall impact is far better. While the primary soundtrack registers as a DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1 -channel mix, this is an ES mix with a matrixed center back channel, not a discrete center back channel. Still, the sonic presentation is holosonically engaging throughout, as well as dynamic sounding. Dialogue is crisp and clean and presented with reasonable spatial integration. The music score is perfectly balanced and well recorded, with an expansive soundstage presence and surround presence. Bass extension is excellent, with powerful .1 LFE emphasis to enhance the action segments. The D-BOX Motion Code perfectly enhances the overall experience with effective motion and dynamic jolts. Ambiance prevails effectively throughout, to create a convincing dimensional soundfield that draws you into the storytelling. This is an incredible soundtrack experience, with emotionally charged dynamics that create a perfectly immersive holosonic experience. (Gary Reber)