Incredible Incredibles

I had a chance to see The Incredibles last night. I could go on and on about how much I enjoyed this movie, but here are a few of the reasons:

• It didn't play political favorites. Sure, the movie had some fun at the expense of the insurance industry, but it was just as quick to mock our overly litigious society and the lawyers that make it possible.
• The script refused to get bogged down in over-used plot devices. For example, there was a "this-isn't-what-it-looks-like-I'm-not-cheating-on-you" scene toward the end of the movie. Other writers would have milked the romantic tension from this scene for at least another ten minutes, but the Pixar folks quickly (and thankfully) mop up the whole thing with a big smooch and some light banter.
• Dash! Could this kid be any more like my five year old girl?
• While stealthily moving through the super-villain's fortress, Mrs. Incredible (who, for the last fifteen years, has given up the superhero business to be a mother and wife) pauses to examine herself in the mirror, moaning at way her new super suit accentuates her widened hips.
• While whizzing down the freeway in a van to rescue the city from a rampaging robot, Mr. and Mrs. Incredible have a mutually pig-headed argument over which exit to take. (If you were at last night's 7:30 showing, I was the guy who was laughing uncontrollably throughout this entire sequence.)
• Frozone, patting his face and neck with "Karate" cologne.
• During the same scene, Frozone arguing with his feisty, off-camera wife (How many times can a person say "Woman!!! Where's my super suit?!!!" with an increasingly outraged tone?)
• The surprisingly sensitive treatment of Mr. Incredible's mid-life crisis. He's bottled up in cubicles, jobs, cars, and houses that just don't fit him as he grows increasingly obese. He loves his family, but the things he loves about them the most are the things that they are trying to repress.
• Even after Mr. Incredible gets back into shape, he is still a little soft around the middle. (How I can relate to this!)
• The Revenge of the Sith trailer. I know the first two prequels were disappointing, but - based on ten seconds' worth of clips that were flashed across the screen during the trailer - I can now confidently assure you that this one will be better.
• The brassy, retro film score. It sounds a bit more like spy movie music than a superhero movie score, but it still fits.
• You know a movie is good when your five year-old is asking if we can get the DVD before the closing credits are over.