quote:

Originally posted by mark f:
Without giving any reasons (ha!), I believe that The Incredibles is twice as good as Sideways, Eternal Sunshine and Kill Bill Vol. 2 put together.

I'm afraid that you're going to have to give reasons, otherwise I will ignore your statement as the ravings of a popcorn and raisinette addled lunatic.

quote:

Originally posted by kendocubano:
I'm afraid that you're going to have to give reasons, otherwise I will ignore your statement as the ravings of a popcorn and raisinette addled lunatic.

I always pegged Mark as more of a Nachos and Good N' Plenty kind of guy.

But yes, a rationale for that kind of praise heaped on The Incredibles would be greatly appreciated.

quote:

Originally posted by FragileKidA:
Now, many of you know how much I love it, so answer me this: is this new film from Brad Bird as good or better than Finding Nemo?

Much, much better than Finding Nemo.

My (soon to be) 10 year old wanted to list her Pixar favorites. So, through the magic of internet, here she is:

Hi! This is me!! This is my list:

Ratatouille
Bugs Life
Finding Nemo
The Incredibles
Monsters Inc.
Toy Story and Toy Story 2
I never saw Cars, but it looks babyish to me.

Nice list! i'm impressed that you liked the very mature Ratatouille so much.

As far as your pop's earlier comment, I've discussed all these movies throughout the forums, but my general comments have something similar to do with my long-running thread at another forum about whether movies are art and/or entertainment, and if there is any justifiable reason to look up to certain movies and look down on other ones, based on subject matter, directors, actors, budgets, etc. This is not the forum to address that, but I wasn't the one who introduced certain "classics" into a thread about Ratatouille, which I also will laud over the other movies. So eric, what's your rationale for finding The Incredibles forgettable, poor memory? There are a lot more forgettable things in your three classics than that [OMG] CGI film. (The Horror )

Should we open up a thread in general movies about art vs. entertainment and allow people to get into another religious brouhaha? I take movies pretty seriously, but I generally let things slide because I firmly believe that most things aren't black and white. But, if people are interested...

I might be interested in painting that mule a bit. In my early days, I had a rather long discussion with a poster named Daniel, Esq who used to haunt these parts about whether or not one could objectively categorize or list specific works of art.
(For the bored, or curious, it was here: objective vs subjective appreciation of art/music Start on page 3.

Film, in particular, is a hard one for me. I love it, but wonder if it has reached, or can reach, the artistic heights of painting or music, or even theatre or ballet.

quote:

Originally posted by mark f:
So eric, what's your rationale for finding The Incredibles forgettable, poor memory?

Possibly. I'm not trying to trash talk The Incredibles, or look down upon people who like it -- I found it enjoyable enough -- but nothing about the story really stood out for me, especially since I can barely remember the general plot of the movie. Those CG movies (at least based on the ones I've seen) are great technical achievements, but that's an aspect of movie-making I generally don't care that much about. I'd love to see a Disney/Pixar film that actually broke away from the standard Disney story mold that's been beaten to death since the dawn of cartoons.

I think this might fit into the Ratatouille thread. What do you think the plot of The Incredibles is? I don't mean for you to tell me who did what, etc. But what was the point of the movie? Anybody? What was The Incredibles trying to do, and did it accomplish it? And how was it similar to or different from other cartoons? The same thing goes for Ratatouille, but remember to HIDE spoilers.

This isn't a test, but take it seriously enough to think in three dimensions, at least if you post.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: mark f,

quote:

Originally posted by mark f:
I think this might fit into the Ratatouille thread. What do you think the plot of The Incredibles is? I don't mean for you to tell me who did what, etc. But what was the point of the movie? Anybody? What was The Incredibles trying to do, and did it accomplish it? And how was it similar to or different from other cartoons? The same thing goes for Ratatouille, but remember to HIDE spoilers.

This isn't a test, but take it seriously enough to think in three dimensions, at least if you post.

To be honest, The Incredibles makes me think of Atlas Shrugged. It's about special people with amazing abilities being misunderstood and mistreated by the "higher ups". It's the X-Men done right. It's also a mid-life crisis comedy. Action-wise, it's as good as any "live action" (quotes used because most action sequences these days are CGI anyway) movies I have ever seen. I haven't watched it in a while (maybe I will this weekend), so I'm a little rusty on the themes. Mark, spill forth your thoughts. You have piqued my interests.

I'm in the same position. I haven't seen it since it came out. I saw it at the theatre since. I only really remember a few specific scenes, most of them action scenes. I do remember having a vague notion that the dad was a middle aged guy who felt that the world had moved past him, and he was somewhat disappointed with and bewildered by his kids. But that seemed like such a sit-com trope, it's almost like short hand. I also remember the kids "pulling themselves up by the bootstraps" to save their endangered parents. Finding their "hidden potential," and all that. Again, a bit of a cliche. None of which interfered with my enjoyment of the film. I also remember laughing out loud a number of times. But I'm guessing that you saw more than that?

quote:

Originally posted by Il Mago:
It's the X-Men done right.

The X-Men comparison is a good one. Like the X-Men, I think the main theme had to do with differently-abled people in society (in this case, they're superheroes) learning to cope with and embrace their differences.

Again, it wasn't terrible, but as Kendo noted, somewhat cliche.

Well my big day is over and we did go out and watch this stunning film. There merely aren’t enough good things I can say about this movie. I loved how everything in this movie was built around a terrific story. Then there is the smart, witty humor that anybody could get, the impressive writing (Peter O’Toole’s voicing job was outstanding,) the heart-felt moments and the casting was superb. I loved Patton Oswalt’s voice as the lovable Remy and the aforementioned O’Toole’s job.

I thought the rats were drawn so cute and many times I had to say “Aww” at some of the expressions and mannerisms they exhibited. I even got choked up during many parts of the film where you could really feel/sense Remy’s emotions and this was just a cartoon! But that’s just the thing, when I was watching this, I didn’t think of it as an animation but as a real life story. Even though the thought of real live rats running a restaurant is implausible, everything in this special movie is just so touching.

I loved it and I thank all of you whom highly regarded it. I absolutely adored it.

quote:

Originally posted by ericg75:
Again, it wasn't terrible, but as Kendo noted, somewhat cliche.

Cliche? So there are other movies about retired superheroes who have superfamilies & have to battle former fans to save the city? I didn't know that!

Seriously, Brad Bird has to be one of the best animation director's ever! Are you guys forgetting "The Iron Giant"? He has emotion, character depth, & stories you can get into. The man is truly talented. And why wouldn't he be? He was apart of 'The Simpsons' crew! I'll be going to see this, & if I don't get to the theater in time, I'll be buying it the day it comes to DVD. That's how much I believe in his work. He hasn't disappointed me yet & I don't think he ever will!

I'm a big fan of animation. I think it's the most beautiful form of cinema. The colors, the lines, the way the characters move, I just love it!

quote:

Originally posted by Monkey_Boy:
Cliche? So there are other movies about retired superheroes who have superfamilies & have to battle former fans to save the city? I didn't know that!

I'm not talking about who the characters are, so much as the moral of the story, as well as the story arc.

Just because you take an old story and drop it in a new setting doesn't make it groundbreaking.

I'm glad to see other people are fond of Ratatouille because it has become an instant favorite for me.

Like many here, my feelings towards many of the CG cartoons has been of passable entertainment more notable for the technical achievements than a good story. That is not the case with Ratatouille. While the technical side is impressive when you want to go looking for it, the movie was good enough that I was not really paying that much attention to the tech except for a few scenes.

As I was leaving the theater, one word was in my mind. Classic. I hardly ever think that after a movie. The monologue near the end and the scenes that led to it were the "knock the ball out of the park" moments of the film. They caught me off guard as well but mostly because they were so well done and articulated. Those moments could have easily been bland, formulaic, and forgettable but instead they became the strongest part of a very good movie.

Well I just got back from seeing this movie again and I still love it. It is just such an outstanding film and I can't wait until it comes out on DVD so I can own it.

So EG, you gonna see it yet?

I'll probably go see it when it hits the cheap theater.

I saw Ratatouille and I thought it was fantastic. Year's best movie so far.

Count me among those who loved this movie. Although somewhat cliche in terms of story arc (displaced protagonist struggles with personal limitations and societally imposed prejudices, eventually triumphing over adversaries through perseverance and the good will of a select few), the characterizations are imbued with depth and genuineness, and the writing is smart and engaging. And the animation? I remember when I saw Monsters, Inc. how totally impressed I was. Ratatouille made it look like "Steamboat Willie." Ok, so that's a gross exaggeration, but you get the point.