MOVIE OF THE MOMENT

I realize it's not exactly an obscure object of desire or a movie that's gone wanting for a promotional budget, but don't discount The Incredibles based on its omnipresence in the marketplace or its positioning as a "kids" film. Yes, my two-year-old was thrilled, but so was I. Pixar started strong out of the gate with Toy Story, picked up speed with A Bug's Life and Toy Story 2, and continued their streak with two amazing films-- Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo-- that many reasonably might have assumed would be their peak. But somehow, through not just the groundbreaking technology used to tell the story, but more importantly through the old-fashioned alchemy of surefooted, intelligent cinematic storytelling itself, The Incredibles pushes Pixar to new and unexpected glory. Simply put, it is as good as you've heard-- written and directed by Brad Bird (The Iron Giant), it's Pixar's finest hour. One day (and judging from the clever but uninspired trailer for their upcoming feature Cars, that day could arrive sometime next summer) Pixar is going to deliver a movie that's not an instant classic, a movie that deserves, say, only three stars out of four. By any other measurement of artistic achievement, that's a success. But the way these geniuses craft their particular gems, when that happens it's going to feel to moviegoers a lot like what Dodger fans felt when Eric Gagne finally blew a save. But let's not think about that-- for now savor the opportunity to see one of the best movies of the year on a big screen. The Incredibles-- no hype-- truly is.