Common Sense Media Review
By Nell Minow , based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 7+
Top-notch, action-packed fun for the entire family.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
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Violence & Scariness
some
Many, many scenes of intense and sustained, but not bloody, violence. A host of weapons, from handguns to explosives to lasers, are used in various battles between villains and superheroes. Bullets whiz by, cars explode, buildings collapse. Skeletons of killed superheroes are shown, and references are made to superheroes who've died in various ways. Mr. Incredible believes his family has been killed in an explosion, and the family comes near death many times. Hand-to-hand fights are also portrayed, and characters punch and push each other. A man tries to commit suicide by jumping off a building. Mr. Incredible saves him, but then is taken to court where they talk about how the man should be allowed to kill himself. Overall, the body count and general violence is much higher than in most comparable animated adventures.
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a little
Characters have (or are offered) wine, champagne, and a mimosa. Edna smokes an old-fashioned, long-stemmed cigarette.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
a little
A long-term couple kisses several times, flirts, pinches each other on the bum, and acts passionately in love. Elastigirl thinks that Mr. Incredible is cheating on her, but he isn't. Teens have a crushes. Mirage's outfits highlight her cleavage. Elastigirl wears a skintight costume. Syndrome makes a racy comment: "You married Elastigirl and got busy?"
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Products & Purchases
very little
Nothing in the movie; tons of licensing/merchandising tie-ins in real life -- toys, games, books, clothes, and much more.
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Language
very little
A few exclamations of "oh my God!", "what the...", and "Jeez."
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Positive Messages
a lot
The biggest theme is that families that stay together and allow their talents to shine are the strongest. Additional themes include communication and perseverance. Other issues thoughtfully explored through the characters include self-identity, marital restlessness, family dynamics, responsibility to help others, and teen angst.
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Positive Role Models
some
Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl show their children that what's most important is for families to stick together, no matter what. Despite their differences of opinion, the Incredibles band together to save each other -- and their city. Characters demonstrate courage and teamwork.
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Educational Value
a little
Kids will learn the value of people's different skills and how a family can work together to make a difference, fight injustice, and overcome obstacles.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Incredibles is an animated superhero adventure that's considered one of Pixar's all-time best for portraying mature themes about families in a way that both kids and adults can enjoy. You can expect quite a bit more violence than in many kid-targeted animated movies. There are all sorts of weapons, explosions, deaths, wide-spread destruction, and more. A man tries to kill himself by jumping off a building. Mr. Incredible saves him, but then is taken to court, where they talk about how the man should be allowed to carry out his plan. A few characters are shown with drinks in hand, and one character smokes a long-stemmed cigarette. Despite the intensity of the Bond-level violence, there are plenty of positive themes about family, courage, and identity to make this a must-see for families. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Where to Watch
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The Incredibles
- Parents say (100)
- Kids say (213)
age 8+
Based on 100 parent reviews
taybrig Adult
April 8, 2022
age 8+
Depends on the kid
This movie is fantastic. It is honestly one of the best movies I have ever seen. I have always been annoyed about hollywoods garbage they make for kids. Children can understand complex plots, you don’t have to dumb it down to a mind-numbing degree. Pixar has always been great with making good kids movies but they really outdid themselves here. It tells a very mature and real story, has action that pulls no punches, and is great for pretty much the whole family. It’s really a must watch. But for kids it is ok but around the beginning a man tries to commit suicide by jumping off a building. He gets saved but it’s still pretty dark. But that’s too small a thing to keep you from experiencing this movie. Skip it if you have to, you won’t be disappointed.
CJ B. Parent of baby, 6 and 10-year-old
July 17, 2018
age 16+
"Hero" movies aren't for kids.
They aren't heros, they're just vengeful.The plot wasn't bad but the endless chase as fighting scenes were boring.Obviously inappropriate for children unless you want to teach them that vengeance is the way to go.
Rate movie
See all 100 parent reviews
What's the Story?
In THE INCREDIBLES, Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), a superheroine whose limbs and torso can stretch the length of an Olympic swimming pool, pauses for just a second on the way to saving the world to check out her rear end in the form-fitting super-suit. Seems that after three kids, there's a bit of stretching there that doesn't have anything to do with superpowers. Her super-strong husband, Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson), finds that if he isn't careful throwing evil robots around, he can throw his back out, too. Everyday life is challenging enough for these superhero parents, especially with a young baby, a super-speedy son, and a middle-school daughter who can create force fields and make herself invisible. Cleverly these super-powers resemble some familiar family roles -- powerful dad, stretched-thin mom, hyperactive jock son, shy and awkward daughter -- and add resonance to this story of family who sticks together, no matter what.
Is It Any Good?
Our review:
Parents say (100):
Kids say (213):
What is most incredible and most engaging about this film is how, well, credible it is. Writer-director Brad Bird and the brainiacs at Pixar have climbed the Mount Everest of animation and created human characters as vivid and believable and utterly endearing as any who have ever appeared on film -- animation, live-action, and everything in between. In a witty prologue, we see the superheroes being interviewed. As Mr. Incredible leans toward the TV camera, he gets slightly out of focus. It must have been tempting to take advantage of the endless precision of computer images to keep the edges sharp. But this is a movie that is clever and confident enough to permit a little imperfection in pursuit of perfect believability.
The action sequences in The Incredibles are superbly staged, inventive, and exciting, especially the fights with a many-tentacled robot, and when the Incredible family is joined by the very, um, cool Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson), who can create ice out of the water molecules in the air. It's also a very funny movie, hilarious at every level, from school-age snickers to good-natured teen snarkiness to subtle grown-up laughter. Bird himself plays the funniest character in the film, the supersuit designer Edna Mode. Most of all, though, the movie has wisdom and tons of heart. It's a smart, fresh, and funny movie about the real superheroes: families who stick together.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what superpowers they would most like to have and why. What would your uniform look like? Why did Violet begin to wear her hair back after she used her superpowers, and what made Syndrome so angry?
Talk about the violence in The Incredibles. Did it bother you? Did you notice yourself feeling more aggressive after watching? Would the movie have been as effective without the violence?
How do the characters in The Incredibles demonstrate communication and perseverance? What about courage and teamwork? Why are these important character strengths?
Movie Details
- In theaters: November 5, 2004
- On DVD or streaming: March 15, 2005
- Cast: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson
- Director: Brad Bird
- Inclusion Information: Female actors, Black actors
- Studio: Pixar Animation Studios
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Superheroes, Adventures, Great Boy Role Models, Great Girl Role Models
- Character Strengths: Communication, Courage, Perseverance, Teamwork
- Run time: 105 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: action violence
- Award: Common Sense Media Award
- Last updated: August 15, 2024
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The Incredibles
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