THE INCREDIBLES
Release date: April 12, 2011
Blu-ray version (some materials may not appear on the DVD version)

Another Pixar film hits the incredible high definition format of Blu-ray. “The Incredibles” follows the adventures of a family of former superheroes who are rediscovering the true source of their powers—in one another. Once one of the world’s top masked crime fighters, Bob Parr (a.k.a. Mr. Incredible) fought evil and saved lives on a daily basis. But 15 years later, he and his wife Helen (the former Elastigirl) have been forced to take on civilian identities and retreat to the suburbs. Today they, and all superheroes, live as mere mortals. Bob and Helen lead all-too-ordinary lives with their children, Violet and Dashiell “Dash” Parr, who go out of their way to appear “normal,” and new baby Jack-Jack As a clock-punching insurance man, the only thing Bob fights these days is boredom and a bulging waistline. Itching for action, the sidelined superhero gets his chance when a mysterious communication summons him to a remote island for a top-secret assignment. Now, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance, the family must come together and once again find the fantastic in their family life.

In addition to the main film, there’s the Pixar short “Boundin’” that accompanied “The Incredibles” in the theaters as well as the straight to DVD short “Jack Jack Attack,” a hilarious look at what happens when Kari comes to babysit the youngest of the Incredible family.

Here’s what incredible BONUS FEATURES you’ll find on here:

Not only do you get DIRECTOR COMMENTARY and ANIMATOR COMMENTARY, but there’s also BOUNDIN’ COMMENTARY.

JACK JACK ATTACK EXPLODED (4:43) is yet another commentary, but taking advantage of the Blu-ray format it’s a visual commentary. That means you will get to see who is speaking and see various visuals related to what is being said, such as recording sessions and artwork of unused ideas. You’ll find out answers to such burning questions as Who was Kari? And How did “Jack Jack Attack” come into being?

THE INCREDIBLES REVISTED (22:06) is a roundtable with people who played a key role in the film’s creation. Various artwork and other visuals complement their anecdotes and recollections.

PATHS TO PIXAR: STORY ARTISTS (5:53) is another in a series of “Paths to Pixar” features that appear on the new Blu-ray releases. Each focuses on the people in a particular role in the creation of the films. In this one, the story artists are featured.

STUDIO STORIES: GARY’S BIRTHDAY (1:24) is a new episode of “Studio Stories,” the series that has had other episodes on other Blu-ray releases. These very short stories feature simple line art animation, set to stories told by employees of the humorous and kind of bizarre world of life at Pixar. This is a fun one!

ENDING WITH A BANG: MAKING THE END CREDITS (1:35) Two dimensional ‘60s-style animation.

Although some of the above also appeared on the previous DVD release, the following fall under the category of CLASSIC FEATURES on the Blu-ray:

No need to create a new MAKING OF THE INCREDIBLES (27:30), since it was so well done on the original DVD.

THE NEW NOMANISAN: A TOP SECRET REDEVELOPMENT PLAN (3:30) is a cute short film that appears to be like old-time commercial for the island of Nomanisan. You may then explore ten areas of Nomanisan such as the Shooting Range, Adventure Sports and even Vow Renewal, each offering about a ten second piece in the same style.

There are a total of six DELETED SCENES, and that includes a 15 minute piece with an entertaining alternate opening. Director Brad Bird explains the background of this alternate beginning and even how it inspired the inclusion of Syndrome in the main film.

The original INCREDIBLES TEASER (2:01) that accompanied the theatrical release of “Finding Nemo,” was a humorous piece of original footage, not taken from the film, and it’s now in HD.

EASTER EGGS were often found on DVDs, but you had to really look around for them. While it was fun to discover the hidden gems, it was a shame that it was very easy to miss some. This Blu-ray has a section featuring all the Easter eggs from the previous DVD release! I much prefer just making them easily accessible! Way to go, Disney!

The short CHARACTER INTERVIEWS (6:30) feature the animated characters being interviews by live-action human anchors of popular news programs.

MR. INCREDIBLE AND PALS COMMENTARY BY MR. INCREDIBLE AND FROZONE (4:00) is unusual in that it is taking an already entertaining piece and by adding clever new audio, it becomes just as entertaining as the original piece. That’s because the new audio is in the form of audio commentary by Mr. Incredible and Frozone themselves. It’s hilarious as the fictional superheroes comment on, and criticize their own fictional cartoon.

The TRAILERS section is much more than just the theatrical trailers for the film. It also includes commercials that star the Incredibles, one for Tide laundry detergent and a couple for SBC internet. There are also a bunch of very short (just a few seconds each), but fun ABC Stunts.

Although some of the above appeared on the previous DVD (non-blu-ray) release, you also get all these bonus features that were on the previous DVD:

What if Mr. Incredible and his fellow superheroes were so popular back in the 1950s that they would have had their own television series? If they did, it would be MR. INCREDIBLE AND PALS (4:00). This is intended to look like a vintage traditionally animated serial , in the style of the “Clutch Cargo” television series from the 1950s, where human mouths are added into the animation.

NSA FILES is comprised of audio and 21 stills in an interactive gallery which allows you to choose any of the characters for a detailed profile on each.

WHO IS BUD LUCKEY? (3:55) focuses on Pixar’s own Bud Luckey and his key involvement in the creation of the short “Boundin’,” as well as his participation in “The Incredibles.”

VOWELETT – AN ESSAY BY SARAH VOWELL (10:13), features Sarah who is not only an author, journalist, essayist and social commentator, but she’s also the voice of Violet in the film. Fascinating to watch, this piece gets into the head of both Sarah the social commentator and Sarah the voice of a superhero. A very candid piece, much more entertaining than just having her sit in a chair and talking! You’ll even get to see when she receives and sees the Violet superhero action figure for the first time!

MR. INCREDIBLE AND PALS COMMENTARY BY MR. INCREDIBLE AND FROZONE (4:00) is unusual in that it is taking an already entertaining piece and by adding clever new audio, it becomes just as entertaining as the original piece. That’s because the new audio is in the form of audio commentary by Mr. Incredible and Frozone themselves. It’s hilarious as the fictional superheroes comment on, and criticize their own fictional cartoon.

There ya go, that’s the super stuff that appears on this superheroic Blu-ray. Hope you found my notes incredible!