Learning Objective: This is a discussion class. In this session, we will have a movie review. At the end of the class, the participants are expected to be able to develop critical thinking and conversation skills.


The Incredibles
(Cartoon/Adventure) ( 2004)
© 2005 by Raymond Weschler


Major Characters

Mr. Incredible/Bob Parr...............Craig T. Nelson
A superhero with super human strength, who loves to help others fight evil people and other evil powers. Unfortunately, the government forces him to become just a regular citizen, and thus he is forced to work for an insurance company.

Elastigirl/Helen Parr..................Holly Hunter
A superhero who has the super human ability to stretch her arms and legs hundreds of feet long, who marries Mr. Incredible and soon finds herself raising a family with him as a normal housewife in the suburbs.

Frozone/Lucious Best..................Samuel L. Jackson
A superhero who has the ability to create huge amounts of ice in seconds, in order to fight fires and evil people. He joins the Parrs in agreeing to lead a life as a normal citizen.

Syndrome/Buddy........................Jason Lee
A young kid who idealizes Mr. Incredible like a rock star, but who grows up to become an evil creator of deadly machines because of his anger at Mr. Incredible, who refused to let Buddy work with him.

Dash Parr............................Spencer Fox
Bob and Helen Parr's young son, who has superhuman speed.

Violet Parr..........................Sarah Vowell
Bob and Helen Parr's teenage daughter, who has the superhuman ability to both disappear as well as create invisible 'force shields' around people, that protect them from being attacked.

E Mode................................Brad Bird
A tailor that has always made the suits that Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl have worn throughout their careers.

Gilbert Huph..........................Wallace Shawn
A government agent that helps Mr. Incredible and other superheroes start a new life as normal citizens.

Mirage...............................Elizabeth Pena
An attractive young woman who Mr. Incredible thinks works for a secret government agency, but who really works for Syndrome.

Plot Summary

This movie is a cartoon about superheroes with extraordinary powers, but it still feels like a film about everyday people. It centers on a superhero named Mr. Incredible, who has incredible super human strength, and who uses that strength to save the world from evil people, machines and others who are determined to harm the innocent. Unfortunately, Mr. Incredible is a victim of modern American society, when he is sued by a person whose life he saved, but who did not want to be saved (i.e....who wanted to commit suicide).

After more lawsuits are filed against him and other superheroes, the American government forces Mr. Incredible and the others to give up their "hero work" and become normal citizens living a normal life. In Mr. Incredible’s case, this means becoming Jack Parr, a guy who works for an insurance company.

Just before they are forced into non-heroic lives of normalcy, Mr. Incredible marries Elastigirl, who has her own special powers. Together, they create a typical American family in a typical American suburb, except for the fact that their two kids and baby, Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack, also have superhuman powers! The parents insist that their kids never use these powers, so that their true identities will remain secret, but this is especially difficult for Bob himself, who very much misses being a superhero.

One day a secret government department contacts Bob to see if he could do some superhero work, and Bob is very happy to do so. Unfortunately, it turns out that this government department is in fact an evil organization run by Syndrome, an angry young man who invents machines to beat superheroes like Mr. Incredible (When Syndrome was a kid, he wanted to join Mr. Incredible, but he was not allowed to, and he has been determined to get revenge ever since). Soon, Mr. Incredible finds himself in deep trouble and fighting for his life, but with the help of his superhero wife and kids, he is able to fight back so that once again, good beats evil....
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Some Words and Expressions that You May not Know

1. Every superhero has a secret identity.
Another name, personality and life that is kept separate from one’s true identity (Superman’s secret identity was Clark Kent).

2. No matter how many times you save the world, it always manages to get back in jeopardy again.
If a person is "in jeopardy," they are in great danger.

3. Cool! Ready for take off!
"Cool" is a very common slang word meaning very good or excellent. "To take off" is to lift skyward into the air, the way a plane or rocket does.

4. In a stunning turn of events, a superhero is being sued for saving someone who didn’t want to be saved.
"Stunning" is a powerful adjective that means shocking or amazing. A "turn of events" is a way of referring to unexpected developments. If a person is "sued," they are forced to defend themselves in court against charges that they caused harm to others.

5. The plaintiff, who was foiled in his attempted suicide by Mr. Incredible, has filed suit against the famed superhero in Superior Court.
A "plaintiff" is the person who sues, usually for money (against the defendant). "To foil" a plan is to successfully stop it. "Suicide" is the act of killing oneself. If a person is "famed," they are famous. "Superior Court" is a low level of court where most lawsuits are first brought.
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Questions for ESL Class Discussion

1. Of all the superhuman powers shown in this film (super strength, speed, elasticity, the ability to disappear, create protective bubbles or freeze things at super speed), which one would you like to have?
2. How is this movie a criticism of modern American society?
3. Did you read comic books when you were a kid? Did you have your own favorite superheroes growing up?
4. Who was you favorite character?
5. Would this movie have been better if it weren’t a cartoon?
6. Does your culture have a tradition of superheroes for kids?
7. What did you like and not like about this film?