Posts

Showing posts with the label Brad Bird

THE INCREDIBLES 2 - REVIEW

Image
Review available on the new website .

THE INCREDIBLES - REVIEW

Image
As we patiently wait for next year's much anticipated sequel, it's worth revisiting Pixar's The Incredibles , the animated superhero comedy that makes every Fantastic Four movie to date look like a cinematic practical joke. Indeed, there are a lot of similarities between the Marvel superteam and the characters in this movie from their powers to the matching outfits, something that should have made the film dismissable as too derivative and a bit of a rip-off but, in Pixar's hands, still comes off as very fresh and original. The film first introduces us to a world where superheroes are a common thing: they are interviewed like celebrities and their good nature is taken for granted. When super-strong Mr Incredible (voiced by Craig T. Nelson) saves a man from jumping off a building, the latter sues him for wrongful saving since he never asked to be rescued and this leads to a long court battle ending in all superheroes having to hide their powers. Cut to many years l

THE IRON GIANT - REVIEW

Image
Before becoming one of Pixar's most valuable filmmakers, Brad Bird of course worked on The Simpsons but he also made The Iron Giant , an animated feature about a little kid who befriends a giant robot in the 1950's. Using a mix of 2D hand-drawn and computer animation to bring its characters to life, The Iron Giant was a critical hit and it soon became a beloved modern cult classic. Upon its release, however, it failed at the box-office and didn't come even close to matching its hefty $70M budget. This was due to Warner Bros. underestimating the film following a couple of financial set-backs and not wanting to invest in a proper marketing campaign. The movie eventually found its audience and the fact that it was once a flop is largely forgotten. The sweet, simple story is framed in post-war paranoia with the American government obsessed with competing against the Russians in the space race. When the titular Giant, who is far more adorable than its stature suggests earl