How Well Do You Remember The Incredibles?
- by Edward Cambro
- – on
- in Movies and TV
It only took fourteen years, but we’re finally getting a sequel to The Incredibles in 2018. Influenced by comic book superheroes and spy films of the 1960s, the genre-bending film was a huge win for the still-burgeoning Pixar studios. The Incredibles’ massive success (earning more than half a billion dollars on a $90 million budget) the studio proved that there was more to it than just Toy Story.
The top-notch animation lived up to the tightly written script. The colorful design, clever humor and relatively simple plot made the kids love it, while the complicated characters, subtle jokes and unabashed nostalgia made their parents love it just the same. The Incredibles made everyone acknowledge that, yes, Pixar was more than just a flash in the pan, and that they were doing animation better than Disney. The war between the two production companies only ended when Disney had no choice but to buy out their competition, but left Pixar, largely, to its own devices so it could continue to create quality animated movies.
Keeping in mind that large gap between the two Incredibles films, we thought now would be a good time to test your knowledge and give you a refresher course on what you may have forgotten.
What powers does Mr. Incredible have?
With a name like Mr. Incredible, you’re going to have limited career options: superhero, porn star or American Gladiator. In this case, he turned out to be a superhero. Mr. Incredible is a straight-up hero like Superman, rather than an anti-hero like Batman (a Batman-styled life isn't exactly conducive to raising a family). He also got to tool around in a Batmobile/Astin Martin-inspired car with all kinds of nifty gadgets. Fun Fact: Mr. Incredible’s face is based on series creator Brad Bird’s.
What was Elastigirl’s real name?
The background of the film’s world is very vague. We don’t know how these superheroes obtained their powers—was there an incident or was this naturally occurring?—but that hardly matters to the plot. As an active hero, Elastigirl had a reputation for getting the bad guy and creating the least amount of collateral damage. Bad guys also weren’t as worried about getting roughed up by her as by Mr. Incredible. As a mother, Elastigirl had to use the same resilient, quick-thinking that was a hallmark of her superhero work to raise her also very powerful kids.
After retiring, what job did Mr. Incredible take?
After the government outlawed superheroes the way they outlawed feeding the homeless or adding an extension to your own home without a permit, Bob Parr was forced to work as a regular ham and egger. The former Mr. Incredible’s blue-collar principles didn’t mesh with a white-collar setting. Frustrated, he would often damage his car and accidentally reveal his super-strength, which would necessitate the Witness Protection Program to yet again move the Parr family to a new town. It also didn’t help he was secretly fighting crime at night, but that’s another story altogether.
What was their daughter named?
Mr. Incredible and Elasti-girl’s first-born child was a daughter. We first meet her as a teenager, who is smart and inquisitive, but very unsure, insecure and defensive—particularly when the topic of boys come up. Her powers reflect her state of mind at the beginning of the film: she can turn invisible and create energy-barriers. Eventually embracing her inherent weirdness and beating up criminals allows her to find the confidence to accept herself and be (slightly) less awkward at school.
Does Jack-Jack have powers?
The baby of the Incredible family is often envied by his older siblings, Violet and Dash. Violet resents having super powers and wants to be normal so she can feel more comfortable in her own skin. Dash loves his superpowers (his name’s Dash—we’ll give you one guess what his powers are) but resents having to hide them from everyone since they’re a major part of his identity. Baby Jack-Jack might still be too young to exhibit any powers, though it seems to have skipped a generation this time, much to the complex feelings of his parents and siblings.
Who is Mr. Incredible’s best friend?
Lucius Best is a longtime friend of Mr. Incredible and fellow former superhero. Despite both living under witness protection, they’ve remained close and have both taken to going out once a week to patrol and stop crime in secret. Of course, they’re a little out of practice, so there are complications. Best is married to a woman named Honey who may have been a former hero herself, but has taken to retirement much better than her husband has. Both Lucius and Honey are expected to have a larger role in the sequel.
Who voiced Edna Mode?
Edna Mode is a fashion designer who also has military grade weapons in her home (as one does). She used to create costumes for the superheroes of the world before they were outlawed. However, she never really retired, and had developed a new, durable fabric with updated designs for a new set of superheroes just in case. She helped Mr. Incredible with a new suit and designed matching ones for the entire family just for efficiency’s sake. Or because she read the script. Either one.
What powers did Syndrome have?
Syndrome's plan was multi-faceted. He wanted to change the world, but he also wanted to get revenge on Mr. Incredible. Efficiently, his plan allowed him to do both. He attacked the Incredibles' city with his own robot and would defeat it himself, making everyone think he was a hero. Then he would give the world superpowers so that, by definition, no one would really be super anymore. Oh, and then he was going to kill Mr. Incredible and his entire family because he's psychotic and this is normal in a kids' movie.
Does Mirage have superpowers?
Syndrome worked on his plan for years. He had a volcano base (naturally) and a gigantic staff of scientists and armed goons. He needed Mirage to act as a go-between to gain Mr. Incredible’s trust, ostensibly acting as something of an agent provocateur/honey pot combination to play to Incredible’s midlife crisis and help trap him on the island. She did eventually have a change of heart (once her own life was in danger) and freed the family to stop Syndrome.
What powers does Jack-Jack have?
Although his powers took time to manifest themselves, once they did, he was quickly established as being more powerful than his siblings and parents. This is both cool and terrifying; he’s an infant. Jack-Jack is also like his sister as he has more than one unique superpower. According to creator Brad Bird, we may not have seen the scope of Jack-Jack’s powers in the first movie. He may have more powers developing as he gets older.
What is the name of Syndrome's island?
Of course Syndrome has an evil lair on a secluded island. Not only is it something all villains worth their salt should have, it also fits in with the classic setting of the film. Evil island bases were a mainstay in comic book and spy fiction at the time, going back to the first James Bond film Dr. No and the comics of Superman and the Fantastic Four. Syndrome managed to keep from name his island something too obvious, which is a testament to his self-control.
In what city do the Incredibles live?
The Parr family had to move around a lot due to Mr. Incredible’s inability to retire from the superhero game. After the fifteen-year time jump, the family is just settling into a new house in a new suburb which is just outside of a major city where Frozone and Honey live. The Incredibles end up having to protect both the city and the suburbs from Sydnrome’s multi-layered plan of attack. The city itself is 1960s futuristic with a little bit of art-deco in there to give it some character. It’s thriving and Metropolis-like.
How did the Incredibles finally defeat the Omnidroid?
One of Syndrome’s greatest weapons was the Omnidroid—an octopus-like robot with highly advanced weapon systems and a computer core that is constantly learning and adapting. Its ablative metal shell is highly resistant to damage. While Mr. Incredible was able to deal with the first one alone (barely), its advanced “brother” required the entire Incredible family and Frozone to finally destroy. Had Syndrome been patient enough to build more than two of these things, he might have actually won, but how many villains can you name that have any self-control?
Who was the last villain Mr. Incredible faced before retiring?
While fighting a villain who was trying to destroy several buildings and rob a bank, Mr. Incredible noticed a man trying to kill himself by jumping from a skyscraper (this is a kid’s movie). This villain used the suicidal man and the interfering Buddy Pine as distractions; he knew Mr. Incredible would choose to save the civilians rather than continue to chase him. The villain was correct and he escaped. It’s unknown if the police or Mr. Incredible tracked him down in the aftermath or if he’s still running around free fifteen years later.
What is Syndrome's real name?
Look, fandom is a weird thing, and it’s the reason why there’s the saying “You shouldn’t meet your heroes.” Syndrome was a kid who idolized Mr. Incredible and attempted to become his sidekick. Mr. Incredible didn’t want that responsibility (or the insurance rate increase) and politely declined. He wouldn’t take no for an answer and quickly became a nuisance until Mr. Incredible had to tell him off. Syndrome, clearly having a great coping mechanism, grew up to become the superhero murdering villain.
Which of these characters flies a plane?
Well, there aren't that many options when trying to get to and from a secret island lair. Considering how far off in the ocean Nomanisan is, the only efficient way to get there is by plane. By the end of the movie, most of the characters have traveled to or escaped from the island, but only one of the four listed actually piloted a plane, which was, naturally, destroyed during the course of a rescue mission because, well, it's a superhero movie. You need stakes.
What villain debuts at the end of the movie
Almost immediately following Syndrome's defeat, the Incredibles are confronted by a new villain voiced by John Ratzenberger from Cheers and Toy Story. The development underlines that the world needs superheroes and that the government was wrong to make them illegal. While there seemed to be a lull in supervillain violence, this new villain had clearly been working a long time on his weapons, if not his overall gimmick. How effective of a villain he is remains to be seen; Incredibles 2 picks up right where the first left off.
Dash is called to the principal's office for what?
Living up to his name, Dash moves very quickly. He's a ball of energy who doesn't get to blow off steam properly because he has to hide his powers. This is the 1960s, so there's no Ritalin to slow him down, so he acts out by being a cross between Dennis the Menace and The Flash. He's just trying to keep himself entertained and burn through some of his energy, but he's still too immature to find a healthy way of doing it.
On what night of the week do Lucius and Bob secretly fight crime?
Well, Bob and Lucius need to blow off some steam too. Fighting crime is in their blood and it's difficult to let that go; they want to make a difference, but they have to be careful about it. Unfortunately, after so many years of being on the bench, they're a bit rusty. They end up nearly getting arrested as the police think they're the criminals who were trying to commit the robbery they were attempting to stop. They manage to get away, but they still raise suspicion.
Is there a Pizza Planet in The Incredibles?
Nearly all of the Pixar movies have a Pizza Planet truck or restaurant featured in some way. It originated in the first Toy Story film where Andy loses Woody and Buzz only to be captured by Sid. Since then, artists and designers have placed Pizza Planet trucks or reference sprinkled throughout the Pixar universe films. However, not all of them--due to time or simple forgetfulness--not every movie has one. It also has been a point of contention among fans who believe it's a clue to establishing how these movies are related to each other.
How does Bob lose his job?
For Bob, not being able to be a superhero is an obvious metaphor for a midlife crisis. By the time we catch up with the characters 15 years later, he's heavier, lethargic and going through the motions of everyday life. He's bored, listless and unhappy. It doesn't help that at work he's chained to a desk. It isn't until Mirage shows up and offers him secret missions that he gets into shape along with his desire to wake up in the morning back.
What is the password to Syndrome's computer?
You have to love the slapdash security of a villain's lair. They're paranoid people who have more hired goons than most armies, yet they just leave their main computer unattended and with minimal security features. Mr. Incredible didn't so much hack Syndrome's computer as he did take the password that was written on a piece of paper left on the kitchen table. Thanks to his access, Mr. Incredible was given the exposition necessary to explain the plot of the second half of the film.
What dead superhero had the password to Syndrome's computer?
The reason Mr. Incredible found the "Kronos" password was because of a dead superhero whose corpse he found in a cave on Nomanisan island. The whole cave was littered with superhero corpses, though one had scrawled the password on the wall as a signal to anyone who might find his body. Had Syndrome used any of the hundreds of guards he had, he could have found this makeshift grave and got rid of the evidence, making it nearly impossible for Mr. Incredible to get the information he needed to save the day
What's the name of the boy Violet has a crush on?
Violet has a crush on a boy at school. Her attempts at getting his attention just makes her more awkward. She lacks the confidence to be more upfront and easy-going in front of him. Her invisibility powers were developed by Brad Bird to be thematic to her character arc; teens who lack confidence or who have an unrequited crush can feel invisible. Violet herself gets scared of the boy possibly noticing her and accidentally turns invisible. Growing up sure is fun, isn't it?
Why doesn't Edna Mode like capes?
Edna Mode created the costumes for many, if not all of the superheroes active before the laws were changed. Judging by the way she took control over redesigning Mr. Incredible's suit, it's clear that she's the one who makes the real decisions about how they are supposed to look. She's always thinking toward the future, but has a recent fixation on capes--specifically that she dislikes them. When Mr. Incredible asked for one to be added to his new costume, Edna about exploded. Needless to say, he did not get his cape.
What was the name of the city Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl and Frozone used to protect?
Before the government clamped down on heroes and made them illegal, Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl and Frozone protected a different city than Metroville, where they ended up living under witness protection. Their former city was just as rife with crime (both super and regular) and it's where Bomb Voyage had set up his base of operations. After the 15 year time jump we never hear any more about their former city, but that may change once the sequel comes out next year.
We learn Mirage's real name by the end of the movie
Mirage was a cagey character who allegiances changed as the situation required it. While she did not seem to have any superpowers, her name suggests she might. However, it could also just be a code name since The Incredibles relies heavily on references to spy films and given the rather illegal and secretive nature of her work, Mirage probably wouldn't want her real name floating around out there. It's unknown if we'll get to see more of the character in the sequel as her voice actress, Elizabeth Peña, passed away in 2014.
What Pixar movie DOES NOT contain a reference to the Incredibles?
The Pixar movies don't exist in the same shared universe, but their universes run parallel to each other. The Incredibles have shown up in other Pixar movies in some form. A Frozone bobble head was seen in one, an Omnidroid poster was seen in another, Bomb Voyage cameoed as a mime in one movie as well (which actually might mean that a few of these movies do actually take place in the same universe). However, not every movie has a reference to the other.
What Pixar movie IS NOT referenced in The Incredibles?
Likewise, The Incredibles has several subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) references to other Pixar films, in-jokes and pieces of world-building. Characters appear as toys, in movie posters, junk or in outright cameo appearances. However, The Incredible does not have a huge list of references in it; neither do Brave and Up, for that matter. However, other films like Toy Story and Monsters, Inc. are treasure troves of winks and nods for eagle-eyed viewers. You can even make the assumption that Toy Story and Wall-E take place in the same universe, which is actually kinda sad.
What is the first thing Jack-Jack shape-shifts into?
By the end of the film, Syndrome has been mostly defeated--partially out of his own arrogance and partially because of the superhero family that want to kick his teeth in. However, he has one more play. Syndrome attempts to kidnap Jack-Jack and raise him to hate (and eventually kill) his own family. Again, this is a children's movie. Jack-Jack, however, doesn't care for Syndrome's over-gelled hair and unsettling resemblance to Kathy Griffin and fights back, eventually defeating Syndrome with the help of his mother, Elastigirl.
How did Mr. Incredible damage his suit?
Thanks to Edna Mode's design abilities, the uniforms she makes are highly durable. Unfortunately, as her technological prowess advanced, so did the bad guys'. By the time Mr. Incredible came out of retirement, his suit was 15 years out of date. On one of his secret missions, Bob damaged his suit and needed to take it back to Edna for repair. Naturally, Edna used this as an opportunity to redesign the suit and get back into the superhero game as well.
What was the firs thing Edna Mode said to Mr. Incredible upon seeing him again?
Bless Edna Mode. She's a successful and busy woman who has very little time for social mores. Rather, she gets right to the point, while also make biting comments along the way about people you have never met or you yourself. Everyone is a potential target; that said, she's a loyal ally and clearly one of the good guys. She just has a more realistic point of view than the rest of us. Since she's voiced by Incredibles creator Brad Bird, she will obviously return in the sequel.
What is the name of Jack-Jack's babysitter?
Jack-Jack's babysitter is an unsung hero in The Incredibles. She has no superpowers of her own and is totally unaware that Jack-Jack has any either. The perpetually upbeat sitter brings out Mozart and teaching tools to help the baby's development, and despite being in danger from both the kid's powers and Syndrome's plans, she doesn't leave Jack-Jack behind. Given that Incredibles 2 takes place immediately following the end of the first film, Jack-Jack will still be an infant and will still need a babysitter, so hopefully we'll be seeing her again.
Which character sued Mr. Incredible?
While trying to stop Bomb Voyage from robbing a bank and blowing said bank up, Mr. Incredible noticed a man trying to kill himself. He saved that man who then sued Mr. Incredible for injuries he sustained while being rescued. Look, we're a litigious culture and whatever settlement he got out of it probably suddenly cured his depression. Unfortunately, this lawsuit started a chain reaction that led to the end of the Golden Age of Superheroes and forced them into retirement.
What was the name of Bob's boss?
Bob's boss at the insurance company was an unpleasant man with a Napoleon complex. He didn't like how Bob managed to get the company to pay out so many claims on the side of the client. Admittedly, he didn't seem to like people in general. He also threatened to fire Bob if he left the office to go stop a mugging. Needless to say, this was also the same boss the Mr. Incredible threw through several walls, ending up in traction.