Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Samuel L. Jackson, Holly Hunter, Jason Lee (I)

9 out of 10 stars: With Aladdin, the third movie in the Disney Renaissance, the company was already employing the cookie-cutter pattern they would mercilessly repeat which would overwhelm any creative edge exhibited in their ensuing films. The regurgitation tarnished the good name that the company had so miraculously reclaimed. The Disney formula went something like this: Character is an outcast from the community. They sing a song about their dreams. Funny sidekicks help. Villain sings villain song. Last minute victory. Set it in Greece. Set it in China. Set it in Africa. Set it in pre-Colonial America. Remove the songs and set it Atlantis or freakin' outer space. Repeat.

With The Incredibles Pixar has done exactly the opposite of their parent company's egregious, lazy mistake. The Incredibles is utterly unlike their very successful films such as Finding Nemo or Monsters Inc. or A Bug's Life. Well, it is alike in that it too is inventive, creative, funny, and a visual marvel. Yes, those things they are replicating.

They've also created another great film. Notice I didn't necessarily say "family film" as this is skewed, ever so slightly older than their previous endeavors. It's not because of violence. In Finding Nemo every major character is thought dead at some moment in the film. There's nothing that grim. It's not because of a dark tone. Nothing in Incredibles approaches the truly creepy cannibal scene or the "toys come alive and attack Sid" scene from Toy Story. It's an older skew because of focus and pacing.

The Incredibles is, first and foremost, the story of a man with a mid-life crisis. Bob Parr is the secret identity of Mr. Incredible (voice of Craig T. Nelson), just one of a legion of super-heroes patrolling the planet who goes about rescuing treed cats, thwarting burglaries, and saving lives. One life he saves is that of a suicidal jumper who then turns around and sues Mr. Incredible for damages. The ensuing flood of lawsuits, whose tabs are picked up by the government, force the super-heroes into retirement. For Mr. Incredible that means a secret witness relocation program. He becomes Bob Parr, insurance agent and his wife, Elastigirl becomes Helen Parr (voice of Holly Hunter), mother to three young children. Two of their kids are endowed with extraordinary abilities like their parents. Their oldest, Violet, can disappear and create force fields. Their middle child, Dash, has super speed. Their youngest, Jack-Jack has no discernable powers as he's just a baby.

Bob is slowly withering, cramped in his cubicle and his car. He secretly informs his clients of ways to skirt or confound their policies, which infuriates his boss, Mr. Huph (Wallace Shawn). (This is the part where kids start to squirm.) Bob lies to Helen so that he can sneak out with his old buddy, Lucius Best (the former do-gooder Frozone, voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) and listen to the police scanner.

When he's summoned to a remote island by Mirage (Elizabeth Pena), a mysterious woman with white hair, Bob leaps at the chance. Once there he meets Syndrome (Jason Lee), a character who looks suspiciously like Heat Miser from The Year Without a Santa Clause, who puts Mr. Incredible up against his unstoppable, insidious creation, the Omnidroid. Meanwhile Helen finds one of Mirage's stray hairs on her husband's suit and begins to suspect that he's cheating on her.

Infidelity? Insurance agents? Daddy lying to Mommy? In a family picture?

The encounter with the Omnidroid leaves Bob invigorated. He's a better father, a better husband, a better hero. But his moonlighting is destined to involve his family as he discovers that Syndrome has bigger plans for the Incredibles.

And we're like Bob. Though the terrain may be familiar we feel invigorated by this film. Secret, uncharted hideaways? Sure we've seen them. But there's all the difference in the world. During The Incredibles there was one moment, where the rest of the family is flying toward Syndrome's island, that I thought, "Oh, this is what Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow would have been like if I cared about the characters!"

Infiltrating the villain's lair? Sure we've seen it. The difference is that each involves the particular skills and personalities involved. The action, at points, is so intense that young children will be seen hiding their eyes. That's hard to do these days.

The film is written and directed by Brad Bird (I'll give you a moment to remain in awed hush at the mention of his name) who also did The Iron Giant. Bird manages to craft a family unit that is both undeniably on the blink and immensely close (without having to say so). All of the messages in this film are part of the stitching instead of the embroidery. That Bird provides the voice for Edna Mode, the hero suit fashion designer and the funniest creation in The Incredibles seems, ahem, fitting.

The Incredibles then, contradicting myself, is a great family film. It's a great film about a family and that's pretty incredible.