Mr. Incredible and Pals
Encyclopedia
Mr. Incredible and Pals is an animated short film produced by Pixar
, and included as a bonus on the DVD
edition of its 2004 feature film The Incredibles
.
The film is produced in a style of limited animation
that intentionally parodies the low-budget, low-quality TV Saturday morning cartoons that aired regularly during the era of the 1950s and 1960s. During this time, TV animation studios were contracted to turn out high quantities of product on low budgets, and this resulted in a large number of TV cartoons
that have been derided and mocked by TV critics, film and animation historians, and audiences in general. Mr. Incredible and Pals provides examples of this style of low-budget TV animation, which produced such stereotypical fare as:
As of 2008, Mr. Incredible and Pals is the first of only three short films produced by Pixar Animation Studios in the traditional hand-drawn method, instead of CGI animation. The second film, Your Friend the Rat
, was produced in 2007 and included as part of the DVD release of Ratatouille
, the third, Day & Night
, produced in 2010, was attached to the theatrical release of Toy Story 3
. The later two films feature a combination of hand-drawn and CGI animation.
Arriving at an abandoned carnival, Mr. Incredible goes about searching for Lady Lightbug, lifting up various objects while stating that she is not under any of them. Mr. Skipperdoo hops to point out that resting on top of the hall of mirrors Mr. Incredible is currently lifting is the missing bridge. Lady Lightbug then flies out at that moment and informs them all of her evil plan to steal the free world's
bridges, creating massive traffic jams and thus destroying their economies. She then proceeds to shoot a line of radioactive silk out of the end of her abdomen, tying up Frozone and leaving all as lost. Suddenly, Mr. Incredible throws the bridge at her, which she dodges. He then hops in a roller coaster, which then takes off flying toward Lady Lightbug. Mr Incredible knocks her out of the air, leaving her defeated. The missing bridge piece is restored and all returns to normal thanks to Mr. Incredible, Frozone, Mr. Skipperdoo, and democracy.
The end of the episode features a brief teaser of a gigantic anthropomorphic ear of corn yelling, “I’ll crush you, Mr. Incredible!” as the two prepare to fight.
and Samuel L. Jackson
) provided a DVD commentary for the short film, acting in character as if they were the actual Mr. Incredible and Frozone, watching this film for the first time more than thirty years after it was produced. The "background story" behind Mr. Incredible and Pals stated that Mr. Incredible and Frozone licensed their names and images to a TV animation company, and this was the pilot episode for an animated TV series that never aired.
The commentary of the two characters provides additional entertainment for the DVD's viewers, as while Mr. Incredible appears to display only apathy for the episode, Frozone is aghast and disgusted at its campyness and supposed racism (the cartoon version of himself appears to be white, or tan as Mr. Incredible puts it). He is also annoyed at the rabbit's appearance. By the end of the short, Frozone is so annoyed that he walks out of the commentary at the end demanding that the episode never be aired.
Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
, and included as a bonus on the DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
edition of its 2004 feature film The Incredibles
The Incredibles
The Incredibles is a 2004 American computer-animated action-comedy superhero film about a family of superheroes who are forced to hide their powers. It was written and directed by Brad Bird, a former director and executive consultant of The Simpsons, and was produced by Pixar and distributed by...
.
The film is produced in a style of limited animation
Limited animation
Limited animation is a process of making animated cartoons that does not redraw entire frames but variably reuses common parts between frames. One of its major trademarks is the stylized design in all forms and shapes, which in the early days was referred to as modern design...
that intentionally parodies the low-budget, low-quality TV Saturday morning cartoons that aired regularly during the era of the 1950s and 1960s. During this time, TV animation studios were contracted to turn out high quantities of product on low budgets, and this resulted in a large number of TV cartoons
Saturday morning cartoon
A Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming that has typically been scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the present; the genre's peak in popularity mostly ended in the 1990s while the popularity of...
that have been derided and mocked by TV critics, film and animation historians, and audiences in general. Mr. Incredible and Pals provides examples of this style of low-budget TV animation, which produced such stereotypical fare as:
- Still shots of drawn scenes, rather than actual frame-by-frame animation.
- Actual footage of live actors' mouths moving instead of animated lips on the characters, a technique known as Synchro-Vox. The most well-known example of this form of "animation" was the Clutch CargoClutch CargoClutch Cargo is an animated television series produced by Cambria Productions and syndicated beginning on March 9, 1959. Notable for its very limited animation, yet imaginative stories, the series was a surprise hit at the time, and could be seen on 65 stations nationwide in 1960.- Plot :The...
series. - A Cold WarCold WarThe Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
-era plot pitting the true, freedom-loving American superheroes Mr. Incredible and Frozone against a stereotypical "Communist" supervillain, Lady Lightbug. - The sidekick is ensnared by the supervillain and there is complete emphasis on the main hero, who nevertheless thanks the sidekick for his involvement in stopping the villain.
- Frozone speaking in forced "beatnikBeatnikBeatnik was a media stereotype of the 1950s and early 1960s that displayed the more superficial aspects of the Beat Generation literary movement of the 1950s and violent film images, along with a cartoonish depiction of the real-life people and the spiritual quest in Jack Kerouac's autobiographical...
" slang, showing the out-of-touch depiction of minority characters in cartoons at the time. - A "cute animal" sidekick only added for "children's appeal." In this film, a glasses-wearing rabbit named Mister Skipperdoo does nothing but hop up and down, yet his actions are seen as crucial to solving the "mystery" that comprises the plot of this cartoon.
As of 2008, Mr. Incredible and Pals is the first of only three short films produced by Pixar Animation Studios in the traditional hand-drawn method, instead of CGI animation. The second film, Your Friend the Rat
Your Friend the Rat
Your Friend the Rat is Pixar's first short film to feature traditional animation. At 11 minutes, it is also the longest Pixar short to date. Along with 2D animation, the short also includes stop-motion animation, computer generated imagery and live action, much like the children's television...
, was produced in 2007 and included as part of the DVD release of Ratatouille
Ratatouille (film)
Ratatouille is a 2007 American computer-animated comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the eighth film produced by Pixar, and was directed by Brad Bird, who took over from Jan Pinkava in 2005...
, the third, Day & Night
Day & Night (2010 film)
Day & Night is a Pixar animated short film directed by Teddy Newton. It has been packaged to be shown in theaters before Disney·Pixar's feature film Toy Story 3, and has been released to purchase on iTunes in the United States....
, produced in 2010, was attached to the theatrical release of Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3 is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated comedy-adventure film, and the third installment in the Toy Story series. It was produced by Pixar and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It was directed by Lee Unkrich. The film was released worldwide from June through October in Disney Digital...
. The later two films feature a combination of hand-drawn and CGI animation.
Plot
The episode begins with Mr. Incredible, Frozone, and Mr. Skipperdoo discussing the previous events, that while they were gone an evil villainess named Lady Lightbug stole the bridge connecting the city, leaving cars stuck on either side of the river trapped. Resolving to amend the situation, Frozone builds a temporary bridge of ice, and the three skate away to find the arch-nemesis.Arriving at an abandoned carnival, Mr. Incredible goes about searching for Lady Lightbug, lifting up various objects while stating that she is not under any of them. Mr. Skipperdoo hops to point out that resting on top of the hall of mirrors Mr. Incredible is currently lifting is the missing bridge. Lady Lightbug then flies out at that moment and informs them all of her evil plan to steal the free world's
Free World
The Free World is a Cold War-era term often used to describe states not under the rule of the Soviet Union, its Eastern European allies, China, Vietnam, Cuba, and other communist nations. The term often referred to states such as the United States, Canada, and Western European states such as the...
bridges, creating massive traffic jams and thus destroying their economies. She then proceeds to shoot a line of radioactive silk out of the end of her abdomen, tying up Frozone and leaving all as lost. Suddenly, Mr. Incredible throws the bridge at her, which she dodges. He then hops in a roller coaster, which then takes off flying toward Lady Lightbug. Mr Incredible knocks her out of the air, leaving her defeated. The missing bridge piece is restored and all returns to normal thanks to Mr. Incredible, Frozone, Mr. Skipperdoo, and democracy.
The end of the episode features a brief teaser of a gigantic anthropomorphic ear of corn yelling, “I’ll crush you, Mr. Incredible!” as the two prepare to fight.
Commentary
In addition to the many in-jokes and animation references included in this cartoon, the voice actors for Mr. Incredible and Frozone (Craig T. NelsonCraig T. Nelson
Craig Theodore Nelson is an American actor. He is probably best known for his Emmy-winning roles as Hayden Fox on the TV series Coach, and as Steve Freeling in the 1982 film Poltergeist. He also starred in The Incredibles in 2004 as Mr...
and Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
) provided a DVD commentary for the short film, acting in character as if they were the actual Mr. Incredible and Frozone, watching this film for the first time more than thirty years after it was produced. The "background story" behind Mr. Incredible and Pals stated that Mr. Incredible and Frozone licensed their names and images to a TV animation company, and this was the pilot episode for an animated TV series that never aired.
The commentary of the two characters provides additional entertainment for the DVD's viewers, as while Mr. Incredible appears to display only apathy for the episode, Frozone is aghast and disgusted at its campyness and supposed racism (the cartoon version of himself appears to be white, or tan as Mr. Incredible puts it). He is also annoyed at the rabbit's appearance. By the end of the short, Frozone is so annoyed that he walks out of the commentary at the end demanding that the episode never be aired.