4 reasons why 'The Incredibles' is Pixar's best movie - and one of the best superhero movies of all time

"The Incredibles" has by far the best action sequences of any Pixar movie, which admittedly doesn't exactly make it "better" than any of them on its own, but it does give it an edge. 

The action in "The Incredibles" puts you on the edge of your seat.

Take the nail-biting plane crash sequence, for instance. Helen is flying a jet to the island that Bob is trapped on, and discovers that the kids, Dash and Violet, snuck on board. The villain Syndrome launches a missile at the plane, and the moments that follow are simply thrilling. When Violet can't project a force-field over the plane, Helen has to scoop them up and parachute down to the water below, and all the while Bob can only listen in terror as he believes his family was just killed.

I already touched on how "The Incredibles" deals with themes of family, which isn't new to Pixar stories. But "The Incredibles" was the first of the bunch that felt like it was truly relatable for any age group.

The movie was Pixar's sixth animated feature, after "Toy Story," "A Bug's Life," "Toy Story 2," "Monster's Inc.," and "Finding Nemo." What do all of those movies have in common that "The Incredibles" doesn't? They all focus on non-human characters.

Nothing against toys, bugs, monsters, or fish, but "The Incredibles" was the first Pixar movie with human main characters, ones you could truly identify with whether you're a parent or a child. The other movies captured feelings we could identify with — whether it was nostalgia for childhood or the anxiety over losing a loved one — but "The Incredibles" dealt with mature themes and delivered them in a way more people could connect with. Sure, they were superheroes, but they were also flawed characters.

When you're watching "The Incredibles," it always feels like there's so much more to discover about the story and the history of the characters, which isn't always the case in Pixar movies.

We're introduced to Bob and Helen when they are young superheroes, when others like them existed. A lot of that backstory is hinted at with costume designer Edna Mode's character, who speaks fondly of a time when she made super-suits (but hates the capes). And the entire story revolves around a plot to kill the remaining supers, which alludes to the fact that there are so many more characters in this world who we aren't introduced to.

That's fine, though, because what the movie does so well is zero in on its core group of characters while also highlighting that there is a larger world than just them. The movie balances this expertly, and it's a testament to how well it is thought-out and written. 

There could have easily been spin-off movies from "The Incredibles," but it's refreshing that director Brad Bird waited 14 years for even a sequel because he wanted the story to be just right.

Here's hoping it's worth the wait.

Watch the trailer for "The Incredibles 2" below: