Even though The Incredibles came out in 2004, such is the legacy of the famed Pixar movie that we’re still discussing and analyzing it over a decade later, especially as anticipation heats up for the long-awaited Incredibles 2, scheduled for release next year. The latest such excursion involves a key scene in the middle of the movie, focused on revelations for both Bob and Helen, that highlights how carefully and unexpectedly the movie pivots.
In a clever series of parallel edits, Bob discovers that he’s a pawn in Syndrome’s plan just as Helen finds out that Bob’s been lying about his business trips over the last few weeks. The parallel editing heightens the devastation on both sides, as technology enables both of them to understand that reality is much different than their previous perceptions. Simultaneous push-in close-ups highlight the gravity of the situation: Helen for the world of her family, Bob for the realization that the entire world is in peril. The dramatic score by Michael Giacchino increases in intensity, until the climactic moment when Helen pushes a button to find out where Bob is. This, of course, leads to Bob being discovered in Syndrome’s lair, getting pummeled with those sticky black balls until the scene ends as it began, in darkness. As the video succinctly puts it, “Bob’s midlife crisis has ended, but The Incredibles is just beginning.”