Undercover Incredibles

Friday night Husband and I watched two videos, Undercover Blues and The Incredibles. Undercover Blues is an oldie starring Dennis Quaid and Kathleen Turner as a married espionage team on vacation with their toddler in New Orleans who, of course, get embroiled in an espionage situation of world-wide importance. The Incredibles is an animated film about a family with super-hero powers in an era after super-heroes have been given new identities and blended into the community, which, of course, doesn't work.

Both flicks are very enjoyable.

Undercover Blues is the ultimate feel good movie. Even when things seem to be going wrong, they're not. The plotting is tight, tight, tight, which I enjoy and appreciate. Everything is foreshadowed. There is nothing extraneous except the excursions into the New Orleans local scene, which are not long enough to be annoying. And every single thread is tied up appropriately at the end. The movie has no deep meaning, but it is extremely well-crafted. I adore it.

The Incredibles is a lot of fun too, but it is what I would call more episodic, almost like a continued story. The foreshadowing is not quite all there and the excursions into cuteness for the sake of cuteness can be tiring. But then we are dealing with a cartoon here--a lot of loud noises and exaggerated reactions. Stereotypes abound. I am particularly annoyed by the jive-talking black superhero. Nevertheless, the movie gives me pleasant dreams.

I do find it odd, though, that The Incredibles was so highly rated by critics while Undercover Blues was virtually panned. I would suggest the critics watch each of the movies three times in one week and see which one holds up better then.