Superheroes stop saving the world after an expensive lawsuit costs the city of Metroville lots of money in Disney Pixar’s The Incredibles. Years after the heroes were sent into hiding, a villain has started capturing and destroying all the supers, and it turns out that only one family can stop him. The differences in the Parr family (including their varying powers) and their closeness to each other are the only assets they need as Bob, Helen, Dash and Violet join their old pal Lucious to save Metroville.
At its core, The Incredibles is a movie about family and embracing the things that make us all unique. Here are a few great topics to talk about with kids:
- Honesty really is the best policy. Bob (Mr. Incredible) was feeling stifled because he couldn’t use his powers of super strength, so when he got a note inviting him to be himself, he jumped on the opportunity but didn’t tell Helen. Left to imagine what her husband was up to, Helen (Elastigirl) set off to find out, but she didn’t tell the kids. These little white lies added up as they all ultimately found themselves face-to-face with Syndrome (the bad guy). Talk to your kids about why honesty is crucial, even about the little things.
- Family is important. Mr. Incredible thought he could go after Syndrome by himself, but he needed his family with him — and all the powers they brought to the table — to save Metroville and themselves. Though your kids might question why they have to hang out with their brothers or sisters who are so different from them (art kids vs. sports kids), our individuality is important to keep the dynamic of the family intact.
- Not all “powers” are immediately detectable. Helen tells Edna Mode: “Jack-Jack doesn’t have any powers.” Except he does; Jack-Jack has all the powers and no one sees them until the very end of the movie when the baby throws the final blow that defeats Syndrome. Just because we don’t know what our powers are right away — whether it’s our friends, family, neighbors or classmates — everyone contributes something important to our lives when we look for their missing powers.
Movie-inspired activities
Now that you’ve seen The Incredibles, try these screen-free activities inspired by the movie.
- Make your own comic book. There are lots of devices out there to teach your kids how to make a comic book and superheroes, or they could simply grab a blank piece of paper. For a good start, try the Blank Comic Book, which includes 150 pages to draw on and lots of templates to try. Kids can make themselves the hero of the story, creating their own superpowers and secret identities.
- Stretch like Elastigirl. Elastigirl didn’t get her stretchy arms and legs by watching TV all day. Try this Incredibles-themed workout from Disney Family to start the day moving.
- Make ice like Frozone. Frozone harnesses the power of ice to save the citizens of Metroville. This fun experiment from OnlyPassionateCuriosity blog teaches kids how to create “instant ice.”
- Lift like Mr. Incredible. Though it might not be possible for us non-supers to lift a bus, kids can learn how machines are made to do just that. A K’nex set designed for kids in grades 3-5 teaches the wonders of pulleys and levers to lift that can assist lifting large objects.
- Work out like Violet and Dash. The Parrs’ daughter Violet likes to lay low while eldest son Dash is more of an on-the-move kind of kid. Create an obstacle course that fits all the kids in your family and ask them to create their own stations that everyone has to try. Maybe you’ll be performing 10 jumping jacks in one area and finger painting in another?
Have a Watch This, Do That idea you want to share with our readers? Send your idea to editor@chicagoparent.com with your suggestion for a movie. We’d love to share your idea on ChicagoParent.com.
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