November 06, 2004
#271 :: "Incredibles" Happy Meal toy
I had the great privilege to devour The Incredibles today, a ginormous Superball of thrills, the most gorgeous, exciting, laugh-your-lungs-inside-out-funny and honest superhero movie ever made. Watched it this afternoon with the family, my jaw dangling in my overgreased popcorn bucket the whole time. We would have walked right back in again for the next show if we hadn't made plans afterwards. Better reviewers out there than I can give you the blow-by-blow and plenty of Kaelian film-school thumbsucking, but they won't tell you about any of the clever ephemera and merchandising tie-ins that have already begun popping up. This is one of eight Happy Meal Toys being given out right now at McDonald's - a destroyer robot driven by the villain Syndrome. Wind him up and he skitters across the desktop, his tiny white-gloved fists shaking in impotent, rattling rage. After the week's events, this would seem like a pointless trifle of an HLO, but I need to gear back down to the fun and pointless. Besides, I don't mind shilling for one of the finest animated movies ever made - and the toys are are a hoot, too. Skip the junk food, like we did, and you can buy just the cheerful li'l knicknacks for $1.83 apiece.