Just as a warning that for those of you with little kids, this has a PG rating for a reason – it can be intense.

My kids (both of which have seen LotR, Star Wars, Harry Potter, the Presidential Debates, etc.) handled it splendidly. Younger or more sensitive kiddos might be a bit scared by how “big” the action is at times (loud, large, bright). Consider this a heads up.

Review: The Incredibles: “With ‘The Incredibles’ (IMDb listing), Pixar and Disney take a perilous leap toward big kid entertainment. Not that this PG-rated superhero comedy isn’t for all ages (parents of younger ones might want to exercise more caution), but compared to the sunny days of ‘Finding Nemo’ and ‘Toy Story,’ the blend of action and genuine threat found in this new computer animated offering might be a shock to parents who want more Mike-and-Sulley-style shenanigans in their animated features.

The change in the Pixar wind is brought by outsider Brad Bird, the writer and director of the notoriously overlooked 1999 animated masterpiece ‘The Iron Giant.’ Bird wasn’t born in the Pixar camps of cute and cuddly, and he brings to ‘The Incredibles’ a longing to play with the medium’s conventions and expectations. He’s brought a tougher, more angular look to the visual representation of the cartoon superhero world, taking great cues from the early James Bond films and the 1950s Donna Reed-style household idealism. This is brought to life by the Pixar team with exquisite clarity and detail (of course). The animators meet the greatest challenge of the film: creating a world that the human animations (albeit super-powered ones) can believably live in.

Bird pays his homages to various superhero sources (including the Fantastic Four), Cold War era politics, and Art Deco design, which results in a full plate of visual treats that many animated films skimp on. This is the best looking Pixar film yet. Bird also ratchets up the tension in this sometimes breathlessly frenetic picture, making sure to underline that his characters are in real threat of death from Syndrome, as explained in a chilling scene where Helen clarifies to her kids that they might need to fight to the death with the bad guys. This observation of mortality in the screenplay is a brave step forward for Bird and Pixar, even if it’s hard to believe.

And get this — not one single flatulence joke to be found in the entire film. Thank you, Brad Bird. Thank you.”