Brad Bird has one of the most versatile filmographies out there, ranging from sweet Pixar animations to anxiety-inducing action films. Although Bird likes to take long breaks between his films, he always pays off with an interesting blockbuster worth waiting for, making him a perfect option for ambitious franchises like The incredibleand of course, Impossible missionwhere he already proved to take the task seriously.
Beyond a lot of explosions and exciting fight scenes, Bird’s action film offers breathtaking visuals that wow the audience while the narrative takes a break before picking up the pace. In addition, little is said about Bird’s talent for making overly expensive films look actually excessively expensive, something that requires great skill. Despite costs only getting higher; every frame of his animated films is packed with detail and ultra-realistic elements that look fantastically ahead of their time.
Tomorrowland (2015)
Bird’s second live-action effort isn’t nearly as impactful as his first, earning $93 million domestically off a massive $280 million budget (via Box Office Mojo). While it remains to be seen how Bird handles a blockbuster that delivers memorable visuals that do justice to the film’s cost, the storytelling feels rushed even with its 130-minute running time, which explains why the film’s reception was around 50% for both critics and the public audience on Rotten Tomatoes.
Tomorrowland is a place that exists inside the minds of the film’s protagonists; an enthusiastic teenage girl and a disillusioned inventor, played by George Clooney. The two set out to find the mysterious place, but while their collective journey overflows with ideas, none of them pay off in the end.
The Incredibles 2 (2018)
One of the most awaited sequels ever, The Incredibles 2 came in with hype and made over $600 million (via Box Office Mojo) and appease both the audience it grew up with The incredible and a new generation of children. Picking up right where the first film left off, the sequel follows the Parr family as they set out to save the world. To make the story more dynamic, The Incredibles 2 offers a reversal of roles: While Mr. Incredible must find a way to balance beating up villains and taking care of his three children, Elastigirl, his wife, must race against time to stop a dangerous enemy.
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)
Everyone was surprised that Brad Bird took over Impossible mission since he only had animated features in his filmography but Ghost Protocol proved to be an innovative entry in the franchise and reinvented a narrative that seemed to be going awry. After two highly divisive sequels to the 1996 film, Bird reintroduces espionage elements established by De Palma in the first film and mixes it with the exciting action sequences that any fan expects to see in a Impossible mission movie. The result is a film with good timing for jokes and a plot that lacks loose ends.
By bringing back recurring characters and recreating some of the franchise’s best trademarks, Bird establishes its own mythology and sets the stage for multiple sequels. IN Ghost Protocol, the IMF becomes the prime suspect in a terrorist attack, forcing Ethan Hunt to go rogue and team up with a team of highly trained spies to clear the organization’s name. The film is at its best when the characters are forced to improvise in life-or-death situations, effectively escalating the tension. The franchise’s only problem is relying too heavily on the action-flick niche audience for its success, but Ghost Protocol‘s box office figures show great improvement.
The Iron Giant (1999)
Critics and public audiences alike went wild for Bird’s debut feature, a charming 2D animated film about a nine-year-old boy and his best friend, a giant metal robot with a big machine heart. With a light-hearted narrative, Bird addresses the prejudices that haunt post-World War II America, creating a robot character that feels more human than any person he meets along the way: his job is nothing more than to help people overcome their fears and insecurities. There is kindness in all settings The iron giantand while some might argue that the animation doesn’t age well, it’s clear how much love was put into it.
Ratatouille (2007)
With 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, Ratatouille is one of the most creative stories of the 2000s and deservedly won Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, followed by four other nominations, including Best Original Screenplay. The whimsical setup of a kitchen boy learning to cook with a rat delivers a delicate message about dreams. In the film, Remy is a rat who wants to become a great chef despite his family’s disapproval. When he stumbles upon Linguini, a young kitchen helper, the two form a precious alliance that defies what the other expects of them.
Through Linguini and Remy’s journey of self-discovery, the film quickly becomes comfortable in his own absurdity and dives deep into the world of spices and seasonings. IN Ratatouillefood is not only a basic need, but also the ingredient that binds the character’s strong friendship that crosses the barriers of dreams and expectations.
The Incredibles (2004)
While The incredible often remembered as just a charming animated film, the film is straight action and highlights Bird’s talent for handling tension and suspense in every frame. It takes more than a bunch of enemies shooting guns all over the place to build tension, which explains why Bird takes the time to develop the Parr family phycology. In an instant, each member feels like a dear friend, and the audience can feel every time the hero family is put in danger.
The incredible‘ animation may look simplistic now, but grasps the tone of the story and finds its own visual identity, creating a great contrast between the scenarios and their red uniform: the fiery, vibrant color is easily seen, highlighting the fantastic in contrast to the dullness of ordinary life , modern landscapes. In the film, Mr. Incredible quits a monotonous job in an attempt to focus on raising his children, but the superhero days for both him and his family are just beginning. The incredible won two Oscars in 2005 and remains to this day one of the defining animated films of its generation.