No matter what strange powers or peculiarities you may possess or have available to you, you are still you, and still have to deal with the same shit as everyone else - cool powers only make life more complicated, not less. And unlike more prosaic jobs, there is no real retirement from being a superhero: no matter how many times you clean up the world, it manages to mess itself up again within about ten minutes.

Such is the dilemma of Mr. Incredible in the forthcoming Pixar/Disney film The Incredibles. (WM) (Real) (QuickTime). The trailer is big on reference (the opening is dedicated to reminding us that Pixar created Toy Story, Monsters, Inc and Finding Nemo, and atmospherics ("Woman, where is my superhero suit?"), but short on plot. The official site fills us in:

THE INCREDIBLES
Walt Disney Pictures
November 5, 2004

WRITER/DIRECTOR: Brad Bird

PRODUCER: John Walker

VOICE TALENTS: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, Wallace Shawn, Jason Lee, Sarah Vowell, John Ratzenberger, Spencer Fox

From the Academy Award-winning creators of "Toy Story," "Monsters, Inc." and "Finding Nemo," comes this hilarious action-packed animated adventure about superheroes. Bob Parr used to be one of the world's greatest superheroes (known to all as "Mr. Incredible"), saving lives and fighting evil on a daily basis. But now, fifteen years later, Bob and his wife (a famous former superhero in her own right) have adopted civilian identities and retreated to the suburbs to live normal lives with their three kids. Now he's a clock-punching insurance claims adjuster fighting boredom and a bulging waistline. Itching to get back into action, Bob gets his chance when a mysterious communication summons him to a remote island for a top-secret assignment. Pixar Animation Studios stretches the boundaries of the art form with this stylish and entertaining film.