Bob Parr gives a new meaning to being incredible as Helen takes the spotlight
This Father’s Day, let’s celebrate one of the most beloved dads in animation history — Bob Parr aka Mr. Incredible.
Bob Parr cherishes his days as Mr. Incredible—a popular Super with mega-strength and the power to single-handedly take out the bad guys. Ever since Supers were outlawed, Bob’s been mostly lying low, raising the family alongside his wife Helen. But when she’s called on to stretch her super skills and hopefully change the public perception of Supers for the better, in Disney-Pixar’s “Incredibles 2,” Bob must manage the household on his own, which calls for a completely different set of super powers.
The idea that Helen is chosen to lead the campaign to bring back Supers stings Bob at first. “Bob loves being the hero,” says story supervisor Ted Mathot. “But he’s a bull-in-a-china-shop kind of super hero. So while Helen is the better choice in terms of improving the Supers’ reputation, Bob is surprised and maybe a little disappointed he didn’t get chosen. But he wholeheartedly supports Helen.”
Always a champion of his family, Bob isn’t afraid of taking on the duties at home either—but he’s hit with a few surprises along the way. “Bob is perfectly capable of taking care of Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack on his own,” says writer/director Brad Bird. “But he has to fail a lot before he can succeed—like we all do every single day as parents. Failure, however, isn’t easy for this particular super hero to accept.”
“Bob isn’t a bad dad,” says producer Nicole Paradis Grindle. “He’s a little overconfident at first. He thinks, ‘I’m Mr. Incredible, I’ve got this.’ But I think any parent can relate to the idea that kids can wear you down. Add to that a toddler—they want what they want and they don’t like hearing ‘no.’ Jack-Jack is no different, except when he gets mad, he bursts into flames.”
Craig T. Nelson provides the voice of Bob. “I think Bob would’ve preferred to be out there, saving the world, being Mr. Incredible,” he says. “But he accepts his new role and in doing so, he finds out things about his family that I think are intrinsically interesting and important.
“There are so many things about Bob that are familiar to me,” continues Nelson. “I’m a father. I have three kids and eight grandkids and three great-grandkids. And I’m in control of none of it.”
“Incredibles 2” opens in Philippine cinemas nationwide on Thursday, June 14, 2018. Join the conversation online by using the hashtags #Incredibles2 and #IAmIncrediblePH