Film and mainstream television can be great at making you feel like you relate to what you see on the screen. For the most part, finding a way to make characters or situations relatable to the folks watching can be an effective way to increase/ensure viewership and can often spell the success of a series or film. None of this is quite as prominent as with the superhero mythos. Generally speaking, watching Superman or the Flash swoop in and save those who can’t save themselves or thwarting the bad guys gives people something to cling to, an ideology to aspire to, and can lead to changes within the viewers life. For myself, I’m a firm believer in simply enjoying the ride; not necessarily relating to any particular aspect but accepting that a film is just a film and enjoying it for what it is. But I can’t deny that there are often aspects of myself that I see in some of these films. And light knows my wife will often point out how some characters we see are reflective of my own beliefs or personality. That’s where “The Incredibles” comes in…
The Incredibles is an animated, Disney Pixar film that was released in 2004. I remember that at the time, I was a bit reluctant to give this film any time. Especially since Spider-man 2 also came out that year, which is something a little more my speed. But once I watched it, it resonated with me in a way that an animated movie normally wouldn’t. In summary, The Incredibles follows the life of Bob Parr, a man with superhero-level strength who fights crime as part of his daily life under the name “Mr. Incredible.” When society begins to turn against the “Supers,” Bob and his family are forced into hiding and living a quiet, “suburban” life. Bob is unhappy with this, realizing that he’s living a life he never planned on, doing something he doesn’t want to do. This resonated with me, considering that I was in a quasi-similar situation, where I used to fight crime and save lives. Eventually, when certain specific parties turned against me and my career was jeopardized, I stepped away and went into proverbial hiding; choosing a different job and career path that took me away from what I had previously felt I was born to do.
Eventually, Bob is contacted by unknown parties to solicit his help in defeating and capturing an experimental robot before it gets out to the public. Behind the scenes, the robots are being designed by an evil genius hellbent on revenge against Mr. Incredibles for being shunned by him when he was a kid looking to become a sidekick. The result is Mr. Incredible is brought back into action, along with his wife Helen Parr (Elastigirl) and their children, who antelopes powers as well. While campy and entertaining, the film provides a darker look at a man’s attempt to be strong enough to protect his family and acknowledging that no level of strength will make him strong enough to deal with their loss. I may be speaking strictly for myself but that’s something that most fathers and husbands that I now would feel and experience. In the end, Bob comes to realize that he’s stronger with his family than on his own and they team up to ultimately win the day and take out the bad guys, like any good superhero movie should.
I wanted to link a few stock photos for reference, for those of you reading who may not have seen the movie. But it stands to reason that there wouldn’t be any free, stock images for this film. The film stars Craig T. Nelson as the voice of Bob Parr, which is interesting because until that point, I had only seen him in the sitcom “Coach,” or as the dad in “Troop Beverly Hills” (Don’t judge, it was a good film). The film spoke to me in a number of areas. Fatherhood and settling down with a family, not getting to pursue your chosen career and how to consolidate one’s family life with work life, being the most prominent aspects. I usually find an aspect that I can connect to. For example, I’m streaming the American medical drama “House.” I find that Dr. House’s approach and general sarcasm often matches how I interact with people. I’ll notice little things like this in most shows I watch but in this case, The Incredibles touched on enough different points I could relate to, that it prompted this post.
This is the kind of singular I have when I’m sitting quietly and left to my own devices. Y’all get a review post about a film that came out twenty-two years ago, Man, time flies. The film also resulted in a sequel, with a third apparently on the way. But the original is definitely worth a watch and given all the different aspects the film covers. And it’s fun. That’s kind of an important part. I’m still of the belief that a film is just a film and should usually be enjoyed for what it is; something created for entertainment purposes. But once in a while, some aspects or scenarios will touch your subconscious, and bring focus to aspects of your own life that you may have slowly forgotten. This is how one connects to film, how one relates, and how people end up watching in the first place. As you may have guessed, there’s no deep, philosophical point to today’s post. It’s just food for thought in an otherwise hungry society. Do with it what you will (and watch the movie)! ☯️
The Blogging Buddhist 