Analysis--The Incredibles & Shrek

Formula Analysis

    Today we will be discussing the goals of film making.  It is believed that the filmmaker’s responsibility is to make good films—those that elevate our spirits and send us out of the theater singing or promotes on the values that are worth promoting (Petracca & Sorapure, p 531).  I would agree.  The only reason that I go to a film is because the name of the movie, characters in the movie or movie trailer grabs me and my attention.  It appeals to the character in me that brings out what is needed.  When I want to laugh, I go with the trailer of the movie that bests suits the type of comedy that I like.  If I’m feeling a little down and melancholy, I go to a good action movie, to help get my adrenaline pumping.  I’m sure the selection process is likely the same for many people.

  What makes a good movie?  The writer/director has a vision of what makes a good movie.  According to Common Culture, good movies challenge us, they provoke us, and they make us angry.  They present points of view we don’t agree with.  They force us to clarify our positions in opposition to them, and they do this best when they provide us with and experience and not a polemic (Petracca & Sorapure, p 531). 

What is a polemic you may ask?  A polemic is an aggressive attack on the opinions or principles of another (m-w.com).  It should not be the focus or agenda of the creative director/filmmaker to attack anyone’s morals or values.  However a movie shot with grace and tact will cause a person to question of their way is the right way or if there could possibly be more than one solution.

Let’s look at the movie The Incredibles.    The Incredibles is a movie about good versus evil.  It’s about the turmoil within a person.  It’s about facing opposition from outside forces.  It’s about feeling like an island among an ocean of islands.  The Incredibles is about facing your fears, though that can be many, and persevering through to greatness.  In this movie Bob Parr—Mr. Incredible was feeling like his best days were behind him.  He had saved the world many times, but yet he couldn’t be a hero to his own family.  He looked for validation, but couldn’t find it. While Mr. Incredible was trying to find himself and adjust to suburban life, there were others in his family that were going through the same process.  Helen Parr—Elastigirl, was going through the process of holding her family together and taking care of Jack Jack, the baby.  Violet, the daughter was going through the teenage process of finding herself.  Dash, the older son was going through the process of trying to find his place in the family.  It’s was difficult for the Parr family for adjust and succumb to the “normal” life when there was greatness locked inside of them.

Animated films are a way both my family and I can enjoy the same movie.  Cartoons are a way to get the moral across to the viewer subtly and couple it with action and comedy.  The Incredibles is a culmination of animation, action, adventure and comedy. The filmmaker carefully chose team members that could bring the script to life.  There is a tremendous amount of action in the film.  The action is coupled with adventure and comedy is sprinkled through the scenes.  During the entire movie, the underlying tone is understood that the Incredibles are trying to find themselves and how they fit into society.  The design team and animators worked together to create the visual image what was imaged by the writer/director, Brad Bird. 

You begin to understand that the enigma of good vs. evil is present is in The Incredibles as well as Shrek.  You can see the similarities of the movies even though the journeys of the main characters are different. 

In the movie Shrek, the main goal for Shrek, voiced by Mike Myers it to get his swamp back.  The swamp is connected to his identity.  Shrek is an ogre.  Ogres are ferociously feared creatures and are exiled and live alone.  Shrek’s identity is challenged when all the fairy tale creatures are exiled to the swamp where he lives.  The only way for Shrek to get his swamp back, according to Lord Farquaad, is to rescue the princess and bring her to him.

Shrek journeys to get his identity back.  Along the way he makes a friend, Donkey, voiced by Eddie Murphy, that becomes his trusted companion throughout the remainder of the series.  Through dangers, toils and snares, Shrek and Donkey, just like the Incredibles continue their journey and regain the confidence and identity.

The animation, action, adventure and comedy throughout the movies is enhanced with singing and dancing.  As you compare the two movies, it is clear that the goal is to have the people be entertained as we deliver a message of finding yourself and finding true friends.

With me enjoying both of these movies, it is difficult for me to find an avenue to alter the manner in which they were created.  I think the masters of the movies have done a wonderful job.  There both have some similarity, but enough of their own individuality to not say that one is copied from the other.  They have the same good vs. evil theme.  They both have a few main characters.  They both have the stereotypes that are broke and they both have action packed adventures to keep you engaged with the film.  I think it is genius to take a mold that works and enhance it with new scenarios, new ideas and new characters.  You see this happen many times in the movie industry not only with animations but with romance comedies, dramas and action films.  In my opinion, there is not much difference from the Rambo movie series and the Terminator movie series.  They only changed the scenery, they change the actors and they changed the time periods of the movies.  Yet again, it’s the same formula with a little tweaking.

In my opinion, both The Incredibles and Shrek were done so well, that generations to come will be able to see these movies, identify with these movies and celebrate the creativity and originality in both of them.

References

Petracca, M & Sorapure, M (2007). Common Culture. (p. 531) Upper Saddle River, NJ: 

 Pearson Education.

 

Polemic.  http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polemic.  Retrieved May 1, 2011

Shrek.  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0126029/.  Retrieved May 1, 2011

The Incredibles.  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317705/.  Retrieved May 1, 2011