Well, all the Objectivists are going apesh*t with excitement at the apparently somewhat Randian theme of The Incredibles. I mean, not as excited as they would get if, say, a Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity put Rand in the index of their latest book (Randians just love it, they quiver with joy, when Rand gets even the slightest mention in the mainstream press, as if it validates her minority views), but excited nonetheless. Neo(?)-Objectivist Chris Sciabarra (a friend) and David Brown write about it. And an email from Objectivist painter Quent Cordair breathlessly notes:
3:00 pm on November 18, 2004MORE ON THE INCREDIBLES
Having seen previews for the film, I was chagrined to be anticipating yet another undercutting of the concept of Heroism, likely a mediocre tale of overweight has-been superheroes trying to get back into the swing of things, providing the public the opportunity to laugh at the previously exalted who turn out to be “no better than the rest of us” — yet another “cutting down of the tall poppies,” as the Aussie saying goes. Yes, I was going to skip this one. But having seen the movie in the theater twice now (the first time in fourteen years, since Strictly Ballroom, that I’ve returned to a theatre to see a movie a second time) I’m very pleased to report that the only person in this project who is proven worthy of being chopped down is the bonehead in marketing who misrepresented the essence of this sparkling, brilliant story, perhaps fearing that the modern American public wouldn’t show up to witness “naïve” hero worship, devoid of the standard cynicism and the snide undertones of self mocking all too pervasive these days. Curiously, the theme of the movie confronts, directly, this very notion, the modern-day attack of egalitarianism on the exceptional, the undercutting of any individual who dares stand out above the crowd.
I haven’t felt more thrilled and exalted in a movie theatre since experiencing the very first Star Wars — and yes, that was a quarter of a century ago, folks. The universe of Star Wars was one in which good was good, and evil was evil, unapologetically, in which everything mattered again; virtue counted and was rewarded, and one could face with pride the life and death struggles while still laughing at the funny things, while passionately loving and protecting one’s family and friends, while carrying in one’s soul the expectation of eventually succeeding in one’s quest, of achieving peace and happiness in the end. The world-view of The Incredibles, or I should say the human-view, matches and perhaps even surpasses that of Star Wars.
This achievement is all the more impressive in that The Incredibles takes on, as part of the context of its theme, indirectly but unmistakably, our culture’s post-9/11 mood of uncertainty and fear, America’s wounded optimism and self-confidence, and the extraordinarily base and evil nature of our enemies, who target, attack and kill the innocent, including children when possible, as a matter of strategy.
The Incredibles explicitly identifies Evil as very serious, the mother in the story explaining to her children that the bad guys they’re up against are “not like the bad guys you see on Saturday morning cartoons,” that these bad guys will kill children and must be fought and fought to the best of one’s ability. This is the first cinematic presentation I believe we’ve seen, particularly since 9/11, which concretizes a complete confidence that not only is Evil impotent in the end and that the Good is capable of beating Evil, but that the Good is bound to win when those who can, who should, who find the pride, self-confidence and courage to do so, face Evil head on and obliterate it — and then go about living their lives happily and freely.
Furthermore, the movie is exquisitely executed, richly styled, the animation technically ground breaking. The story is expertly told, the characterizations are nuanced, rounded, spot on, endearing and funny! The comedic timing is perfect. Almost as thrilling as the movie itself has been the public’s overwhelmingly positive response to it. Even the critics, normally the cynical lot, seem to be wholly won over, almost in spite of themselves. http://www.rottentomatoes.com indicates 96-percent positive reviews, and I’ve never seen a positive consensus of reviews so high. My conclusion: the spirit of this country we live in, our treasured freedoms, our determination to identify evil and defend ourselves against it is still alive and well, and that America, in the end, is going to be just fine, thank you very much.
So, go see the The Incredibles on the big screen. Don’t wait for it to come out on video. I’ll refund your ticket price if you don’t thoroughly enjoy it — just mail me the ticket and consider it done. But you won’t mail it. I bet you’ll keep it as a souvenir.
See the movie, then come back to QCFA and buy some gorgeous, uplifting, inspiring art for your wall, so that you can feel — everyday — like you felt when you exited the movie theatre. That’s what art is for.
Enjoy the art,
Quent Cordair
