This Watchcat Wednesday, we celebrate passing the 5,000 views milestone on our Youtube channel, Watchcat Films. We are now at 142 subscribers and always looking for more!
To celebrate this occasion, below is a very rough animatic of a Watchcat Halloween episode we are currently working on. Let us know what you think or share it with friends.
We are also still in need of only $5.13 worth of
ad clicks in order to reach our $100 goal. The check will go to a
local animal shelter and we will report on this in a future posting. This month, we've only had one click of 0.33 cents. We need your clicks on the ads on this blog, there should be one at the upper right. We promise you will not be signed up for anything or have to buy anything.
We are almost there! So
please, purchase a brand new computer or use the laptop you have, click on ads and help an animal
in need.
Here's another Jim Draws where I draw a cartoon character from Animaniacs. See if you can guess which one it is.
Release the Kittens! Next Week, Cute Kittens heading this way. (click an ad, please)
We have seen it, enjoyed it and have put together another Watchcat Review all about the new Incredibles 2 movie.
But first, our final plea for you to find this blog on a laptop or desktop computer and click on the ad to the right. We only need $5.14 worth of ad clicks in order to reach our $100 goal. The check will go to our local animal shelter and we will report on this in a future posting. So please, purchase a brand new computer, click on ads and help an animal in need. And now, here's our second Watchcat Review...
Greg gives Incredibles 2
while Jim gives it...
How many paws would you give Incredibles 2? Did you like this review? Please let us know in the comments section below. We also have begun working on a new Watchcat episode and will be showing some "Work in Progress" to you soon.
Here is an incredible Watchcat files featuring Greg's incredible essay on the first film, an incredible new Jim Draws for Father's Day featuring Mr. Incredible and more begging for your ad clicks!
And
we are sooooo close to crossing the $100 finish line and helping out
our local Animal Shelter. Only $5.47 in ad clicks, only a few clicks will do it. That's all we need to stop
this endless begging. Click on the ad to the right or below if you have
a laptop or desktop computer. Some Smartphones aren't that smart and
won't allow ads to be seen or clicked on. Let's finish this thing! Thank
you.
This Watchcat Wednesday we'll premiere "Watchcat Reviews" on our YouTube channel, Watchcat Films.
It was November, 5, 2004...
The
Incredibles was first released 14 years ago and now The Incredibles 2 hits
the big screen on June 15th nationwide. Greg and Jim sat down to talk
about the original film that started it all. Hope you enjoy our first "Watchcat Reviews"...
The Incredibles by Gregory J. Bradley
In my opinion, The Incredibles is a perfect movie. And I'll give you 8 reasons why: 1. Story & Relatability The Incredibles does this very nifty trick of giving us something that we've seen before and yet still make it seem fresh. It's the story of the Parr family, and in particular, patriarch Bob Parr, a husband and father who's having a hard time adjusting to normal suburban life with his family, his job and himself. He constantly feels as if he should be doing more and that family life is a constant burden, especially when his wife Helen is always struggling to engage him in his children's lives.
Family drama. We've seen this type of story before.
But if you include the fact that both Bob and Helen used to be superheroes with superpowers (that were also passed down to their children) who were forced into retirement by the government and are supposed to be living a normal life, well... now you've got something! And its very well-crafted story is one of the secrets of the film's success.
The story opens with interviews with Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl, superheroes at the height of their power, who just happen to be Bob and Helen. But because of an incident in which Mr. Incredible saves a man who didn't asked to be saved and sues the government (very funny idea), the Feds institute a ban on all superheroes.
Our story picks up 15 years after the Parrs and the other superheroes are forced to retire and join a kind of superhero witness protection program. Director Brad Bird heightens things by showing them as relatable people as they try (and miserably fail) to lead a normal life with normal family drama. Bird created strong characters with wants and desires that really show the characters' motivations: Bob still wants to fight crime. Helen wants him to be a good dad and role model. Their daughter, Violet, wants to be noticed by a boy she likes at school. And their son, Dash, wants to constantly use his superspeed power.
We can all relate to the struggles that Bob and Helen are going through. Who hasn't hated their job or felt isolated from the world or failed to connect with others? And raising children is hard work, much harder than being a superhero. This is the real world.
One of the themes of the film is conformity and that being different from everyone else is somehow threatening. This theme hits the kids hardest because Helen is constantly telling them not to use their superpowers and to just be normal and conform to society's norms. In one of the film's tensest scenes, Helen and the kids are in danger and Helen is forced to tell Violet that she has to use her superpowers or they'll all die. Talk about pressure! But this approach is a way for Bird to send one of the powerful mixed messages that the movie conveys so well.
It's also interesting that the film's villain mirrors Bob's weaknesses. Bird absolutely knows that a hero is only as good as his or her enemy and Syndrome is definitely Bob's kryptonite. How great was Bird's twist to create a villain who knows everything about our hero because he was his number one fan when he was a kid! Bird uses fandom as a double-edge sword revealing the sad fact that you can hate the thing you love the most. The irony, of course, is that Bob, who always works alone, brushes off a kid who only wanted to be his sidekick and inadvertently turned him into a villain.
This also frames the problems that Bob has with his family. He has to sneak out to fight crime with his buddy, Frozone (another retired superhero) which leads to stress in his marriage, and which presents Syndrome with the opportunity to lure Bob into a secret mission that only a superhero can handle. Poor Bob so desperately needs recognition he doesn't see that he's walking into a trap. Only when his family comes to his aid does Bob realize that he works better with a team than he ever did alone. And his family is the best team possible. Now that's an incredible character arc if I've ever seen one.
Very powerful messages that the story tackles with familiar story tropes. But executed so very well.
2. World Building & Style The setting of The Incredibles is interesting. The story is set in a kind of '60s metropolis complete with Art Deco-like buildings and design. It reminds me of a lot of the high concept drawings of "The City of the Future" from the '50s. The film even has a Jetsons color vibe which makes it futuristic cool. It's evident that Bird borrowed a lot of references from the '60s spy genre such as the early Bond films in terms of look, style and even danger level. It's hard to believe that characters actually died in a Disney film. It's also the first Pixar film with a high body count (plus all the superheroes that died wearing their capes).
3. James Bond meets The Fantastic Four meets The Watchmen
Not only did this film play like a Bond film, complete with the villain's headquarters being inside a volcano on a private island (Dr. No, You only Live Twice), but it's obvious that Edna Mode (played nicely by Bird himself) is Q in this nod to both Bond and The Fantastic Four, except there's five of them. It's interesting that both Bond and The Fantastic Four came out during the '60s. Maybe that's why Bird decided to set the story in that decade. It's been said that The Incredibles is the best Fantastic Four film ever and I think that's true. The way the characters use their powers individually as well as together is very exciting and reminiscent of those earlier Fantastic Four comics. But, I also think they borrowed a lot from The Watchmen comics as well. The concept that there are no more superheroes left in the world is very Watchmenesque.
4. Animation The animation was amazing, especially the night scenes on the island. This was also the first Pixar film that featured human beings instead of toys, bugs or fish (Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Finding Nemo). I've always though that CG humans never looked real, but the CG in The Incredibles was incredible! 5. Superhero Mythology I loved how they used the superhero genre. It does an amazing job of spoofing the genre without actually being a spoof. It embraces the fund of being a superhero and all the collateral damage that they create. the film doesn't just borrow from The Fantastic Four and The Watchmen, it also borrows from the golden age of comics. There's a scene with a B&W news reel that looks straight from a '40s Superman serial. 6. Music Michael Giacchino's music was fantastic. It made me feel like I was watching a John Barry Bond film. Take a listen to this link. 7. Cast Perfect casting: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson and Brad Bird. 8. Brad Bird Finally, the real success of The Incredibles is due to Brad Bird. It's apparent that he put a lot of himself and his family into this film. Elastigirl is based on his wife ad he uses some of his children's names in the story. I think that's why all the characters felt real to me. The direction and pacing is always flawless and the film is always exciting and funny, Bird did a wonderful job of creating a world based on his life experiences and filling that world with characters that felt real and three-dimensional. He told a totally relatable story about family and sacrifice and made it feel original. This isn't only my favorite Pixar film -- it's one of my top five superhero movies of all time. The Incredibles is a perfect film.
A Watchcat 4 paw rating!
Your favorite animated film too? Or have you never seen it before? This was our first show and we would like to know what you thought about it. Please let us know your opinion, any feedback, comments, your suggestions. Let us know in the comments section below!
And here's a new episode of Jim Draws. Jim draws Mr. Incredible and Jack Jack from Incredibles 2 in honor of this upcoming Father's Day...
Click on our blog ads to help an Animal Shelter in need. And more good times to come! This Summer, my family again will be fostering kittens to help out the local Animal Shelter mentioned above. Our cats won't be too happy about this, but you may be seeing some photos or videos of the little ones in upcoming Watchcat Files posts. The kittens will also be up for adoption thru the shelter if you would like to own one or two.
