My Grumpy Mentor

One of the reveals at this year’s D23 Expo was more information about The Incredibles 3. Despite having been announced years ago, many fans latched onto the image of a despondent Bob Parr. The complaints centred around him being jaded by old age, stating that it was an overused and annoying cliché. Why couldn’t mentor figures be upbeat for once? Why do they always have to be sour?

Personally, this doesn’t bother me for two reasons. The first is that complaining completely misreads who Bob is as a character. We remember The Incredibles as a funny and quirky movie, but it was profoundly sad. This was a film about an aging, washed up superhero preyed on as a means of revenge. It’s reinforced frequently, particularly when Bob discovers that his colleagues have been eliminated for sport. The movie doesn’t hold back on how disturbing that is, even showing Bob’s reaction.

The sequel had Bob struggling with balancing his family life with a chance to do good. This is his opportunity to clear the reputation of superheroes, and he has to live it through his wife? Sure, he’s trying to be supportive, but it stings. And the movie doesn’t hide this, with him eventually cracking and yelling at his kids. Bob Parr being despondent is completely in-character, especially since he’s a flawed, selfish individual.

The second reason this doesn’t bother me is because being jaded is compelling drama for an aging hero. Life frequently kicks the crap out of people as they age. It starts with physical ailments-back problems, joint issues, a shorter lung capacity-then turns into heartbreak and drama as life takes those you care about. I’ve been alive for 36 years, but I’ve dealt with both of those. I get muscle spasms from overworking myself, my stomach rebels when I eat too much, and I’ve witnessed three of my four grandparents die. That takes a toll on you, and I haven’t even gotten into my regrets.

Also, Bob being despondent makes sense, especially given what he’s been through already. We haven’t even been told why he’s like that. He might’ve screwed up, or failed someone he cares about. For all we know, he could have a valid reason for despondency, which makes for great drama. Why’s that an issue?

It’s not only Bob Parr. This sentiment extends to other properties too. Luke Skywalker being a jaded hermit who closes himself off to The Force was a huge point of contention in the newer Star Wars movies. Indiana Jones being a crabby old man was also a point of contention in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Even Logan being a jaded father figure in Logan turned some people off, despite the movie being fantastic! People don’t like their heroes bummed out or depressed.

But why? Naïve optimism only gets you so far. People frequently become disillusioned by reality over time, and not everyone takes it well. My biggest disappointment over the last few years was seeing how normalized Antisemitism is. It hasn’t broken me, but it’s made me more guarded. Again, I’m only 36.

Jaded heroes might make some audiences self-conscious, but that doesn’t make for a tired cliché. Working through regrets is compelling, especially when it allows for character development. Luke Skywalker being disillusioned is a bummer, but him overcoming that, reconnecting with his roots and becoming the legend people believe him to be is compelling and exciting. As is Indiana Jones coming to peace with his failure as a father. This isn’t bad writing.

However, the real issue here is that fans don’t want their heroes challenged. They don’t want a jaded Luke, they want a Luke that slices through Darktroopers like paper. They also don’t want a sour Indy, they want one who brandishes his whip and punches baddies. So too do they not want a despondent Bob Parr, but rather one who’s always heroic.

I’m grateful these individuals aren’t writing movies. Or if they are, they’re not big-budget. Fan wish-lists aren’t always practical, especially if they clash with compelling writing. After all, if people become more cynical as they age, then shouldn’t movies reflect that? Isn’t that art mirroring reality?

Perhaps I’m expecting too much of audiences who can’t accept racial diversity either. It’s not like these movies haven’t also received criticism for attempting that, right? But it bothers me that people claim they want fresh storytelling, yet freak out and panic when they get that. Especially since people don’t stay young forever, and good storytelling reflects that. But I’m getting ahead of myself…

Either way, complaining about the “jaded mentor trope” being cliché isn’t fair. It’s a byproduct of getting older, and it’s a compelling reason to pass the torch to the younger generation. Logan might be jaded in Logan, but we cry over his death because we’ve gotten to know him. He’s sour in his older age, but his acceptance of Laura as his daughter/clone is compelling drama. This is more interesting than him being his usual, grumpy self.

Also, if franchises are to continue to stay fresh, they need to reasons to remain relevant. The grumpy mentor trope, for as much as it might seem cliché, is one way to do that. It also works with the limitations of actors as they age, be it physically or vocally. Disregarding that in favour of our heroes remaining forever young is selfish and irresponsible. It’s also bad writing.

So yes, Bob Parr being a despondent hero doesn’t bother me, and it shouldn’t bother you either.