The Incrediblahs!

I've been meaning to discuss The Incredibles on this blog since November of 2015. I've been meaning to write about it since its sequel was announced in 2013, to be exact, as this particular movie, one of my favourite animated films, deserved a piece dedicated to it. I racked my brain for 5 years, even re-watching the movie several times, hoping something'd come out, yet nothing did. And now, as if by the will of God, it's happened. And it couldn't have been a worse set of circumstances.

Everyone remembers "Where's my super suit?", right? It's not only one of the funniest conversations in the entire film, or even Samuel L. Jackson's career, but it's been immortalized via memes. I'd explain why it's great, but I think watching the clip does more justice to it than I could:

See? See?! Comedic gold! (Courtesy of Disney.Pixar.)

It's hard not to love what's, arguably, one of the highlights of one of the best superhero movies ever, so it was a treat to find out that Honey was returning in The Incredibles 2. But that begs the question: if Honey's so well-loved, how come we never see her?

Recently, Brad Bird, the director of these films, was asked that exact question by Heroic Hollywood. Shadow and Act, a website that covers global black culture, linked to the article in one of their own. They also wrote a response, which you can find here. Yet Bird's answer to the question raises eyebrows:

" She's funnier as a voice…[w]e actually went through all the trouble of designing a character and the design appears in the movie but not as Frozone's wife. We have used her design and she is a hero but there's not a lot of screen time though."

I've covered Hollywood's long-standing issues with racism in the past, via Tim Burton and Wes Anderson, but this is the hardest one to deconstruct of them all. Uunlike Burton and Anderson, Bird's racism requires an explanation. You'd figure that a man of his stature, and one who's closest friend was outed as a predator, would know to be more sensitive to other groups, especially given his reputation in the Pixar and film communities. Because this is an insult to both!

See, Brad Bird's a fan of Randian objectivism. Ayn Rand's philosophy's, essentially, become the backbone of modern, American libertarianism. Bird's love of the Randian narrative, even if he's never outright said it, is so extreme that all of his movies feature it: The Iron Giant contains Randian objectivism in its attempt to make the giant into a Superman character. The Incredibles has it in the need for Bob Parr to prove to the world that he's the best at what he does. Ratatouille has it in both Remy's rare skill and Ego's stand-in as the snooty critic who doubts him because "reasons". And while Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol might've skipped this, because no one cares about the stories in that franchise, Tomorrowland was so soaked in Randian objectivism that, combined with Damon Lindelof's desire to ignore pressing questions and plot-holes, it actively hurt the film.

Basically, and I loathe this phrase, Brad Bird's the epitome of a "problematic fave". His writing and directing are amazing, as is his partnership with legendary composer Michael Giacchino, but his films smell of subtle condescension toward those that dare snub his mad genius. And while his writing's condescending, his treatment of women is more-so. The Incredibles had Helen as a side-character for most of its runtime, while Mirage was a prop for Syndrome until she realized that Bob was in the right. Meanwhile, Violet, who started as a uniquely-insecure teenager, went through a complete 180 by the end and turned into…an ordinary teenager.

Perhaps Bird's biggest folly is his treatment of minorities. Both The Iron Giant and Ratatouille had only white characters in them, which is weird given their time periods, while The Incredibles…had Lucius. To be fair, Lucius was awesome. But that his wife is never on-screen speaks volumes. That Bird attempted a design of her, only to scrap it at the last-second because "screen-time limitations", reconfirms that.

If it sounds like I'm being overly-critical of Brad Bird, keep in mind that I'm only doing so because film's an imperfect art-form. Like all imperfect art-forms, it's important to acknowledge its flaws or areas of improvement even when it churns out masterpieces. And The Incredibles/The Incredibles 2, for all their brilliance, are no different; after all, if artists are to improve their craft, they should be able to respond to respectful feedback with dignity.

I'm also being critical because black people/other minorities, despite making strides in recent years, are still largely shunted from animation. Whether it's through lack of including them in stories, ignoring their input in the production process, or having white actors and actresses voice their parts, it's one of the last places lacking true representation. Doubly-so for minority women, whom are already at a disadvantage to begin with. So for Brad Bird to think of Honey as nothing more than a cameo voiceover because "it's funnier that way"? It doesn't reflect well on him.

Nevertheless, I don't think that Brad Bird intends to be malicious. He most-likely believes what he says, and would probably apologize if called out. I also don't think boycotting the film over this is the right call, as plenty of talented filmmakers are guilty of far worse. But, like with Steven Spielberg's recent comment about "Indiana Joan", I think Bird messed up and missed an opportunity for self-reflection. Though I could be wrong, in which case I apologize in advance.

Regardless, The Incredibles 2 comes out in a few months, and I'm excited to see it!