Super vs. Special: The Incredibles

   A lot of the time, we are taught that each of us are special. But no one asks, "what do you mean by 'special' ?" Disney-Pixar's The Incredibles's kind of special seems to be mostly that of super powers. 

    Once upon a time, Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl, Frozone, and others are living the glory days of being superheroes. But after all the accidents they caused while generally doing good things, the public demands that the Supers leave society. 
      Now it's fifteens years later. Bob Parr, (Mr. Incredible) has married Elastigirl, (Helen Parr), and now has three children: Violet, Dash, and Jack Jack. Even though they all have superpowers, they have to assume themselves as "normal." The Parr family and others have to hide their powers from the world, and thus limits what they can do in public. (Such as Dash not being allowed to play sports because of his powers.) If they reveal them by accident, the government has to erase the memories of the witnesses and relocate the supers in hiding. In the film we know that this has happened to the Incredibles more than once. Hiding their abilities of course can be very hard for them to do, and sometimes causes mischief and tension within the family. Compared to the life of a superhero, Bob hates his job in an insurance company and takes every chance he gets for excitement and to help others, even if that means listening to police scanners and getting into trouble. When he gets a mysterious offer that allows him to do hero work, he doesn't hesitate. When he comes to a tropical island to do this work, he's confronted by Syndrome. When Syndrome was a boy, he desperately wanted to be Mr. Incredible's sidekick, but Mr. Incredible refused. Using the inventions he's made that give him abilities that look like that of a superhero, Syndrome's out to get his revenge on Mr. Incredible and all superheroes. Will Mr. Incredible and his family be able to save the day, or are the Supers truly no more?  

   The film makers to this film used a common technique of color. In the beginning of the film that's set in the glory days, they use a ton a hot colors like red, orange, and yellow. But in the present time where the rest of the film is set, there's a lot of gray and lighter colors. This compares the feelings of our characters' lives during those two different times. By the climax of the film, the color schemes have combined, which make the the supers stand out from the "normal" world.   

    The fact that the world expects the supers to be "normal" can sometimes lower their self esteem. Although their superpowers are supposed to make them special, some can't help but feel like that because everyone's special, no one is. This is basically Syndrome's main goal as the antagonist. Since he didn't have superpowers, he looked up to those who did. But when Mr. Incredible let him down, Syndrome feels that superpowers just make people ignorant and decides to use his inventions to make everyone super and thereby making superpowers themselves part of a normal world. "And when everyone's super, no one will be."

     Now we need to break this down: A lot of us are told that we "shouldn't care what other people think." It's harder to do that when the people that frown on the supers force them into hiding. Once the supers are allowed to be themselves, they truly shine. The same concept can be applied to those who don't have super powers. Essentially, you don't have to be super to be special, and you don't have to be special to be super!

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Candle On the Water: Pete's Dragon

    In our world, there is not enough caring for others. This can also mean that there"s not enough pure goodness of heart. With a reboot supposedly under way, we're going to look at a story about love, faith, and hope entitled as Disney's Pete's Dragon. 

     Once upon a time, a young boy named Pete is running away from the Gogans, the cruel family who adopted him.. At his side, there's a dragon named Elliot, who has the ability to turn invisible. Because of this, everyone thinks that Elliot is Pete's imaginary friend. They soon come upon the seaside town of Passamaquoddy. Pete comes to live with Nora and her father Lampie, who are the lighthouse keepers, while Elliot stays in a cave on the beach. Nora is a very kind woman waiting for her fiancee Paul, who disappeared at sea, to return. Not long after Pete's arrival in Passamaqoddy, Dr. Terminus, (who for the life of him can't say "Passamaqoddy"), and his assistant Hoagy come to town. They make a profit from selling fake medicine but are still able to earn the town's trust. They hear a lot about Pete and Elliot, and believing that he's real, Dr. Terminus finds that certain dragon parts have different beneficial effects on the body, such as a dragon's cartilage can keep you thin. Now they're out to find Elliot and make money off of him. Then the Gogans come to Passamaqoddy looking for Pete and soon team up with Dr. Terminus. Will Paul come back and will Pete and Elliot be able to escape?  

     There is a recurring theme of hope in Pete's Dragon. Nora has been waiting for over a year for Paul to come back, though many people say he's dead. In the film we see Nora standing at the top of lighthouse singing, "I'll Be Your Candle on the Water," a song she sings for Paul basically saying that she hasn't given up on him. Nora's not the only one who's hopeful for something. Pete's biggest hope is that he will find a good home and family. For someone who's abused, Pete still has a cheery and friendly attitude, never bitter.  

     Our protagonists and antagonists have a main opposite in this story. Nora is all about being good to people. But such people like the Gogans and Dr. Terminus just want to use other people for gain, such as selling fake medicine and using Pete to do all the chores. This idea is in direct contrast to some of the film's songs: "There's Room for Everyone in This World," and "Bill of Sale." I heard one person observe that while "Bill of Sale" is being sung, none of the nearby townspeople are not listening or seeing the atrocious way the Gogans treat Pete. That shows how lots of people are too bundled into their owns lives to notice what's happening to other people around them, much less help them. Nora and Elliot represent those who do notice and take it upon themselves to do something about it. 

     The point of this: Pete's Dragon is centered around being there for others like a candle on the water.

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Once Upon A Memory: Anastasia

May Contain Spoilers!!!

     First of all, let's get one thing down: The following animated film is NOT Disney! Repeat: NOT Disney! This film, Anastasia, was made in 1997 by Fox and Don Bluth. If you've seen his animated films you can also recognize his style. Anastasia is based on Princess Anastasia Romanov and the Romanovs, the royal family of Russia. This movie definitely should not as a source of historical accuracy.  In the early 1900's, a revolution came around that sought to destroy the Czar Nicholas II and the way the country was being corruptly ruled. The people overthrow the Czar and murdered him and his family. This film of takes a major twist on the story including what could've happened if  Nicholas' daughter Anastasia had survived. 

       Once upon a time, the Romanvs are celebrating their dynasty. Anastasia is very close to her Grandmother that lives in Paris at that time. But Rasputin shows up to the party. Rasputin was said to be a holy man but he was really dangerous. When Nicholas tries to order Rasputin away, he's angered and vows to destroy the Romanov line. Taken over  by this, Rasputin sells his soul and is given evil magic and uses it to start a revolt among the people, eventually bringing them to storm the palace. Anastasia and her Grandmother Marie are able to escape with the help of a servant boy named Dimitri. As they try to board a train out of Russia, Anastasia is left running after the train still holding on to Marie's hand. But as the train gains speed, Anastasia's hand slips, causing her to fall on the platform and hit her head as well as go unconscious. It would be years before the Dowager Empress Marie would see her granddaughter again.

        Now it's ten years later, and rumors are going around that Anastasia might be alive. What is not a rumor however, is that the Dowager Empress Marie has offered a reward for anyone who can restore her granddaughter to her. A grown up Dimitri and his friend Vlad are now trying to find a girl to play the role of Anastasia in order to get the reward. Meanwhile, a young girl named Anya is leaving the orphanage to go out in the world and work like everyone else. Anya has been in the orphanage for as long as she can remember. That's the trouble though. She can remember few things about her past, such as being found wandering around when she was eight years old.  Before that, Anya can't remember who her family was or what happened to them. Her only clue is a necklace that has the words, "Together in Paris," on it. Upon meeting a little dog named Pooka, Anya decides to go to Paris to try to find her family. Before long, Anya ends up with Dimitri and Vlad, who say they can get her to Paris if she sees the Dowager Empress to know if she's the long lost Princess Anastasia. Will Anya find herself and her family, or will she be "Anya the Orphan" forever?  

      For people who haven't seen this: This is not historically accurate because of a few things. The primary factor in this is that there's magic in the film, mainly Rasputin's evil powers. Another thing is that the beginning of the film focuses on the life of the Romanovs. The way their lavish life is portrayed gives us the idea that the rest of the country is happy too. At the time in the real life, the Romanovs were very rich while large amounts of the people were extremely poor. The downfall of the Romanovs is similar to what happened in the French Revolution. "Lots of people were starving and decided to overthrow the monarchy" pretty much sums it up. 

       Because this is an animated film intended mainly for children, historical accuracy is of little importance. Toss all that aside, and Anastasia is a really fun film. The characters are delightful as well as the songs and the dances that go with them. "Paris Holds the Key to Your Heart" is my favorite. In this scene, the Dowager Empress's cousin, Sophie, is taking Anya, Dimitri, and Vlad on a tour in Paris. What they see and the people they meet make Paris look like a colorful place, which it truly is.   


Anastasia gives us a rather unusual love story. On the way to Paris, Dimitri begins to fall in love with Anya. But when Sophie asks Anya how Anastasia escaped during the siege of the palace, she speaks of a boy who worked in the palace and "opened a wall." Upon hearing this, Dimitri realizes that Anya really is Anastasia. Because of this Dimitri thinks that his chances of being with her are gone, telling Vlad that "princesses don't marry kitchen boys." But by the end of the film, he learns that royalty is only a title and doesn't stop you from being with who you love.   

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Is This a Kissing Movie? Kinda: The Princess Bride

   For those of us that celebrate it, it's Valentine's Day. As such, it would be most appropriate if I put a romantic film on ETF at this time, so what better option than The Princess Bride? Since it came out in 1987, it's been a classic romantic comedy with quotes that are practically iconic. 

    Once upon a time, a young boy is in bed with what may be a cold or the flu. When his grandfather comes to visit, he gives him a special book called The Princess Bride. "It's the book my father used to read to me when I was sick and I used to read it to your father. And today, I'm gonna read it to you," says the grandfather.  
    Once upon a time, there lived a young girl named Buttercup on a farm in the country of Floren. There with her is the farm boy named Wesley, even thought she only called him "Farmboy." Buttercups takes pleasure in giving Wesley orders, in which he simply responds with "as you wish." After a while, Buttercup comes to find that as Wesley loves her, she loves him back. Since Wesley couldn't pay for marriage, he went across the sea to seek his fortune. Before he leaves, he tells Buttercup that he will always come for her. But word gets to her that Wesley's ship was attacked by the Dread Pirate Roberts, and that he was murdered.  
     Now it's five years later, and Buttercup, still devastated, has unwillingly been betrothed to Prince Humperdinck. One day while riding her horse, Buttercup gets kidnapped by three men, who are now being followed by a man dressed all in black. Will true love save the Princess Bride?

      The film was made with few physical flaws. The costumes suit our story and our characters. Most of us ladies love the dresses and hairstyles that Buttercup wears in the film. The set, such as certain places of filming along the English Chanel, were well made to suit the general time period of the Middle Ages. 

        An opinion concerning the Princess Bride: As a character, Buttercup has a small lack of personality. We can see that she is laid back and thoughtful, but what else is there to her besides that? As well as personality, Buttercup does not show as much emotion as some of the characters in the film. A lot of the time, Buttercup seems unhappy. That's normal of course when her circumstances are considered. Here's what bugs me: Towards the end of the film, Buttercup is planning to commit suicide after Wesley didn't come to save her from her wedding ceremony with Prince Humperdinck. Don't worry, he shows up in time stop her, and when she didn't expect it to. That's the second time Wesley had come for her when Buttercup least expected it! He had already told her that he would always come for her! Not only that, she kept telling Prince Humperdinck that "My Wesley will always come for me." Did she never consider the fact that he may be "late" sometimes?! To me, killing herself seems to be going a little to far. This is why Buttercup is not a good role model, and also because a lot of times in the film, she is made a damsel-in-distress and just looks pretty. Mind you this doesn't make the film bad, so it's still awesome! 

       A lot of kids grew up with this movie. Why? It has action as well passion. Who doesn't love sword fights and battles of wits? To NOT find enjoyment in this film is basically inconceivable! Also, if you're a single on Valentine's Day, watching The Princess Bride can be uplifting rather than depressing.  

     The Princess Bride has an interesting outlook on faith and love while it still appeals to both children and adults. It expresses the basic need to trust and have faith in the one you love. These things Buttercup had to learn in the film. When she thought Wesley was dead, she lost all hope saying, "I will never love again." Because he wasn't dead, Wesley came and found Buttercup at what may seem a shocking or unexpected time, proving that time without someone important puts one's faith to the test and thus, proves the need for that faith she didn't have. There's that second instance in the film where Buttercup was going to kill herself because Wesley hadn't come when she thought he would, making her think that he may not come at all. But he still came for her despite that. This teaches that loves doesn't always come when you think it will, and may in fact come when you least expect it. 

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Types of Disney-Pixar Short Films

    Well known to previous generations, animation by hand was the classic way of Disney. When the computer rolled around, CGI (Computer Generated Images,) forever changed the filming industry, (this is not a bad thing, though,) and gave birth to one of the biggest CGI animation companies, Pixar. Years ago they teamed with Disney and have been making films with the magic of Disney ever since. Apart from films, Pixar has made a pretty good hobby out making short films. Now we're going to look at the types of short stories they make. 
      
      1. Silent Stories: These short Pixar films tend to be more visual and told through action. Strangely enough, these are the ones that are the most amusing. In the animated short film, Presto, (which happens to be my favorite,) tells the story of a magician and his rabbit. He goes out onto the stage to perform with the rabbit, but the bunny refuses to participate unless he's given the carrot he so desperately wants. Throughout the show, the rabbit pulls tricks on the magician that makes him angry, but the rabbit also unintentionally makes him look good at the same time. In this types of short, there is generally no dialogue. There are some vocal noises that come from the characters, but the story is mostly told through their facial expressions and actions. In some but few, we have to focus primarily on movement and sound. An example of this is Pixar's early film. Luxo Jr., the story of two lamps.  

     
     2. Movie Spin-Off shorts: These Pixar short films are usually a side story to one of Pixar's movies. It's kind of like a deleted scene, except it wasn't deleted! In Jack Jack Attack, we see how Kari was dealing with Jack Jack while the Incredibles were away like they were in the film. We knew in the movie that Kari was babysitting Jack Jack and had repeatedly tried to call Mrs. Parr and left a message saying that, "weird things are happening," as she had been the first one to discover and witness the baby's superpowers, and went from dumbfounded to overwhelmed and exhausted. This is ironic because at the beginning of the short, Kari tells Mrs. Parr that she "can totally handle anything this baby can dish out!" 

     3. Original Pixar: These shorts have dialogue and are not tied to a movie. The funny thing is that there seem to be less of these. They are an original short story made by Pixar. They also tend to be musical. The first one I think of in this category would be Boundin', the musical story of a wild sheep that gets his coat shaved off and feels embarrassed. Seeing this, a Jackelope tells the sheep that he can be happy regardless of what he or others think of his appearance. In a recent short film, Lava, tells a great love story between two lonely volcanoes. In this short all of the words are sung, be it the narrator, or the characters. Nevertheless, all of Pixar's short films are equally enjoyable, no matter which of these categories they'd fall into.

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Scientific Irony: Planet of the Apes

    Ape...the member of the primate family which is said to be closely related to man. In 1968, Planet of the Apes was made and portrayed what would happen if the lives of humans and apes were switched. 

    Once upon a time, three men crash land in a place they believe to be another planet. After being in a hyper sleep, they don't where they are or when they are. Eventually they are captured by what appear to be apes. One of them is killed, another becomes senseless and practically brain dead after experimental surgery. This leaves only George Taylor. Since he was shot in the throat by one of the apes, he is unable to communicate and is locked in cages with other humans. But these humans are different from the ones Taylor knows. These people are mute and less intelligent. A beautiful human girl is put into the same cage as Taylor. Being little different from the others, and attracted to him, Taylor soon names her Nova. With the help of Dr. Zira and her husband Cornelius, will Taylor and Nova escape and figure things out, or are they forever enslaved on the Planet of the Apes?   

      Being a great sci-fi film, Planet of the Apes switches the places of man and apes in society. Now the apes see man as evil and inferior. In our world, they way the apes treat humans is somewhat reflective of the animal cruelty that occurs now, and humans like Nova have no voice like the animals we know. During Taylor's trial, he is given no rights to defend himself, as he is supposedly inferior. Surely most of us can see the unfairness in that.   

        Multiple times in the film, Dr. Zira and Cornelius mention their scientific idea that apes evolved from something else. This represents the events in our history in which people have been persecuted, tried, and even killed for heresy because it contradicted other people's beliefs. Rather than punishment, our should operate in a way that we may choose what we believe in and what we don't. That's the scientific irony that crosses over from our world into Planet of the Apes. 

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