Watchmen vs the Incredibles-McGowan
2
David McGowan LBST-1102-110 Watchmen vs. The Incredibles Although Watchmen and The Incredibles are cinematically different, they share many of the same themes about superheroes living in the real world. In both movies, the superhero characters reminisce about when they were accepted as superheroes. It seems as though they crave the power and liberty they once had. This can be seen in The Incredibles when Mr. Incredible and Frozone listen to the police scanner in their car in a dark alley and tell stories about the glory days. This scene is almost mirrored in Watchmen when Dan Dreiberg and Hollis Mason sit at Mason’s kitchen table and speak of the glory days, which they do on a regular basis. Inevitably, the urge to return to their old identities proves too strong, as is seen when Mr. Incredible takes a secret job requiring him to be super again. In Watchmen, the same addiction to power is present. Dan Dreiberg, like Mr. Incredible, attempts to exist in the real world but inevitably his continued love for his superhero identity is realized when he is attacked on the street by a group of men and he and Silk Spectre II fight them off. The public’s perception of superheroes in both movies is also an interesting point of comparison. Although characters in Watchmen, like Rorschach, the Comedian, and Ozymandias never truly give up their positions of power, the public perception of superheroes shifts. In Watchmen there is clear public protest against the Superheroes. The public have become tired of the vigilantism associated with the Superheroes and they wave signs that read; “Badges Not Masks,” “No Vigilantes,” and “Hang Up The Cape.” In The Incredibles, public perception of superheroes is part of what ultimately forces superheroes into “normal identities” - for example, people fear that supers are using their powers in unethical ways as is seen in the news paper headline that reads “X-Ray Vision Peeping Tom?” Also a politician voices her opinion, “It is time for their secret identity to become their only identity. Either join us (the public) or go away.” In the end The Incredibles supers save the public from the villain and are reinstated to their former status as Superheroes, an elderly bystander even says, “That’s the way to do it. That’s old school.” In Watchmen however, the ultimate superhero, Dr.
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Transcript of Watchmen vs the Incredibles-McGowan
David McGowanLBST-1102-110
Watchmen vs. The Incredibles
Although Watchmen and The Incredibles are cinematically different, they share many of the same themes about superheroes living in the real world. In both movies, the superhero characters reminisce about when they were accepted as superheroes. It seems as though they crave the power and liberty they once had. This can be seen in The Incredibles when Mr. Incredible and Frozone listen to the police scanner in their car in a dark alley and tell stories about the glory days. This scene is almost mirrored in Watchmen when Dan Dreiberg and Hollis Mason sit at Mason’s kitchen table and speak of the glory days, which they do on a regular basis. Inevitably, the urge to return to their old identities proves too strong, as is seen when Mr. Incredible takes a secret job requiring him to be super again. In Watchmen, the same addiction to power is present. Dan Dreiberg, like Mr. Incredible, attempts to exist in the real world but inevitably his continued love for his superhero identity is realized when he is attacked on the street by a group of men and he and Silk Spectre II fight them off.
The public’s perception of superheroes in both movies is also an interesting point of comparison. Although characters in Watchmen, like Rorschach, the Comedian, and Ozymandias never truly give up their positions of power, the public perception of superheroes shifts. In Watchmen there is clear public protest against the Superheroes. The public have become tired of the vigilantism associated with the Superheroes and they wave signs that read; “Badges Not Masks,” “No Vigilantes,” and “Hang Up The Cape.” In The Incredibles, public perception of superheroes is part of what ultimately forces superheroes into “normal identities” - for example, people fear that supers are using their powers in unethical ways as is seen in the news paper headline that reads “X-Ray Vision Peeping Tom?” Also a politician voices her opinion, “It is time for their secret identity to become their only identity. Either join us (the public) or go away.”
In the end The Incredibles supers save the public from the villain and are reinstated to their former status as Superheroes, an elderly bystander even says, “That’s the way to do it. That’s old school.” In Watchmen however, the ultimate superhero, Dr. Manhattan, is made to look like the villain by Ozymandias. Although Night Owl II and Silk Spectre II look set for a return to their superhero ways at the end of the movie, we can never be sure of the public’s acceptance of their return.
