WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Incredibles 2, in theaters now.
One of the main draws about 2004's The Incredibles was the movie's supervillain, Buddy Pine aka Syndrome (Jason Lee). His dynamic with Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson) really drove the plot, as he moved from being the comic relief to a seriously intimidating megalomaniac.
Of course, this all stemmed from Buddy simply being a spurned fanatic, which led to him growing up and hating the idea of a superhero, eventually wanting to smash the thing he once loved to pieces. If such obsessive and entitled behavior sounds familiar, then look no further than fandom in the modern era, especially thanks to the digital and social media age.
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Well, Incredibles 2 addresses this issue head-on once again, but this time director Brad Bird takes a more positive slant and highlights the brighter aspect of worshipping superheroes and putting them on a pedestal.
Fandom should never be taken to the extreme, of course, and Incredibles 2 is more subtle and uplifting this time in how it handles this fact. The reverence with which the likes of the Parr family, namely Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), is presented through a much less cynical prism in this film than it was in the original. In short, those inspired by superheroes aren't fanatics, they're just folks who view them in an endearing light and want to help them.
This is set in motion from the beginning of the movie, with a few members of the public wanting to support the heroes. After a botched battle with the Underminer, the Incredibles and capes on the whole are chastised, with laws being set up to make them illegal. This turns out to be the agenda of Screenslaver, a mysterious villain who wants superheroes extinct. However, Winston Deavor (Bob Odenkirk), a wealthy benefactor, wants to start a PR campaign to clean up their bad images and get the public, as well as politicians, to fall back in love with capes.
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He pays for the Incredibles' new home and hires Elastigirl as the face of this campaign, as he believes the world needs them, even sending her on the press circuit. This leaves the audience suspicious; after all, no one can be that generous... right? Well, it turns out he isn't some sort of secret villain. Deavor is actually genuine, a man who merely wants to expand the team into a bigger league so they're a greater force for good.
Now, the same can't be said for his sister, Evelyn (Catherine Keener), but throughout the film, Winston remains unwavering in his hope and ambition. His parents loved superheroes, helping facilitate their movement years before, and despite superheroes not coming to their rescue when they were robbed and killed, Winston didn't blame anyone. Instead, he maintained his faith in superheroes as symbols for a better tomorrow.
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The same applies for the "wannabe" superheroes such as Krushauer and Helectrix, members of the expansion Winston wants to help craft. The most notable person who's starstruck, though is Voyd (Sophia Bush), a young woman who creates portals for things to appear and disappear. She's in awe of Elastigirl and sees her as a mentor, something which comes full-circle at movie's end when they team up and the youngster saves the veteran.
In fact, the new breed of heroes are all very earnest in their admiration for the likes of the Incredibles, and don't hide their desire to follow in the family's footsteps as they recognize them as a beacon of hope. When Voyd's around Elastigirl, giggling and nervous, it's a very sentimental picture, truly washing away the memories of the spoiled, obnoxious brat Syndrome was from the first film.
In the sequel, Bird crafts a far kinder take on superhero fandom, and really, fandom in general. One might have assumed he'd go about making a bigger statement about the landscape of modern fan discourse in Incredibles 2, especially considering we exist in a time when this particular group of fans often feels downright toxic in the real world.
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Online fandom has led to so many issues, with rampant cyberbullying (of both fans and creators) even forcing some offline, including in just the past week or so Kelly Marie Tran and Millie Bobby Brown. This happens across various industries, from comics to film, and even sports. There's a sense of privilege currently on display, where fans simply don't want to let go as they think certain things belong to them because of their passion.
The uproar over the recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and ThunderCats reboots redesigning the characters saw many fans overstepping their boundaries, expressing themselves in an increasingly toxic manner. Last year, Marvel Comics experienced similar backlash for Secret Empire, with buyers even going so far as to post videos of them burning books after Captain America turned evil, or sending death threats to the event's writer.
Now, no one's saying you shouldn't voice your concerns and opinions, because free speech is your right. However, there's no need to get emotional, abusive and even psychotic. This statement, though subtle, is made with Winston not going dark in the wake of his family's tragedy, even knowing that his parents called for help, their superheroes friends didn't answer. Instead of getting bitter and turning evil, he still believed in and honored his parents' memories by backing what they dedicated their lives to. In fact, his hope and optimism grew as he got older, because he was willing to embrace change and adapt, understanding how he could play a part in helping evolve and improve the very thing he was obsessed with.
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Sure, maybe superheroes didn't act like Winston wanted all the time, but just like the other new faces we saw in the recruitment drive, they all understand people like the Incredibles are only human in the end. And yes, they're part of a greater message, even if they don't have time for the common-folk. Bird achieves this by ensuring his cast empathizes with and understands superheroes, and in so doing, his narrative here in Incredibles 2 acts as an antidote to the real world, all while quietly reminding us how a healthy fandom behaves.
Written and directed once again by Brad Bird, Incredibles 2 stars Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, Sophia Bush, Bob Odenkirk, Catherine Keener, Jonathan Banks, Sarah Vowell, Isabella Rossellini and Brad Bird. The film opens Friday nationwide.