When the movie genres of Disaster or Adventure are mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind would be an action-filled dramatic chain of events that are spread throughout the ‘journey’ of the movie’s characters. Disaster movies uses an impending doom as a plot device, often portraying how the characters react and deal with the disaster or the aftermath of it. Adventure films on the other hand usually revolve around a protagonist’s conquest and explorations in achieving their objectives. Although there may be significant differences between the two film genres, there are many similarities between them. To explore the similarities, I have chosen to compare the 2013 disaster World War Z and the animated 2004 adventure The Incredibles.

At a first glance, it may be hard to draw the similarities between a ‘zombie movie’ and a ‘cartoon’. World War Z focuses on the impending doom of the zombie apocalypse that is being caused by a viral disease causing human beings to become rampant savages leading to what seems to be the end of humanity. What seems to be an action adventure movie aimed at children, Pixar’s The Incredibles actually caters for a much larger audience and does a marvellous job in captivating them with stunning visuals of the antics of the Parr family in their vendetta against the protagonist Syndrome. It is hard to believe that the recurring themes of death, violence and shooting that are prevalent in World War Z are present in The Incredibles. However, Minow (2005) makes a point that The Incredibles “includes all sorts of weapons, explosions, deaths, wide-spread destruction and more”, yet at the same time manages to fit within the PG rating. As I have previously mentioned, a ‘journey’ of the characters is a common strand between Disaster and Adventure films and are definitely prevalent in the movies I have chosen. Apart from the ‘journey’ aspect, there are various similarities between World War Z (2013) and The Incredibles (2004).

Essentially, what makes a good movie is good character development. The ‘journey’ experienced by the characters helps to reveal traits about them, allowing the audience to connect with these characters. A major correspondence between the two movies involves the resemblance between the main protagonists of each movie. Both Gerry Lane and Bob Parr are ‘retired’ fathers with a loving spouse and children they care dearly for. Gerry is a retired United Nations officer and as Seitz (2013) describes, Gerry is “noble, brave, calm in a crisis, endlessly resourceful, kind to his spouse and children, respectful of authority but not slavishly so”, establishing that Gerry takes his responsibility very seriously, as evident through his actions throughout the film. Bob is a ‘retired’ superhero who was forced to live a civilian life after the general public had differing views about the ‘supers’ and showed to dislike them. He is also a caring father who is determined to save the world. Everybody loves a good hero, and both Gerry and Bob are the heroes of the respective movies they are in.

Apart from the main protagonist, another similarity that can be seen between the movies is in the values that are portrayed through the actions of the various characters, namely family values and the importance of relationships. The Incredibles does a great job of establishing the relationships

between the characters as Ebert (2004) puts it, “it's about human beings who have some connection”. Both movies have the family element in which the main protagonist’s actions are usually driven by the thought of ensuring the safety of their own families. There are elements of bravery in both movies in which the characters are willing to risk their lives to ensure the safety of others which is a very noble cause indeed.

Finally, there are similarities between the plotlines of the two movies. For example, both protagonists are able to find a weakness in their adversaries. Gerry is able to find a way to be invisible to the zombies by injecting curable pathogens into his own body, tricking the zombies into thinking he is one of them. Bob also eventually finds a way to defeat his ultimate adversary, the Omnidroid, through the use of Syndrome’s remote control. Also, both movies have a similar circumstances in their endings in which there is a sense of the ‘hero’s job not done yet’. This hints at a possible sequel for each movie, which has now been confirmed – both movies will be getting a sequel in the near future.

The reason why I have chosen these movies because I was able to make a connection with the characters of the respective movies. The vast similarities between the two examples I have discussed are proof that even though movie genres may be different, there are still things tht are common between them, hence the fact that many movies can be classified under more than one genre.

Reference list:

Ebert, R. (2004, November 4). The Incredibles Movie Review & Film Summary (2004) | Roger Ebert. Retrieved December 2, 2015, from http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-incredibles-2004

Minow, N. (2005, March 13). The Incredibles - Movie Review. Retrieved December 2, 2015, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/the-incredibles

Seitz, M. (2013, June 21). World War Z Movie Review & Film Summary (2013) | Roger Ebert. Retrieved December 1, 2015, from http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/world-war-z-2013

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN

THE DESIGN SCHOOL

FOUNDATION IN NATURAL BUILD ENVIRONMENT

NAME: DARREN TAN YONG TEE

STUDENT ID NO: 0323398

FILMS SELECTED: WORLD WAR Z (2013) & THE INCREDIBLES (2004)

WORD COUNT: 874

ENGLISH 2 (ELG 30605)

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT 1: COMPARE – CONTRAST ESSAY

LECTURER: GOPIGHANTAN MYLVAGANAM

SUBMISSION DATE: DECEMBER 4TH 2015