Animated by super-angst
Gifted children powered by thirst for vengeance
Is it something in the air? Or is the recent run of teenage nihilists endowed with superpowers just a pop culture coincidence?
It’s an intriguing question, because after watching Chronicle and The Prodigies, one might be convinced the ghost of Nietzsche is waltzing with the Zeitgeist.
Certainly, God is absent in both recent outings, and free will is the guiding force behind humankind, but The Prodigies doesn’t even bother getting into superhero notions of duty.
At the top of this animated reel, we’re introduced to Jimbo (Jeffrey Evan Thomas), a nerdy kid who’s into model trains. Turns out, he’s also a genius with extraordinary powers of concentration.
As a kid, Jimbo was abused by his parents, but when they both turned up dead in an apparent murder-suicide, the young modeller was moved to a special care facility for the insane. It’s in the hospital that Jimbo meets Dr. Killian, a brilliant scientist who created The Foundation — a special facility aimed at helping gifted kids reach their potential.
Jimbo was one such student, but he’s convinced there are others just like him, so he creates a diagnostic tool disguised as a game. The bait works, and before long, he’s got five prodigies on his scope.
The only looming problem is securing funding for The Foundation. When Dr. Killian dies, his daughter feels the special school is a waste of money, leaving the brainiacs with abandonment issues.
Jimbo tries to explain the situation, but the young geniuses are angry and betrayed, and soon start pooling their superpowers with vengeful purpose.
The Prodigies isn’t just a movie about kids with superpowers and their curious quest for a mentor. It’s a movie about free will and making the effort to effect real change.
The movie is populated with people who have some brand of power — whether it’s the president of the U.S., the chairperson of a large corporation, or the five prodigies with paranormal powers.
Yet, for all the potency, there’s this overwhelming sense of powerlessness. The movie stews in the surly sensibilities of an irate 15-year-old who feels misunderstood — and that’s actually its central strength.
The Prodigies infuses the viewer with an otherworldly sense of angst and dislocation, which proves its success at an emotional level.
The acting and the animation aren’t quite as sharp, but director Antoine Charreyron’s film finds its own voice, as well as its own style, as it revisits familiar themes and characters.