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Incredibles

Incredibles

By Peter Leithart

I’m not the first one to notice, by any means, but let me chime in: The Incredibles is an overt attack on egalitarianism. All the bad guys in the movie want to flatten out the differences between “supers” and everyone else - the litigious people who are injured during rescues, Bob Par’s (!) boss at the insurance company who sees everyone as an interchangeable cog in a corporate machine, the big bad guy Syndrome who wants to release the secrets of his “superpowers” so that “everyone can be super.” Little things reinforce the theme, as when Bob goes into his rant about Dash’s “graduation” from fourth to fifth grade.

Some of my favorite moments: When Dash realizes he’s running across water, and lets out a giggle of pure delight; when JackJack the baby turns into a demon when he’s being kidnapped by Syndrome; the Incredibles coming to the rescue in an RV. The movie is lots of fun, and almost all of it is at the expense of all the right people.

Peter Leithart

Peter J. Leithart is President of Theopolis Institute. He is the author of numerous books on theology, literature, and culture, including Theopolitan, Defending Constantine, and Baptized Body.

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In Medias Res

Your weekly digest for all things Theopolis.

Donate

Theopolis is nearly 100% donor-supported. Consider joining us on our mission.