Sky High (2005)

As Good As It Gets

A Major Disappointment

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Sky High is set in a time where superheroes are likely to be your neighbors and classmates. William Stronghold is not a top tier superhero, just a minor one which would be alright except he is the son of Commander and Jetstream- the most awesome Superhero pair(played with grace by Kelly Preston and Kurt Russell). The film is well paced, funny and heartwarming and involves all the tribulations that high school kids suffer from- rejection, bullying, popularity, infatuation. The young actors are all good and the special effects are not so flashy they become centerstage and yet good enough to be believable. Sky High is a great superhero movie which surprised me. You should definitely check it out if you like fun and heartwarming movies with a dash of humor.

Super fun mix of high school teen drama and comic book superheroes. I also loved the conceit of casting Kurt Russell in a Disney film, which is where he got his start in films like "Follow Me, Boys" and "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes." That aside, it's a fun story about a young teen, a likable Michael Angarano, who's parents are the most powerful superheroes in the world, Russell and Kelly Preston, and he is to start his freshman year at the secret superhero high school (which floats on a giant platform in the sky and to which you get to by a flying bus). Freshman are divided into "heroes" or "sidekicks." Angarano is made a sidekick for his lack of powers and make friends with the other uncool sidekicks, who are buried by the popular heroes. It's all pretty typical teen drama when the freshman later becomes cool and must decide if he wants to stay loyal to his outcast sidekick pals or hang out with the cooler heroes. That part of the film works quite well, but it's made all the more fun when you throw in superheroes, super villains, secret weapons and old grudges. The film is also greatly helped by a strong comic supporting cast that includes Kevin Heffernan, Bruce Campbell, Cloris Leachman, Jim Rash, Dave Foley as sidekick teacher Mr. Boy and Kevin McDonald as a very funny Mr. Medulla, Tom Kenny, and the voice of Patrick Warburton, and a very cute Mary Elizabeth Winstead as the cool-kid love interest. You even get Lynda Carter as the principal. Top all this off with a fun soundtrack that consists of covers of 80s classics and you have probably the best Disney live-action film in years.

Saw this movie when it came out in 2005 while I was in college and enjoyed it a lot. Didn't have major expectations which is probably why I ended up enjoying it as much as I did. Always been a sucker for the old Sunday night ABC Disney films and this felt like one of those. (Anyone remember those ABC Originals? Ah the good ole days). Saw it pop up on Netflix recently and decided to introduce it to my daughter last night and was pleasantly surprised again. It was her first 'big kid' film and she loved it. Kurt Russell plays a great Superdad and Kelly Preston is gorgeous as always as Mrs. Stronghold. Fun, simple movie for any age but an especially fun movie to run for the family!

Just when the Sam Raimi Spiderman movies were getting the comic book movie boom started, this little homage/parody was rolled out by Disney. For about the only time I can remember, the Disney marketing machine totally failed, because Sky High has sort of been forgotten in the flood of recent super hero blockbusters.Like all of the best parodies, this movie doesn't set out to make fun of a genre in a mean-spirited way, it embraces super hero story quirks while tweaking them.Sky High manages to blend teen coming of age comedy with super hero mythology and turns in a terrific story that can be enjoyed by kids (the obviously targeted Disney Demographic) and their parents.