Sky High

07/25/05

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"This isn't as bad as Surviving Christmas but it isn't as funny as Deuce Bigalow.  That should be all you need to know."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sky High
The Masked Reviewer

Even super heroes get homework, acne, and the occasional wedgie.  Such is the premise behind Disney's latest live-action flick, Sky High.

The premise is simple: superheroes in high school.  It contains all the issues you might expect it to contain; trouble with peers, dating, fitting in, and dealing with the demands of parents.  But -- they all have super powers!  It's a cute concept.  Perhaps it falls a bit flat because of the recent release of The Invincibles, also by Disney.  Some of the same issues were touched on, looking at the private lives of super heroes. 

The film stars a bunch of kid actors, most relatively (to completely) unknown.  The lead, Michael Angarano, does a capable job.  The standout is Danielle Panabaker, but none in the cast are particularly noteworthy in terms of "goodness" or "badness".  The noteworthy actors would be Kelly Preston and longtime Disney star Kurt Russell.  Kelly Preston has perhaps one of the least mentionable roles of all time -- it would be very easy to forget she was even in the film...her only lines are absolutely typical mom lines, and she only gets a couple of them.  Kurt Russell is okay as a stereotypical superhero, although he doesn't do much with it.  It's a bit hammy (presumably because it's supposed to be hammy -- he's a superhero) and there's not much going on there.

The film does have a number of other actors you might recognize, especially if you're a "Kids in the Hall" fan.  Some of the other cameos won't be ruined in this review...although none of them are particularly great, and a couple are kind of a let down.  Also, if you're going to have a "surprise cameo" in a movie, don't list that performer in big bold letters during the opening credits. 

The biggest problem with Sky High is an almost complete lack of creativity.  You'd be hard pressed to find anyone with truly creative super powers, and every beat in the story is predictable.  The effects have all been seen and done before, although interestingly the rubber man in this film seemed much more convincing than Reed Richards in The Fantastic Four

That being said, it's still not a bad film.  Keep in mind that although the film seems to deal with teenage issues, it's clearly a kid's film.  Kid's seem to enjoy it, but it's hard to imagine a teenager relating to or enjoying this film very much.  It makes everything seem so trite.  And it is.

It seems best suited for 7-10 year olds.  It's mildly cute, but nothing special. 

The film is directed by Mike Mitchell, who directed Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigalo and the awful Ben Stiller vehicle Surviving Christmas.  This isn't as bad as Surviving Christmas but it isn't as funny as Deuce Bigalow.  That should be all you need to know.

 

Expectation from the Title: When a USAir pilot snorts coke off of a stewardess, disaster is on he horizon!

Mother's Rule (Always Say Something Good About Everything):  Padded tights are quite flattering on Kurt Russell.

The Pros: Everything about it is okay...nothing surprising or new, but it's not bad.  Acting not bad.  Effects not bad.

The Cons: Everything about it is okay...nothing surprising or new, but it's not good. 

Kurt Russel, Sky Highschool, right here.

 

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