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Sky High

You’ll likely end up satisfied with your movie going experience after watching “Sky High.” You won’t have that kick-ass, fly off rooftop feeling that the best superhero movies will give you—but presuming you’re a jovial enough fellow, you will be giddy and most certainly in a good mood. This is enough to recommend this film to even the most cynical of movie-going parents, as a nice feature to take their children too.

Will Stronghold (Will Angarano) is the son of the Commander (Kurt Russell) and Jetstream (Kelly Preston), two world-class superheroes living in a society where their kind is accepted and glorified. Sent off to “Sky High,” where the superheroes in training develop their powers, Will must learn to develop his own as of yet unseen powers, as well manage the schools crafty cliques, female gender, and classes.

Despite these obstacles to overcome, as there are in any high school, “Sky High” seems like a grand place if you ask me. And watching young Will’s experiences, it’s a grand experience too, albeit a more charmingly corny one than most of high school really is.

Angarano isn’t quite natural in the role of the youngest Stronghold. He comes off as a wannabe Shia LeBeouf and his acting chops are somewhere along the line of Disney Channel Movie of the Week quality. While same goes for most all actors in the film, you can tell they are having fun and it permeates onto the audience. Kurt Russell plays a great 100 percent All-American Super-Hero and fits nicely into the cartoonish world the movie creates. Bruce Campbell as the rough and tumble gym teacher is a riot to watch as well, making the film worth watching in and of itself.

As these high school movies so often do, Will must make the choice between “true friends” or hanging with “the populars.” It’s trite, of course, but good-natured. This attitude ultimately saves the movie from being an exercise in eye-rolling. Instead of smirking at the overacting and played out situations, why not crack a smile and have a good time? It’s hard not to.

It’s much more interesting to watch the emotional journeys of these young heroes, as played out as they are, to the super villain battles they face later in the film. Director Mike Mitchell balances it out nicely. He may not have a cinematic eye, but he does have an eye for fun. From the costumes to the “Sky High” set pieces, it shows.

“Sky High” is a goofy cartoon of a movie, but it’s nice family entertainment. With so many depressing and serious super hero films these days (“The Dark Knight” anyone?), it’s nice to leave with a smile.

Written by: Matthew Doyle

Reviewers Rating: 7.5
Reader's Rating: 9.00
Reader's Votes: 1

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