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61 of 64 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good Family Summer Fun, August 1, 2005
"Sky High" is one of those rare films these days that combines humor, action, and a solid plot that holds the attention of not just young kids and pre-teens, but older teens and parents as well. It stars Michael Angarano as Will Stronghold, son of the two greatest superheroes ever, the Commander and Jetstream. There are some pretty hefty expectations placed on the boy, not to mention the typical problems of teens like falling in and out of love, bullies, wanting to fit in and.....flame-throwing arch-enemies.
In all, Angarano does a solid job as Will. His parents are played with flair and wit by Kurt Russell and the beautiful Kelly Preston. Russell is an egotistical jerk, but in a superhero-type way. Preston is an all-around good mother, who loves her son even if he can't save the world if need be. Steven Strait plays Warren Peace, Will's arch-enemy and probably one of the best performers in the flick. Danielle Panabaker throws in a solid performance as the plant-loving Layla. The "sidekicks" that Will hangs out with also do a great job. They provide the majority of the humor in the film, especially Zack, whose power is glowing. Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays the girl of Will's dreams.
A few surprise appearances in the film are Lynda Carter as Principal Powers, Bruce Campbell as the school's gym coach, Boomer, and Cloris Leachman as the school nurse. Former Kids In The Hall Dave Foley(Mr. Boy) and Kevin McDonald(Medula) turn in some light-hearted and rather funny performances as well. They make the film for the older crowd, especially Foley, who was once a sidekick and now teaches the school's future sidekicks.
Overall, the special effects are a little sketchy at times, but they are done in a light way that makes the audience very forgiving. The story moves along at a swift pace and my four year-old never grew restless. She loved watching the superheroes on the screen.
I'll admit that I picked up on who were the heroes and who were the villains rather quickly. Also, the story as a whole was rather predictable. However, since most superhero flicks these days aren't that kid-friendly, "Sky High" is more than deserving of the four stars I'm giving it. There is some violence, but no deaths. Also, the violence is done with some iffy effects, so younger viewers should be able to distinguish that the onscreen action isn't real. Language wasn't a factor in this film. In fact, I don't think there was any swearing in the film.
In short, if you want to take your entire family to a movie and bet that they will all enjoy it, "Sky High" is the ticket. It has plenty of laughs and action for the youngsters and the oldsters. Recommended to families with children of all ages. It's one of the few films you can bring the whole family to this summer without someone getting bored.
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Hey! This Ain't Bad!, August 4, 2005
I went to see this because I had a three year old and five year old nipping at my heels to take them to the theater, and since this was the only children's movie playing, I really had no choice. I expected to go in and help them with their drinks and their popcorn, reminding them to be quiet at times, all the while staring at the floor or the walls and wondering when the movie would end. I ended up making them fend for themselves, as I totally got into this funny, super hero, family friendly movie.
Will is a normal teenager, well, for the most part. His superhero parents-- the Commander (super strength) and Jetstream (flying ability)-- believe that their son also has amazing ability. However, they're unaware of the actual situation-- Will has no superpower and may NEVER have a superpower. They hold out hope, though, that he'll develope power, but until then, Will is labeled a "Sidekick" and takes classes with other kids at Sky High about being the best superhero sidekick they can be. Will has the all typical things to deal with-- bullies (one named Warren Peace who can turn his arms into torches), girls (his best friend likes him, but her competition is a senior who also has her eyes on Will), and of course, living up to everyone's expectations.
This is such a fun movie! And the kids I took giggled and oohed and awed throughout the whole movie. I didn't even have to get up to take them on potty breaks like I normally do because they were thoroughly entertained and refused to miss anything. Lots of movies were hyped during this summer, most of those were total letdowns, and here's this movie, which some people haven't even heard of, and it's probably the best one to see, especially if you're looking for a fun (and clean, I might add) movie to see. There's action, comedy, and all kinds of great characters. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better than expected, funny family comedy., July 30, 2005
Sky High was better than I expected, and certainly one of the only original films so far this year. The idea is a simple one, but fresh: Superheros send their children to Sky High school to learn to use their super powers - if they have any. It's a high school that's literally floating in the sky, with anti-gravity technology, to keeps it's location secret and secure from super villains.
The situation is fully exploited for comedy and somewhat for suspense. The kids have all the usual problems normal kids have in school - peer pressure, snobbery, dating, etc. But they also have more dangerous problems, as you might imagine, and as the writers of this film fortunately imagined for us, with plenty of slapstick resulting from the various superpowers used by novices. The plot is mostly about Kurt Russell's boy developing his super power and getting involved with a supervillain.
One of the funniest parts, to me, is a line delivered by Cloris Leachman as the school nurse: "Kids who are bitten by radioactive insects or fall into vats of toxic waste get super powers within a day. Or else they die." But there's a lot more humor like that as well as plenty of slapstick. I think this is the funniest Disney movie I've seen in years, funnier than the remake of Freaky Friday.
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