Customer Reviews

Sky High (Widescreen Edition)

5 star:		(69)
4 star:		(54)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

"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.

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!!

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.

Will Stronghold (Michael Angarano) is about to start his first day of high school. He's attending his parent's alma mater, and the pressure to live up to their legacy is huge. See, his parents (Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston) happen to be the biggest superheroes known to mankind. As The Commander and Jetstream, they routinely work together to save the world. But Will has a big problem; he has no super powers of his own.

Will is quickly put in the Sidekick's class, a huge dishonor he tries to keep from his parents. Even so, he quickly makes friends and begins to settle in, even attracting the attention of the beautiful student body president, something unheard of for a freshman in the Sidekick class, or Hero Support if you prefer.

Danger lurks around every corner, however. Will has an arch nemesis on campus and someone is watching the Stronghold's secret lair. Will Will develop any powers to help cope with these problems?

This movie is supposed to be mindless fun for the young and young at heart, and it succeeds mightily. All the actors do a great job, especially the mostly unknown teen cast. The adults in the film have fun with their rolls. Everyone's trying to do a good job but have fun at the same time, and that spirit draws you into the film. I especially enjoyed Lynda Carter's brief appearances as the school principal, and she gets the best line out of the entire movie.

The plot, on the other hand, is fairly predictable for anyone who has seen a Disney family film before. I had most everything figured out before it happened, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the movie for one minute. Being a high school movie, it has many cliches from that genre as well, but with a clever superhero twist. The special effects are decent and help draw you into the film.

The DVD is nothing special, but it gets the job done. The wide screen picture and full surround sound are great. Extras include a music video (Bowling for Soup with "I Melt with You"), bloopers, behind the scenes, stunts, and an alternate opening. Of these, the only one really worth watching is the alternate opening. It's fun and helps fill in a couple plot points from the movie better.

This is the perfect movie to watch with the family or after a long week when you just want to relax. It takes itself just seriously enough to be fun but not so seriously that it becomes overly cheesy.

I went into "Sky High" without any expectations. I wasn't trying to compare it to "X-men" or "Harry Potter", but simply wanted to see what looked like a compelling teenage super hero fantasy.

I wasn't disappointed, and neither was my fiance' - and we are both 32!!

"Sky High" is a fun time to be had by all. The effects are funny- the performances all good- and the direction and storyline both quite amusing. I wont review the whole plot line as that has been done already several times.

Just keep in ming that "Sky High" is a family film, and it's from Disney. There really is nothing "dark" about this movie. It's all pure fun.

If your like me and are thinking of checking this one out, but just arent quite sure, I say give it a chance. You more than likely will not be disappointed. I laughed at several scenes and left the theater feeeling as though I had gotten my moneys worth out of the ticket price.

Recommended!

OK, I admit it. I am a fan of superhero movies! This was a good one. Not perfect... it is too predictable. However, the kid actors are great. Kurt Russell seemed a bit wooden to me, but the other adults did a great job, and really seemed to be enjoying themselves. A prime example is "Coach Boomer," Bruce Campbell. You'll recognize a lot of other faces here.

My wife and daughter loved this movie too. Our daughter is four, now, and was scared during some of the more intense moments. It is rated PG for some violence. No swearing or sex, of course. This is Disney, after all.

So, all in all a really enjoyable movie. I hope to see a sequel.

I went to see this movie expecting to find an entertaining movie and that's exactly what I found. It is the story of a boy who is the son of the two world greatest superheroes...but who doesn't have any powers himself. When he starts attending the high school for superheroes he will discover who he is and what a superhero is really about.
Don't expect to find a great plot in this movie (for most part it is pretty predictable). But the story is nice and the message is clear (I don't want to give more spoilers here...). This is just a movie to watch and relax. But if you are only expecting that, then you'll really enjoy it!
The acting was good, and the movie overall was pretty funny, but don't expect deep dialogues. I would recommend it for the whole family. Adults and kids will probably have fun! Although the movie has some scenes of violence, they are not worse than those in the Harry Potter movies.

It is always a struggle to find a movie at the video store for "family movie night" that both of my elementary school daughters will enjoy and I will, if not enjoy, be able to tolerate. I have certainly appreciated the effort that many studios have made to make kids' films more enjoyable for parents. When my younger daughter chose "Sky High," I was not terribly optimistic, but Disney actually did a pretty good job making it sort of fun for this GenXer. More importantly, the younger crowd LOVED it.

Will Stronghold (Michael Angarano), the son of two superheroes, Commander (Kurt Russell) and Jetstream (Kelly Preston), is about to start high school. Will is not going to just any high school. As the son of superheroes, he will go to Sky High, where he will follow in is parent's footsteps. However, Will has a secret. He does not have any super powers, so he is relegated to classes for "Sidekick's," and that is obviously a disappointment to his famous father. At Sky High, Will must deal with everything a "normal" kid must face while growing up, but, through a series of typically teen-age blunders, discovers he must also face his parents' greatest nemesis, Royal Pain (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). The future of Sky High and of the entire world depends on Will.

Disney used a lot of great tricks to transcend the generational gap in "Sky High." For GenY, some of the costumes, acting, and special effects were very much reminiscent of the wildly popular, live-action, Saturday morning television show, "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers." What boy born after 1978 was not secretly in love with the Pink Power Ranger portrayed by Amy Jo Johnson? (Confession: When my little sister watched "Power Rangers" a couple of decades ago, I was sort of into the Pink Power Ranger myself!) Royal Pain's costume, body movements, secret hideout, and general evil demeanor are a dead-ringer for "Power Rangers" genre. For Gen X, a wonderful little trick that I had not seen before, although I have to imagine it has already been employed, is the use of classic, coming-of-age anthems, like, among others, "I Melt The World," "Save It For Later," "Voices Carry," "Everybody Wants To Rule The World," "And She Was," but had them recorded by contemporary artists. Heck, I think the entire soundtrack is comprised of `80's remakes. (I still think The Talking Heads' version of "And She Was" is superior to that of Keaton Simons, but what would a six-year old care?) For both Baby Boomers and some early GenXers, the casting of Kurt Russell is sort of an interesting bookend to Russell's Disney career. I remember going with my parents to local single screen cinema to see Disney's "The Computer Who Wore Tennis Shoes" and "The World's Strongest Man" with Kurt Russell playing the teen-age lead. Appearances by the original television "Superwoman," Linda Carter, as well as "Kids in the Hall," Dave Foley and Kevin McDonald go a long way to make "Sky High" ironically humorous for the adult audience. Nicely done.

A film completely appropriate for the younger crowd with just a little cartoonish violence, "Sky High" is a thumb's up for both kids and parents. This is the kind of movie that made Disney what Disney was. If we see more "Sky High's," Disney will very soon once again become the entertainment powerhouse it used to be.

A great pop philosopher once said, "You may leave school but it never leaves you"*, nowhere is that more true than at the high school for the off-spring of superheroes Sky High literally located among the clouds. Although this superhero satire isn't quite as deft as "The Incredibles" or even "Mystery Men" was at its best, it's an enjoyable romp that kids will laugh at and parents won't feel embarrassed to watch. Sure it may come across as a glorified Disney TV movie but what elevates the film above that are the performances of the cast. Will (Michael Angarano) is the son of the greatest superhero the world has ever known; The Commander (Kurt Russell) and Jetstream (Kelly Preston). When not fighting crime this married duo fight the war of real estate sales. When it appears that Will has no superpowers, he's worried that he'll disappoint his dad and end up just relegated to sidekick classes at his new high school Sky High. His worst fears seem a reality when in his first day at school Coach Boomer (the wonderful Bruce Campbell) drops a car on him and the best Will can do is avoid being crushed putting him in the "sidekick" category like his teacher The Commander's former sidekick Mr. Boy (Dave Foley). Now Will not only has to deal with peer pressure, the hazards of dating and razzing from the school bullies he also has to figure out a way to survive as nothing more than a glorified geek. Will discovers resources he didn't think he had when the school, his friends and his family are threatened by a seemingly unstoppable villain.

As usual Buena Vista provides an exceptional crisp transfer. There weren't any analog defects that I could note and, truly, this transfer looks super most of the time. But like all superheroes this DVD does have its weakness-there's some minor edge enhancement noticeable in some scenes and some minor compression artifacts particularly in scenes that involved swirling mists and/or dust clouds. On the whole The Commander would be proud. The sound is equally super with remarkably crisp and clear dialogue. The surround speakers are nicely used putting you in the middle of the action.

While it appears that this film might have some mild mannered extras, most of them are pretty good overall. "Breaking Down the Walls: The Stunts of `Sky High'" focuses on the stunt action of the film and, given that this is a fantasy film with flying superheroes and kids that shoot fire out of their hands, there's quite a few of those. "Welcome to Sky High" is a behind-the-scenes featurette. It resembles the promotional featurette that the Disney Channel ran when the show was in theaters. It's not profound but then again neither is the movie and it does provide enough of a glimpse behind-the-scenes to satisfying most kids. We also get an alternate opening sequence along with the "I Melt with You" (a remake of the 80's hit single by the British band Modern English) music video featuring the band Bowling for Soup.

An enjoyable film that probably would have been a Disney Channel original movie if not for the star power and visual effects involved, "Sky High" won't insult kids nor will they be demanding a sequel. Parents will enjoy some of the silly hijinks that happens in the film as well. It's worth a rental and might keep your kids occupied while you're busy wrapping those Christmas gifts.

*Songwriter Andy Partridge "Playground" from XTC's album "Wasp Star"

In this age of excessively violent films filled with inappropriate scenes and language, Sky High is a nice alternative. This film will appeal to viewers for a number of reasons. It does a good job of showing some of the anxieties and problems that are faced by typical high school students, even though these are not typical teens. The film is just campy enough to be funny, but not to totally make fun of itself.


The highlight of the film for me (and probably for many other viewers) is the casting of Lynda Carter as Principal Powers. She possesses the power of a comet and makes an entrance that gives a clever nod to her Wonder Woman days. Lynda's last line near the end of the film also gives a more obvious nod to her TV role. She plays the role with great style and "power".

The remainder of the cast is very good as well and produces a quality film that will provide great entertainment for people of all ages. See it today.

I hear there is a possiblity of a sequel and maybe a TV series. Let's hope so.