Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!
Plot Summary: In a world where having powers is common, a teen enrolls in a high school that trains superheroes.
Review: A warning: don't confuse this with the Japanese film and TV show of the same title. Anyway, this particular "Sky High" was essentially Disney's early foray into the superhero scene (pre-Marvel) and a failed attempt to reel in the boy audience. Despite the motivations, this is another Disney film I actually do enjoy...though...it does reek of Disney's typical, bullshit hallmarks. My conclusion--and feel free to disagree--is that Disney was losing power as a brand until the whole "princess" market took shape in the late '80s and early '90s. During this period, Disney became the De Facto brand for kiddie garbage although they focused too heavily on girls. Wanting to capitalize on the male demographic, and realizing they were too idiotic to handle it themselves, Disney simply bought out things like "Star Wars" and Marvel to fill the void. Now, Disney and their conglomerate cohorts, ABC, Mickey fucking Ds, Coke, etc., are rolling in billions while ruining these properties. Argh! Sorry...gotta get back on track.
The criticisms laid against this film typically are that this is a "Harry Potter" clone of sorts. Eh, "Harry Potter" is already an amalgamation of existing ideas so I don't really see the similarities beyond that they're in school. I'd say this film is more satirical of how classic superheroes worked blended with the Disney formula. In this case, the lighthearted aspects work well and the characters are more interesting than you'd imagine. The main character, Will, is cliched, but I felt the way the secondary characters interact with him helped to flesh him out a little. As such, these characters also get a time to shine despite their pathetic powers. Due to these lackluster powers, the film sends a decent message that is applicable to all audiences. The twist with the villain isn't hard to predict especially if you recognize Jim Rash's dual roles from the onset. Nevertheless, I did like the way they handled the villain and her scheme. Some of the more nuanced jokes were funnier than I expected like the random couple admiring their house right before it's nearly destroyed or Lynda Carter joking about being Wonder Woman. And speaking of milfs...goddamn Kelly Preston was killing it! Another aspect done well was the pacing--the events flow in just the right way to keep you interested. The ending is Hollywood cornball shit, but it's what I'd expect from a family movie of this tone. Still...even "The Incredibles" had a fairly violent death scene, and that came out only a year earlier. Oh well.
Other than the "Harry Potter" critique laid against "Sky High," I'd be lying if I didn't address a few glaring issues. First up, the special effects are absolute shit; for 2005 they made things look like 1995. I mean, this is a superhero film after all...you can't really skimp this much on the effects. As I already alluded to, numerous plot elements are predictable and cookie cutter. I'm not exactly expecting groundbreaking writing from the hacks at Disney but c'mon. Connected to the overly simplistic writing were the many loose ends. From what I can tell, Disney hoped to expand this into a franchise so there are plot lines that go nowhere. As an unintended side effect, these loose ends appear as filler since we never got sequels; for example, Warren Peace's background is important to the story yet we don't know any of the details.
I understand why a lot of people didn't care for this movie, but it deserves a little more credit than it receives. Believe me, if I can overlook the shortcomings of a Disney film and be entertained, then I don't see why you can't pop this on and have a nice, family pizza night. I really need to stop finding ways to mention pizza in every other review! The shit CGI does not help it stand the test of time, but the movie did manage to succeed in paying homage to classic comic books. The tone is where it needs to be and the action is satisfying enough. The distribution of powers and the dynamic of how this universe works is balanced too. Overall, this is a fun, little superhero movie made for kids and families not quite ready for the likes of "Captain America" just yet.
Notable Moment: When Will first figures out he has super strength and lifts the table. This isn't a particularly interesting scene or anything, but I will never forget my friend's stupid reaction to this moment--becoming way, way too engaged with the events!
Final Rating: 6.5/10
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