After the success of "The Incredibles," Disney decided to try another superhero comedy, this time with the live-action film, "Sky High." Did lightning strike twice? The answer is no. I remember seeing the trailer for "Sky High" and thinking that it looked pretty bad. The problem is that the trailer focused mostly on the comedy, and even though the movie has its funny moments, most of the comedy falls flat. Where the movie works best is with the wacky assortment of characters, but the trailer didn't spend a whole lotta time with that. It's a shame, too, because even though "Sky High" is far from being a masterpiece, there's quite a bit in the movie that works, and what works best is the acting and the characters.
Then there are the special effects. I couldn't figure out why some of the effects were excellent and some were horrible. For example, there's this one part where you see a giant robot attack a city. It looks awful, as though it's some guy in a cheaply made tin suit stomping around a miniature city. Was it done that badly on purpose? There's no logic to the quality of the special effects, or maybe there is and I haven't figured it out. No, I don't think so, I honestly think there's no logic. It's just that the quality is sporadic. That also goes for some of the super powers on display. Some of it works, and some of it looks really fake.
Anyway, like I wrote earlier, what works in this movie is the characters and the acting, so I lot of credit goes to this great cast. Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston are really good, with Russell in particular taking on the role with gusto. He seems to be having a good time with the character, and at times, he seems to be channeling Adam West's take on "Batman," which is certainly appropriate. However, this movie is about the kids, and they're all excellent. Michael Angarano (he was "Young William" in "Almost Famous") plays the main character, and Danielle Panabaker (I remember her from an episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit") plays his best friend. That's right, his best friend is a girl. Not only that, she's cute, sweet, and... do you think they'll be more than friends by the time the movie ends? "Sky High" will never be accused of being unpredictable, that's for sure. Steven Strait, making his acting debut, is very good as " Warren Peace," aptly named considering that one of his parents is a superhero while the other is a supervillain. Nicholas Braun (another who was in an episode of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit") plays the most entertaining character, a guy who apparently learned how to be cool by watching MTV.
There were two casting choices that made me really happy. The man, the legend, Bruce Campbell plays the coach of Sky High. In case you don't know, Campbell starred in "The Evil Dead," "Evil Dead II," and "Army of Darkness," and for that and many other reasons, he's one of the coolest actors on the planet. He's a fellow geek, and a good egg, and it's awesome to see him in this movie. Also, there's Lynda Carter as the school principal. From 1976-1979, she was the star of the TV series "Wonder Woman," and she looked REALLY good in that outfit! More than 25 years have passed since she last wore that cheesy but sexy outfit. Only the slave girl outfit that "Princess Leah" wore in "Return of the Jedi" can compare as far as geek droolage. Anyway, Lynda Carter still looks hot after all these years.
The script for "Sky High" was written by Paul Hernandez ("Sky High" is his first writing credit) and Disney writers Bob Schooley & Mark McCorkle (they've also written for "Kim Possible," and a whole lotta direct-to-video Disney sequels, like "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride"). I can't say that it was a great script, but at least they created some interesting characters. The director was Mike Mitchell, who directed "Surviving Christmas" and "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo." He did a decent job, though it wasn't exactly a visual feast, ya know? However, it was well-paced, and he gave the movie an interesting look.
Unlike "The Incredibles," "Sky High" is completely devoid of any originality. On top of that, it's silly, predictable, and cheesy. Still, the acting is good, the characters are engaging, and it has an undeniable charm. I enjoyed the movie, despite the many flaws, and I'm sure kids will love it. "Sky High" is campy, harmless fun, and even though I'm ashamed to admit it, I kinda hope there's a sequel.
Scale of 1-10: 7