Sky High (2005)

Directed by: Mike Mitchell | 96 minutes | action, comedy, adventure, family | Actors: Michael Angarano, Kurt Russell, Kelly Preston, Danielle Panabaker, Christopher Wynne, Kevin Heffernan, Dee Jay Daniels, Kelly Vitz, Loren Berman, Nicholas Braun, Malika, Khadijah, Jake Sandvig, Will Harris, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Lynda Carter, Bruce Campbell, Dustin Ingram, Steven Strait, Cloris Leachman, Jim Rash, Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Amy Brown, Kimmy Brown, Lucille Soong, Zachry Rogers, Tom Kenny, Jill Talley, Patrick Warburton, Hans Hernke, John Jantzen, Nicole Malgarini

It is actually incomprehensible why a film like ‘Sky High’ did not reach the Dutch cinemas. The combination of an original story, a strong cast (not even veterans Kurt Russell and Kelly Preston), humor and action makes this film the ultimate family film. ‘Sky High’ seems heavily inspired by Harry Potter and ‘The Incredibles’ in some respects, especially the former, but is fresh enough to gain a following of its own.

Sky High can be defined as Hogwarts for superheroes, it is the name of the school where children go who a. have fallen into a vat of poison, b. being bitten by a radioactive insect or c. have one or more parents who are superhero. Will Stronghold is unique, he is the son of the world’s foremost superheroes, The Commander (Kurt Russell) and Jetstream (Kelly Preston). Because he must therefore have super powers, he therefore knows – just like his wizard equivalent Harry Potter – a super status before he knows his way around school. However, Will has a secret, his powers have not yet revealed themselves to him. It’s strange that he manages to hide this from his parents, given the importance that Dad especially attaches to this, but that’s just a side note to an otherwise extremely entertaining scenario.

The lack of Will’s powers means that he ends up in the class for ‘sidekicks’, but he doesn’t find that really annoying. Besides his best friend Layla (Danielle Panabaker), who chooses to be a sidekick for politically correct reasons, and his friend Zach, whose only strength is that he lights up, he really enjoys the ‘hero support’ (as she herself rather call it) class. But of course it remains a high school and that includes parties, runaway hormones and bullies. You can’t escape it at Sky High either, whether you’re a superhero or not. When the prettiest girl in school, Gwen Grayson (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), comes into the picture, you hear eighties classic “True,” and see her through Will’s amorous eyes. Of course Layla has had a crush on Will all these years and is jealous that he no longer sees her. It also turns out that a son of a villain, who has been locked up by the Commander, is at school, Warren Peace (Steven Strait). Warren is unable to control his (fiery) feelings of revenge, which erupts in the inevitable canteen scene.

Admittedly, ‘Sky High’ doesn’t excel in originality, but is so much fun that you can easily get over it. A superhero movie wouldn’t be a superhero movie if it didn’t contain a villain who has world domination or destruction on his or her agenda and that is fortunately no different in ‘Sky High’. While the viewer need not be baffled as to who this evil genius ultimately turns out to be, the story behind this character and the elaboration of the false plan is very surprising and comical.

Michael Angarano, born in 1987, does a great job as Will, he knows exactly how to strike the right chord in his playing. Danielle Panabaker also stands out in a positive way, the red-haired actress knows how to put more than enough emotions in her eyes to be convincing. The chemistry between the two youngsters is also good. Kurt Russell goes wild as an over the top superhero and gives the film something extra for the older viewers and Kelly Preston does that with her push-up bra. Also for the adult audience, the roles of Bruce ‘Evil Dead’ Campbell as the gym teacher Boomer and Lynda Carter (from the TV series ‘Wonder Woman’) are nice additions to the cast.

‘Sky High’ is a high school comedy with a superhero twist, a coming-of-age for young and old and in one word ‘incredible’. A movie to love.