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The Movie: Proof that bad movies don't always end careers, "Sky High" sees the return of director Mike Mitchell after the legendarily bad Ben Affleck Christmas comedy, "Surviving Christmas". "Sky High", a picture that seems like Disney's attempt to make a live-action "Incredibles", is a mostly passable, light picture that occasionally threatens to get a little goofy for its own good. The film focuses on Will Stronghold (Michael Angarano), the son of superheroes The Commander (Kurt Russell) and Jetstream (Kelly Preston). It's Will's first day of school at Sky High, a high school for the kids of superheroes, which actually happens to float in the clouds. Will finds the experience even more difficult than most kids - as he's not seen any signs of having powers of his own yet, he finds himself getting assigned to the "sidekick" group by the school coach (Bruce Campbell). The rest of the film proceeds in pretty much the expected ways - Will falls for a cool girl, but realizes true love is actually in the form of his friend (Danielle Panabaker); there's the scenes where the Commander wonders why his kid doesn't have superpowers, the one where Will finds his powers at the riht moment and the end, where Will finds himself saving everyone. There's also the expected lessons delivered, although thankfully, they aren't offered up in a heavy-handed manner. Despite offering a paint-by-numbers plot, the picture offers some clever moments, doesn't take itself seriously and gets very good supporting efforts from Dave Foley and Bruce Campbell. Unfortunately, the leads don't fare as well, as Russell's performance is a bit too goofy/over-the-top, and Angarano and Preston remain rather bland. Overall, "Sky High" certainly wasn't bad, but it wasn't memorable, either. The picture has some great bits, but it's often predictable and the middle seemed somewhat padded out. Still, fine for parents looking for an inoffensive action movie for kids. The DVD VIDEO: "Sky High" is presented by 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen (a pan & scan version is also available) by Disney. The presentation is actually one of the finer efforts I've seen from Disney in recent memory, as the picture quality was largely first-rate. Sharpness and detail remained excellent throughout the majority of the film, with only one or two moments that were slightly softer in appearance . The usual flaws were largely not seen, as no edge enhancement or pixelation was spotted, nor were any instances of print flaws. The only concern was the presence of some minor shimmer at times. Colors were also a positive aspect of the presentation, as they remained bright, nicely saturated and crisp throughout. SOUND: The Dolby Digital 5.1 presentation offers an enjoyable, if not remarkable experience. Surrounds kick in for the occasional sound effect and some ambience, but audio is largely spread across the front speakers. Audio quality is fine throughout, as dialogue, music and effects sounded crisp and well-recorded. There are also some instances of strong low bass throughout, as well. EXTRAS: Bloopers, an alternate opening, "Stunts of 'Sky High'" featurette, behind-the-scenes featurette and Bowling For Soup music video. Final Thoughts: "Sky High" isn't particularly original, but it is an energetic, occasionally funny family movie that's a good "family night" rental possibility. Disney's DVD edition provides solid audio/video quality, and a few minor supplemental features. 
Film Grade The Film B- DVD Grades Video 94/A Audio: 89/B+ Extras: 75/C |