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By
WAYNE KLEIN
A great pop philosopher once
said, "You may leave school but it never leaves
you" (songwriter Andy Partridge's "Playground,"
from XTC's album "Wasp Star"). 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. |
