When I write about bad flicks that I enjoy a sense of shame does come to me. Being somewhat of a film snob movies like Rad, Red Dawn, or anything with a large amount of gratuitous bare breasts sparks something primal in me where I want nothing more than to be entertained without having to use my brain.Then there's family fair which is a genre I can appreciate, but mostly loathe. Most family films end up trying to appeal to various ages, but end up pleasing neither. There are those that do somehow break the mold, such as the recent The Incredibles and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, but for the most part such movies fail to bridge the generation gap.
While not a huge commercial success Sky High is a film I've seen twice and amazingly enjoyed it both times. Starring Kurt Russel and Kelly Preston as the world's greatest superhero couple their son, Will, is about to start his adventures in comic book fashion in a high school for people with super powers. The catch is Will has no powers that he's aware of. As most people who make the leap to high school he feels somewhat awkward about his next step towards adulthood, especially when he doesn't live up to what's expected of him.
Most high school films are either gross out comedies or pretentious life lesson lectures; however this movie has a great sense of humor about itself. I'm kind of a sucker for superhero films and Sky High has a charm that most comic book movies lack. While the plot is predictable the performances are surprisingly above par. Bruce Campbell is amusing as always and Lynda Carter is still hot. Filled with funny scenes the special effects look good and so does the women for that matter.
Yes it's a high school film at it's core complete with the simple dramas of trying to be popular and reconciling unrequited love, but for all it's flaws I found myself actually enjoying this Disney family piece.
"This movie about a high school for superheroes is so good-natured and self-deprecating that it's virtually impossible to dislike the thing." - Bill Muller
1 comment:
Um, I enjoyed "Ice Age". Even after I saw it 50 times... I'd forgotten "Sky High" came out, but now you mention it, I remember seeing the previews on some other kid flick inflicted on the long suffering mom. Hard to go wrong with Kurt Russel and Bruce Campbell. Remember "Soldier" with Kurt? One of my guilty favorites. We got so we were counting the number of times Kurt actually spoke in the entire flick. : )
KRL
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