In Walt Disney's new family comedy adventure, "Sky High" (IMDb listing), Will Stronghold (Michael Angarano, "Will & Grace," "Lords of Dogtown") is the son of the world's two greatest superheroes, Jetstream (Kelly Preston) and Commander Stronghold (Kurt Russell). Will is about to enter his parents' alma mater, Sky High, a high school for the world's future superheroes. The only problem is Will hasn't come into his powers yet -- and they may never emerge.
A hero/sidekick test puts Will on the "Hero Support" track and he must deal both with being labelled and with trying to live up to his parents' super reputation. Will encounters what every teenager does in high school -- the princesses, the cheerleaders, the jocks, the geeks, the nerds, and the bullies. His best friend, Layla (Danielle Panabaker) can control nature while his archenemy, Warren Peace (Steven Strait), is a total hothead -- he can throw fire from his hands.
"Sky High" is a fun and refreshing twist on the many comic book movies out there. Yes, there's adventure and the struggle between good and evil as is typical with this genre. The difference with this film is the cheeky humor and the little jabs at the popular genre.
The best part is that this movie isn't just for kids and teens. In fact, this film will probably appeal to adults on a more humorous level because of stars like Bruce Campbell ("Evil Dead," "Spider-Man") as gym teacher Coach Boomer, or Dave Foley ("NewsRadio") as Hero Support teacher Mr. Boy. With its colorful costumes and variety of characters, the film will also appeal to the younger audience as well.
"Sky High" will be a likely sleeper hit for Disney, and it may also be the beginning of a whole new franchise. The young leads in the film have signed on for a possible sequel and a TV series.
Filmfodder Grade: A