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Disney family films don’t tend to register on my radar too often.  When they do, it’s usually to shake my head in shame at the current state of action stars like the Rock and Vin Diesel doing ridiculous family films to pay their mortgages.  One could assume that since I’m a huge comic book fan that I’ll immediately gravitate towards steeped in comic book references or plotting.  That’s a poor assumption.  I’ve hated many a “comic book movie” so don’t think just ’cause it’s got people in tights flying around and saving the day, it’s an automatic “gimme” for membership on my DVD shelf.

The film follows teenager Will Stronghold (played by Michael Angarano) who is about to enter Sky High, the high school for the children of superheroes.  Will’s parents happen to be the world famous crime-fighting duo of The Commander (Kurt Russell) and Jetstream (Kelly Preston) and he’s expected to inherit some of their powers and carry on the family name.  Problem is… he hasn’t gotten any powers yet.  This places him in the “sidekick” clique in Sky High (with the “hero” clique being the popular and powerful kids).  The metaphors in Sky High are blatantly obvious.  Cliques, puberty, crushes, and betrayals are all hammered home with the subtly of Rambo.  That’s not the point, though.  This film isn’t about subtly or original concepts.  It’s about a quaint tale of high school and setting it against the backdrop of the superhero world with a truly great supporting cast made up of Bruce Campbell, Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Linda Carter, and Kevin Hefferman.  Every actor shows up with the right about of enthuiasm for their character and makes their small scenes stand out without making the film seem crowded. Angarano and his costars make what could feel like a rejected cast from the Freaks and Geeks instead seems slightly charming.  Also, the superhero element never feels misused as cliched and hollow, but rather creates a backdrop that could be anyone’s favorite comic book universe.

With special effects hold up well on rewatching, the young actors involved hold their own, and Sky High itself remains a solid example of why I like bad movies.