''Sky High'' is a 2005 American

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by Mike Mitchell and written by Paul Hernandez and ''

Kim Possible ''Kim Possible'' is an American animated action comedy-adventure television series created by Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle for Disney Channel. The title character is a teenage girl tasked with fighting crime on a regular basis while coping wi ...

'' creators

Bob Schooley Robert Schooley is an American screenwriter, television writer and television producer. He and Mark McCorkle are the creators of the 2002 animated television series ''Kim Possible'', which aired on Disney Channel. He was also an executive produc ...

and

Mark McCorkle Mark McCorkle (born August 1961) is an American screenwriter, television writer and television producer. Among others, he is co-creator of the popular Disney animated series, '' Kim Possible''. He frequently collaborates with fellow writer Bob Sc ...

. The film stars

Michael Angarano Michael Anthony Angarano (born December 3, 1987) is an American actor. He became known for his roles in the film ''Music of the Heart'' (1999) and the television series '' Cover Me'' (2000–2001), as well as for playing a recurring role as Elli ...

Danielle Panabaker Danielle Nicole Panabaker (born September 19, 1987) is an American actress. She began acting as a teenager and came to prominence for her roles in the Disney films '' Stuck in the Suburbs'' (2004), '' Sky High'' (2005) and ''Read It and Weep'' ( ...

Mary Elizabeth Winstead Mary Elizabeth Winstead (born November 28, 1984) is an American actress and singer. Her first significant role was that of Jessica Bennett (Passions), Jessica Bennett on the NBC soap opera ''Passions'' (1999–2000). She went on to appear in se ...

Kelly Preston Kelly Kamalelehua Smith (October 13, 1962 – July 12, 2020), known professionally as Kelly Preston, was an American actress. She appeared in more than 60 television and film productions, including ''Mischief'' (1985), ''Twins'' (1988), '' ...

and

Kurt Russell Kurt Vogel Russell (born March 17, 1951) is an American actor. He began acting on television at the age of 12 in the Westerns on television, western series ''The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (TV series), The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters'' (19 ...

. It also features

Bruce Campbell Bruce Lorne Campbell (born June 22, 1958) is an American actor and director. He is known for portraying Ash Williams in Sam Raimi's ''Evil Dead'' franchise, beginning with the 1978 short film ''Within the Woods''. He has starred in many low ...

Cloris Leachman Cloris Leachman (April 30, 1926 – January 27, 2021) was an American actress and comedian whose career spanned nearly eight decades. She won many accolades, including eight Primetime Emmy Awards from 22 nominations, making her the most nomin ...

Jim Rash James Rash (born July 15, 1971) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He portrayed the role of Dean Craig Pelton on the NBC sitcom ''Community'' (2009–2015), for which he was nominated for the Critics' Choice Television Award for Bes ...

Steven Strait Steven Strait (born March 23, 1986) is an American actor and singer. He is best known for starring in the adventure film '' Sky High'' (2005) and the science fiction series ''The Expanse'' (2015–2022). Early life Strait was born and raised in ...

Lynda Carter Lynda Jean Cordova Carter (born July 24, 1951) is an American actress, singer, and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss World USA 1972 and finished in the top 15 at the Miss World 1972 pageant. Carter is best known as the star of th ...

Dave Foley David Scott Foley (born January 4, 1963) is a Canadian actor, stand-up comedian, director, producer and writer. He is known as a co-founder of the comedy group The Kids in the Hall, who have appeared together in a number of television, stage and ...

and

Kevin McDonald Kevin Hamilton McDonald (born May 16, 1961) is a Canadian actor, voice actor and comedian. He is a member of the comedy troupe The Kids in the Hall, who have appeared together in a number of stage, television and film productions, most notably th ...

. It tells the story of Will Stronghold, the son of two superheroes who is enrolled in an airborne high school for teenage superheroes where his powers kick in; he must deal with a growing distance from his old friends, a threat from a mysterious supervillain and get the girl of his dreams. The film was theatrically released by

Buena Vista Pictures Distribution Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, formerly known as Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc. until 2007, is an American film distribution studio within the Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. It ha ...

on July 29, 2005, and grossed $86.4 million worldwide against a production budget of $35 million. While it did receive generally positive reviews from critics and audiences during its original theatrical run, in the years since its release, its reputation has improved considerably, to the point of being regarded by some as a

cult film A cult film or cult movie, also commonly referred to as a cult classic, is a film that has acquired a cult following. Cult films are known for their dedicated, passionate fanbase which forms an elaborate subculture, members of which engage ...

Plot

High school freshman Will Stronghold is the son of world-renowned superheroes Steve "The Commander" and Josie "Jetstream" Stronghold but has no superpowers of his own and keeps it a secret from his parents. Upon arriving at Sky High, an airborne high school for future superheroes, freshmen with stronger powers are assigned to "Hero" courses while those with weaker powers are assigned to socially outcast "Sidekick" courses. Will's longtime best friend Layla Williams, who can control plants, is assigned to the Sidekick course when she refuses to participate the power demonstration that determines the assigned course, and Will is also assigned to the Sidekick course when it is revealed he has no powers. The school nurse tells Will that a child of two superheroes may get both of their parent's powers, but in some rare cases they never gain powers, with one example of the latter being the school's bus driver Ron Wilson. Will and Layla begin taking the Sidekick curriculum, where they befriend the other sidekicks, Zach, Magenta, and Ethan. Will struggles to tell Steve he has no powers, especially when Steve allows him into his hero sanctum, where he stores his prized memento as a superhero, a weapon called the Pacifier which was created by the supervillain Royal Pain, whom Steve fought together with Josie for the first time. One evening, Will confesses to Steve that he has no powers, but he is no longer ashamed of it and is satsified being a sidekick. Steve is distraught by the news, but Josie eventually convinces her husband not to worry. One day at lunch, Will accidentally runs afoul of the

pyrokinetic Pyrokinesis is the purported List of psychic abilities, psychic ability allowing a person to create and control fire with the mind. As with other parapsychological phenomena, there is no conclusive evidence in support of the actual existence of p ...

Warren Peace, whose supervillain father Steve incarcerated. After a brawl, Warren threatens Will's friends, and Will's paternal super strength awakens. Will is moved to the Hero curriculum and is partnered with technopath Gwen Grayson in a "mad science" class. After Will and Warren beat school bullies Lash and Speed in the school's sport "Save the Citizen", Will's popularity skyrockets, but begins spending less time with his sidekick friends. He asks Layla to meet him for dinner to make up for lost time but forgets this when Gwen unexpectedly visits his house and invites Steve and Josie to be the guests of honor at the homecoming dance. Will walks Gwen home, where she gets him to ask her to homecoming. Warren finds Layla stood up and encourages her to ask Will to homecoming, but upon learning the next day that Will is going with Gwen, Layla and Warren plan to go together to make Will jealous. Gwen tricks Will into hosting a party at his house, during which he takes her to his parents' sanctum, and while they kiss, the Pacifier is stolen by Speed. Layla enters the party, but Gwen lies by saying that Will wants nothing to do with her. Will breaks up with Gwen upon learning about the girls' exchange after Layla angrily bids him farewell and refuses to go to homecoming due to being depressed about Gwen's betrayal, but he soon discovers one of his parents' old yearbooks has a photo of a girl named Sue Tenny holding the Pacifier. Seeing a resemblance between her and Gwen and realizing that the Pacifier is gone, Will deduces that Gwen is Royal Pain's daughter. During the "Hero of the Year" award presentation for Steve and Josie, Gwen unveils herself as Royal Pain and uses the Pacifier to turn almost everyone into babies. Layla, Warren, and the sidekicks escape, and they reunite with Will, who apologizes for his behavior. As Will goes to face Gwen, the sidekicks defeat her henchmen, Lash, Speed, and Penny. Layla learns from Penny that Gwen sabotaged the school's anti-gravity generator. Gwen informs Will that she is Sue Tenny, explaining that she was turned into a baby when the Pacifier backfired during her first battle with Steve and Josie and now intends to raise the de-aged superheroes as supervillains. She and Will fight until she throws him off the school, but he survives when his maternal flight power awakens. Ron Wilson manages to rescue the de-aged superheroes from Gwen's sidekick Stiches and Will defeats Gwen, but the school starts falling. Will tries to slow the school's descent as Magenta uses her guinea pig shapeshifting powers to access and repair the generator, to which they both succeed. The Pacifier is reconfigured to restore its targets' normal ages, after which it is destroyed, and Steve and Josie give their award to the sidekicks, declaring them full-fledged heroes. The party resumes in celebration, and Will and Layla share a kiss in midair.

Cast

as William "Will" Theodore Stronghold, a freshman at Sky High, whose parents are two famous superheroes — Commander and Jetstream — as well as Maxville's top real estate agents in their secret identities. His super strength, inherited from his father, and his ability to fly, inherited from his mother, start as inactive and gradually manifest over the film. *

as Steve Stronghold / The Commander, Will's father who is one of the world's strongest superheroes, displaying

superhuman strength Superhuman strength is a superpower commonly invoked in fiction and other literary works such as mythology. A fictionalized representation of the phenomenon of hysterical strength, it is the power to exert force and lift weights beyond what is ...

and

invulnerability Vulnerability refers to "the quality or state of being exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally." A window of vulnerability (WOV) is a time frame within which defensive measures are diminished, com ...

, and is a successful businessman in his secret identity. *

as Josie DeMarco-Stronghold / Jetstream, Will's mother and a successful real estate agent. As Jetstream, she uses the power of supersonic flight; she is also touted as being an expert in hand-to-hand combat. *

as Layla Williams, Will's childhood best friend and later girlfriend, who is a

pacifist Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaign ...

and can animate and control plant life. *

as Gwendolyn "Gwen" Grayson / Royal Pain / Susan "Sue" Tenny, a technopathic senior at Sky High whom Will, along with everyone else, falls in love with. Winstead said of her role, "I bounced around. I was either the hero of the sidekicks or the sidekick to the heroes." When she attended Sky High the first time, no one understood her class of powers and she was slated as a sidekick and a weirdo, eventually turning into a supervillain. An accident with the "Pacifier" de-aged her during a battle with The Commander. **

Patrick Warburton Patrick Warburton (born November 14, 1964) is an American actor. On television, he has played David Puddy on '' Seinfeld'', the title character on '' The Tick'', Jeb Denton on ''Less Than Perfect'', Jeff Bingham on ''Rules of Engagement'' and Lem ...

provides the voice of Gwen in her Royal Pain suit. *

as Warren Peace, the

son of supervillain Baron Battle, who is in jail with four life sentences, and an unnamed superhero mother. *

Dee Jay Daniels Dee Jay Daniels (born Dorjan Lyndell Daniels; October 17, 1988) is an American former television actor. Daniels is best known for his role as Michael Hughley on the D. L. Hughley sitcom, ''The Hughleys'', playing the son of Hughley's character. ...

as Ethan Bank / Popsicle, a sidekick and one of Will's friends, who can melt into a fluid. * Kelly Vitz as Magenta "Maj" Lewis, one of Will's sidekick friends, who can

shapeshift In mythology, folklore and speculative fiction, shape-shifting is the ability to physically transform oneself through an inherently superhuman ability, divine intervention, demonic manipulation, sorcery, spells or having inherited the ...

into a guinea pig with purple highlights and streaks in her fur similar to those in her human hair. *

Nicholas Braun Nicholas Joseph Braun (born May 1, 1988) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Greg Hirsch in the HBO series ''Succession'' (2018–present), for which he has received two nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supp ...

as Zachary "Zach" Braun / Zack Attack, a sidekick Will's childhood friend, who has the ability to glow in the dark. * Malika Haqq and Khadijah Haqq as Penny Lent, Gwen's athletic best friend, who can duplicate herself. *

Jake Sandvig Steven Jacob "Jake" Sandvig (born September 8, 1986) is an American actor and nurse. He is best known for playing Hugh Pyne in '' Twenty Good Years'' and Preston Shackleton in '' Cracking Up''. In 2009, he made a guest appearance in '' Ruby & the ...

as Lash, a skinny bully at Sky High who has elasticity. * Will Harris as Speed, an overweight bully at Sky High who can move at superhuman speeds. *

as Principal Powers, the principal of Sky High. *

as Tommy Boomowski / Coach Boomer / Sonic Boom, the gym teacher at Sky High who has can release sonic waves from his vocal cords. * Kevin Heffernan as Ron Wilson, Sky High's good-hearted bus driver. He is the son of two superheroes, but does not have any powers. *

as Nurse Spex, Sky High's elderly, eccentric but kind school nurse, who has the ability of x-ray vision. *

as Mr. Grayson / Stitches, Royal Pain's cackling sidekick, who raised her as his daughter after she was turned into a baby by the Pacifier. *

as Mr. Jonathan Boy / All-American Boy, The Commander's former sidekick who works as Hero Support teacher at Sky High. *

as Professor Medulla, the Mad Science teacher with an oversized brain, which grants him advanced intelligence, creativity, and a multitude of genius-level skills. *

Tom Kenny Thomas James Kenny (born July 13, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for voicing the titular character in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and associated media. Kenny has voiced many other characters, including Heffer Wolfe in ''R ...

and

Jill Talley Jill Talley (born December 19, 1962) is an American actress and comedian. She is a main cast member on the animated series ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', in which she voices Karen Plankton. Her other voice roles include Sarah Dubois on Adult Swim's ...

as Mr. and Mrs. Chester Timmerman, a couple who witnesses Will prevent Sky High from falling on their new home. * Loren Berman as "Big" Larry, a socially awkward student who can turn into a giant, muscular rock monster at will. *

Dustin Ingram Dustin Kyle Ingram (born January 25, 1990) is an American actor and musician. He is best known for his role as Bert in the 2016 remake of ''Cabin Fever'', as Duane Ogilvy in Nickelodeon's ''Unfabulous'', and as Agent Petey in HBO's ''Watchmen''. ...

as Carbon Copy Kid, a student that can shapeshift to look like anyone. * Nicole Malgarini as Freeze Girl, a student with cryokinetic powers.

Production

Exterior shots of the Sky High school were filmed at the

Oviatt Library The University Library at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) is located in Northridge, in the northern San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, California. History Construction for the original library began on November 14, 1957, marki ...

California State University The California State University (Cal State or CSU) is a public university system in California. With 23 campuses and eight off-campus centers enrolling 485,550 students with 55,909 faculty and staff, CSU is the largest four-year public univers ...

in Northridge in late 2004. In between working on the first and second seasons of the animated series ''

'', creators

and

had begun writing a script for a live-action adaptation, which ultimately never came to fruition. Impressed with their work, the filmmakers asked them to look into re-writing the script for ''Sky High'', which had been previously shelved. McCorkle believes they were recruited for ''Sky High'' because "they liked the idea of a superhero high school. I think, reading how we wrote teens in ''Kim Possible'', they felt like, 'This feels good and contemporary, and maybe you can apply that to this project for us.' Similar to ''Kim Possibl''e, Schooley and McCorkle wrote ''Sky High'' to be equally appealing to both children and adults. According to scifi.com, Disney was attracted by the "original concept" of "children of superheroes going to high school", originally conceived by screenwriter Paul Hernandez in the 1990s. After recruiting Schooley and McCorkle to update Hernandez's script (they only wrote the beginning and ending sequences) Disney hired several comedians such as

, and Kevin Heffernan for supporting roles. For the main roles, the casting was a mix of established and new teenage actors: while

and

were already successful,

was little-known and former model

was hired after his first audition ever. Director Mike Mitchell said that Sky High functions on two premises: "the adults are all insane" and "the girls are smarter than the boys":''Sky High'' DVD extras the adults portrayed in the film tend to be caricatured, while the teenage girls are written as more assertive and powerful than the boys. The film also employed extensive usage of

Dutch angle The Dutch angle, also known as Dutch tilt, canted angle, or oblique angle, is a type of camera shot which involves setting the camera at an angle on its roll axis so that the shot is composed with vertical lines at an angle to the side of the f ...

s. For the treatment of the teenage actors, Mitchell also stated that the actors all had their own trailers and were generally kept separated, because "we did not want them to date after the second week and break up after the fourth", which would have made filming difficult. Mitchell, a science fiction fan, admitted that this project "was a dream", because it brought him together with four of his favorite SF cult heroes:

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...

actress

Snake Plissken S.D. "Snake" Plissken (given as S.D. "Bob" Plissken, in the opening of ''Escape from L.A.'') is the protagonist of the films ''Escape from New York'' and ''Escape from L.A.'' He is portrayed by Kurt Russell, and created by director John Carpente ...

actor

Ash Williams Ashley Joanna "Ash" Williams is a fictional character and the protagonist of the '' Evil Dead'' franchise. Created by Sam Raimi, he is portrayed by Bruce Campbell and is the only character to appear in each entry of the series, including a post- ...

actor

, and

, who earned fame as Frau Blücher in ''

Young Frankenstein ''Young Frankenstein'' is a 1974 American comedy horror film directed by Mel Brooks. The screenplay was co-written by Brooks and Gene Wilder. Wilder also starred in the lead role as the title character, a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor F ...

''.

Music

The soundtrack album for the film was released by

Hollywood Records Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Records l ...

on July 26, 2005, and is composed of covers of songs from the 1980s (with the exception of "Just What I Needed", which was from 1978). While none of the film's score, composed by

Michael Giacchino Michael Giacchino (; born October 10, 1967) is an American composer of music for films, television and video games. He has also served as a director for television. He has received many awards, including an Oscar for his work on '' Up'' (2009), a ...

, was included on the album, a limited edition of his score was released by

Intrada Records Intrada is an American record company based in Oakland, California, owned and managed by Douglass Fake. The company specializes in movie and television soundtracks, notably those by the late Jerry Goldsmith Jerrald King Goldsmith (February 10, ...

in 2017. ; Track listing # "

I Melt with You "I Melt with You" is a song by the British new wave band Modern English. The song, produced by Hugh Jones, was the second single from their 1982 album '' After the Snow''. It became the band's most successful single, largely in the United ...

" –

Bowling for Soup Bowling for Soup (abbreviated as BFS) is an American rock band formed in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1994. The band consists of Jaret Reddick (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Burney (guitar, backing vocals), Gary Wiseman (drums, percussion, backing voc ...

(Originally by: Modern English) - 4:03 # "

Through Being Cool ''Through Being Cool'' (typeset as ''"Through Being Cool"'') is the second studio album by American rock band Saves the Day, released on November 2, 1999 by Equal Vision. The songs on ''Through Being Cool'' were written while the band members a ...

" –

They Might Be Giants They Might Be Giants (often abbreviated as TMBG) is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a duo, often accompanied by a d ...

(Originally by:

Devo Devo (, originally ) is an American rock band from Akron, Ohio, formed in 1973. Their classic line-up consisted of two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs (Mark and Bob) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob), along with Alan Myers. The band had a ...

) - 3:17 # "

Save It for Later "Save It for Later" is a 1982 song written and recorded by British ska band the Beat (known in the United States and Canada as the English Beat). The song was released as a single from the band's third and final studio album, ''Special Beat Servic ...

" –

Flashlight Brown Flashlight Brown is a Canadian punk rock band, originally from Guelph, who formed in 1996. Biography Bucchino, Conroy, Hughes, and Thomson formed a band, then simply called "Flashlight", out of boredom and frustration and quickly moved from the s ...

(Originally by: The Beat) - 2:49 # "

Everybody Wants to Rule the World "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is a song by English pop rock band Tears for Fears. It was written by Roland Orzabal, Ian Stanley, and Chris Hughes and produced by Hughes. The song was first released on 22 March 1985 by Phonogram, Mercury, ...

" –

Christian Burns Christian Anthony Burns (born 18 January 1974) is an English singer. He is the son of Tony Burns of The Signs, a Liverpool-based rock band signed to Decca Records in the 1960s. Career Burns was a member of the popular British band BBMak, ...

(Originally by:

Tears for Fears Tears for Fears are an English pop rock band formed in Bath, England, in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith. Founded after the dissolution of their first band, the mod-influenced Graduate, Tears for Fears were associated with the new wav ...

) - 4:28 # "

One Thing Leads to Another "One Thing Leads to Another" is a song by English new wave band the Fixx, from their album ''Reach the Beach''. It is the band's most successful single, reaching number four on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in November 1983. It also peaked at n ...

" –

(Originally by:

The Fixx The Fixx are a rock band from London, England, founded in 1979. The band's hits include "One Thing Leads to Another", "Saved by Zero", "Are We Ourselves?", and "Secret Separation", each of which charted in the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100, ...

) - 3:10 # " Lies" –

The Click Five The Click Five (often abbreviated as TC5) was an American rock band from Boston, Massachusetts. The original members, most of them students at Berklee College of Music, started on January 1, 2004, and played in various local venues. They then q ...

(Originally by:

Thompson Twins Thompson Twins were a British Pop music, pop band formed in 1977 in Sheffield. Initially a New wave music, new wave group, they switched to a more mainstream pop sound and achieved considerable popularity during the mid-1980s, scoring a string ...

) - 2:58 # "

Voices Carry "Voices Carry" is a song by the American rock band 'Til Tuesday. It was produced by Mike Thorne for the band's debut studio album, '' Voices Carry'' (1985). The accompanying music video, directed by D.J. Webster, received wide exposure on MTV ...

" –

Vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) an ...

(Originally by:

'Til Tuesday Til Tuesday (often stylized as til tuesday) was an American new wave band formed in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The band, consisting of Aimee Mann (lead vocals, bass), Robert Holmes (guitar), Joey Pesce (keyboards), and Michael Haus ...

) - 4:16 # "

Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths. It was released as the B-side of "William, It Was Really Nothing" in 1984 and later featured on the compilation albums ''Hatful of Hollow'' and ''Loude ...

" –

Elefant The ''Elefant'' (German for "elephant") was a heavy tank destroyer used by German Wehrmacht Panzerjäger during World War II. Ninety-one units were built in 1943 under the name Ferdinand, after its designer Ferdinand Porsche, using VK 45.01 ...

(Originally by:

The Smiths The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. They comprised the singer Morrissey, the guitarist Johnny Marr, the bassist Andy Rourke and the drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerg ...

) - 2:53 # "

True True most commonly refers to truth, the state of being in congruence with fact or reality. True may also refer to: Places * True, West Virginia, an unincorporated community in the United States * True, Wisconsin, a town in the United States * Tr ...

" –

Cary Brothers Cary Brothers (born 1974) is an American indie rock singer-songwriter originally from Nashville, Tennessee, United States. After moving to Los Angeles and becoming a regular performer at the influential Hotel Cafe venue, Brothers first gained ...

(Originally by:

Spandau Ballet Spandau Ballet () were an English new wave band formed in Islington, London, in 1979. Inspired by the capital's post-punk underground dance scene, they emerged at the start of the 1980s as the house band for the Blitz Kids, playing "European Da ...

) - 5:11 # "

Just What I Needed "Just What I Needed" is a song by American Rock music, rock band The Cars from their The Cars (album), self-titled debut album (1978). The song, which first achieved radio success as a demo, took inspiration from the Ohio Express and the Velvet ...

" –

Caleigh Peters Caleigh Anne Forsyth-Peters is a studio executive and former singer-songwriter. Born in San Francisco, California, she was raised in Los Angeles and is the daughter of Jon Peters and producer Christine Forsyth.Kelly White, "Caleigh Peters," '' G ...

(Originally by:

The Cars The Cars were an American rock band formed in Boston in 1976. Emerging from the new wave scene in the late 1970s, they consisted of Ric Ocasek ( rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr (bass guitar), Elliot Easton (lead guitar), Greg Hawkes (keyboards), ...

) - 3:38 # "Can't Stop the World" – Ginger Sling (Originally by:

The Go-Go's The Go-Go's are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1978. Except for short periods when other musicians joined briefly, the band has had a relatively stable lineup consisting of Charlotte Caffey on lead guitar and keyboards, Belind ...

) - 3:25 # "

And She Was "And She Was" is a song by the American band Talking Heads, from their 1985 album ''Little Creatures''. The song was written by David Byrne, who also provides the lead vocals. The song is musically notable for its unusual use of modulation. The ...

" – Keaton Simons (Originally by:

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talkin ...

) - 3:49 # "Twist and Crawl" –

Skindred Skindred are a Welsh reggae metal band formed in Newport in 1998. Their musical style mixes heavy metal, alternative rock and ragga. The band also integrate elements of punk rock, hardcore punk, reggae, dancehall, jungle, ska, hip hop, drum ...

(Originally by: The Beat) - 2:31

Reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

rated the album 2.5/5, saying that it "stumbles more than it succeeds" and is "painfully conventional."

Reception

Box office

On an estimated budget of US$35 million, the film grossed just under $64 million in the US, and another $22 million internationally, bringing the total to $86 million.

Critical response

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

, the film has an approval rating of based on reviews from critics, with an average rating of . The site's critical consensus states: "This highly derivative superhero coming-of-age flick is moderately entertaining, family-friendly fluff." On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...

the film has a weighted average score of 62 based on reviews from 29 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences surveyed by

CinemaScore CinemaScore is a market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts based on the data. Background Ed Mintz founded Ci ...

gave the film a grade A− on a scale of A+ to F. Joe Leydon of

Variety magazine ''Variety'' is an American media company owned by Penske Media Corporation. The company was founded by Sime Silverman in New York City in 1905 as a weekly newspaper reporting on theater and vaudeville. In 1933 it added ''Daily Variety'', based ...

praised the film calling it: "Smartly written and sprightly played, ''Sky High'' satisfies with a clever commingling of spoofy superheroics, school-daze hijinks" and "this lively live-action Disney release stands on its own merits as a tongue-in-cheek fantasy with cross-generational appeal." Neil Smith at BBC.com wrote: "While originality is hardly the film's strongest suit, its agreeable mix of knowing spoof and kid-pleasing fantasy makes it considerably more engaging than some of the 'straight' superhero blockbusters we've suffered recently." Over the years, Sky High has both been received more favorably and has also maintained a solid cult fanbase; particularly due to its lighthearted homage of normal superhero tropes. Mark Harrison, writer for Den of Geek, summarized, “With a cast made up of bright young things and cult favourites and a script that goes post-modern without ever getting arch or snarky, Sky High is a real gem from Disney’s live action catalogue. It borrows from JK Rowling, John Hughes, Joss Whedon and any number of comic books and yet still stands on its own. Next to the current superhero boom, it was so ahead of its time that a decade later, it seems sharper and funnier than ever.”

References

External links

* * * * * ' * {{Authority control 2005 films 2005 action comedy films 2005 romantic comedy films 2000s teen comedy films 2000s superhero comedy films American action comedy films Child superheroes Films directed by Mike Mitchell American coming-of-age films American romantic comedy films American science fiction thriller films American high school films Walt Disney Pictures films American superhero films Teen superhero comedy films Films scored by Michael Giacchino Films set in 2004 American films about revenge Superhero schools American children's comedy films 2000s English-language films 2000s American films Films about shapeshifting

Plot

Cast

Production

Music

Reception

Reception

Box office

Critical response

See also

References

External links