Sky High
Buena Vista Pictures | Release Date: July 29, 2005 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
62
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 29 Critic Reviews
Positive:
19
Mixed:
8
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
From a pure entertainment perspective, it is arguably the most enjoyable motion picture of the season. Sky High is funny, smart, energetic, subversive, and has a few substantive things to say. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
A likable mix of laughs and wacky action sequences. Read full review
80
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
Kurt Russell is adorably self-mocking as the cluelessly enthusiastic dad in his dorky superhero uniform, and even the spiffy effects lack self-importance. "The Incredibles" it ain't, but Sky High will do nicely. Read full review
80
VarietyJoe Leydon
Smartly written and sprightly played, Sky High satisfies with a clever commingling of spoofy superheroics, school-daze hijinks, and family friendly coming-of-age. dramedydramedy. Read full review
80
Film ThreatPete Vonder Haar
Surprisingly good. Read full review
80
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
With one foot planted in the world of comic book fantasy and the other firmly stuck in the grim realities of high school, this is one of those rare family films that truly work for the whole family, even if Mom and Pop might find themselves needing earplugs during some exceedingly long and loud passages. Read full review
80
EmpireCaroline Westbrook
As derivative as it all may be, it’s still superb entertainment. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneRobert K. Elder
Sky High doesn't aim for the highbrow and doesn't employ lowbrow toilet humor. Instead, it hits the exact middle -- a bull's-eye worthy of a superhero. Read full review
75
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
A clever blend of the high school comedy and the superhero genre. Read full review
75
USA TodayMike Clark
Sky High gets Kurt Russell back to his retro Disney roots, and he's still in good enough shape at age 54 to wear a supernatural hunk's cape. Read full review
75
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
For those of us who wish that John Hughes' "The Breakfast Club" had kept the cheeky tone of Hughes' "Sixteen Candles," what ensues is the best Hughes farce that Hughes never made about adolescent snobbery and heartbreak as well as adult obtuseness. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Jason Anderson
An engaging and surprisingly sharp allegory about high-school hierarchies and adolescent growing pains. Read full review
70
Dallas ObserverLuke Y. Thompson
The supporting cast is strong, featuring Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce Campbell, Lynda Carter, and Cloris Leachman. Read full review
70
The New York TimesStephen Holden
This zippy Disney adventure-comedy, crammed with special effects, asks that age-old rhetorical question, "Is there life after high school?," and answers it with a cheerful "Not really." Read full review
70
Village VoiceMatt Singer
Clunky and shamelessly transparent, but it's also charmingly earnest, and well designed for kids. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyScott Brown
The flick is best in its bittier moments (watch for the stellar cameos), and there's nothing to trouble the tots. Read full review
63
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
A diverting family comedy that at its best aims to be a live-action "Incredibles" and at its middling a live-action episode of "Kim Possible." Read full review
63
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
A squeaky clean, family-friendly comedy that merely sounds like an unreleased Cheech and Chong romp. Read full review
63
PremierePeter Debruge
As a superhero movie, it's something of an underachiever, missing out on easy opportunities to push the idea to the next level. Read full review
60
Washington PostJane Horwitz
A slight but sure-footed, live-action comic fantasy. Read full review
58
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
More silly than funny. Read full review
58
Portland OregonianChristy Lemire
So funny and sweet and observant - and so much warmer than other family films that feign hipness through product placement and pop culture references - you won't mind that the steps feel familiar. Read full review
50
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
Hasn't a single original idea in its bird brain. But it clowns around just enough while sitting in the dunce chair that after a while it's mildly amusing. Read full review
50
New York PostKyle Smith
Here's a tagline for Disney's Sky High: "Like Harry Potter, only stupider!" Read full review
50
San Francisco ChroniclePeter Hartlaub
The film is so harmless, and the young actors try so hard, that it's difficult not to have some fun. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
An affable, breezy, but undistinguished kiddie comedy. Read full review
40
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
Weighed down with gimmicks and special effects, a number of which are far from special, Sky High is best left to 10- to 14-year-olds because it's not likely to do much for older audiences and is too violent for the very young. Read full review
30
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
This limp, forgettable fluff is as preachy and heavy-handed as the "Goofus and Gallant" cartoons that a generation of children far less media-savvy than today's recognized as ham-fisted lessons in good behavior masquerading as funny strips. Read full review
30
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
It's inoffensive and sports a positive "be yourself" message that’s obvious enough to be seen from space without benefit of hero-vision, but really, there's very little that's super about it. Read full review
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