If John Hughes had directed a live action version of The Incredibles and had it take place at Hogwarts, it might have turned out a little like Disney's Sky High, a surprisingly entertaining superhero romp that, despite some clunky direction, delighted me in ways that the recent Fantastic Floor (I really disliked that film) could only dream of.

In this fantasy for all ages, Michael Angarano plays Will Stronghold, a teenager with big shoes to fill. His parents Steve "The Commander" Stronghold (Kurt Russell) and Jessie "Jetstream" Stronghold (Kelly Preston) are top real estate agents by day and celebrated superheroes by night. Now, it's Will's time to attend mom and dad's alma mater, the aptly named Sky High. The catch is, Will doesn't appear to have any powers, at least not at the moment, and he decides to hide this important fact from his clueless, but proud parents.

Upon arriving at Sky High, Will learns that the school's curriculum caters to both heroes and sidekicks, and when the teen is picked as a sidekick, he opts to hide this from his parents as well.

Sky High is an interesting concoction, mixing genres with a gleeful sense of humor. The cute little romances, the stereotypical conflicts pitting high school social cliques against one another, and the 80's soundtrack, instantly remind one of the teenage flicks of the 80's (think the previously mentioned works of one John Hughes, Teen Wolf, and the little seen Three O'Clock High). In addition, the tone of this film fuses the innocent comical sensibility of the 70's Disney entries (i.e. Kurt Russell classics like The Strongest Man in the World, and Now You See Him, Now You Don't) along with the sort of clever attitude evoked by movies like Galaxy Quest and Spy Kids, titles that spend much of their running time slyly winking at the films that inspired them.

The performances are light and breezy. Kurt Russell (it's great to see him doing a picture in the tradition of the ones that essentially gave him his start) and Kelly Preston are cheery and likable while the affable Angarano infuses his role with just the right balance of clumsiness and sincerity. Danielle Panabaker is sweet and endearing as Will's life long friend Layla, while Mary Elizabeth Winstead livens up the proceedings as Gwen, the young woman of Will's affection. Steven Strait is extremely charismatic as the brooding tough guy on campus (my wife couldn't even take her eyes off him). What really lends Sky High it's kick though are the numerous cameos. Dave Foley is an absolute riot as Mr. Boy, a geeky professor of Sidekick 101. Bruce Campbell scorches up the screen with his typical swagger as a coach who determines which students are heroes and which students are sidekicks. Foley's old Kids in the Hall co-star Kevin McDonald has a fun time as Mr. Medulla, a strange faculty member with an abnormally large head. The film also gets a boost from bit parts by Broken Lizard's Kevin Heffernan as Bus Driver Ron Wilson and Wonder Woman herself, Lynda Carter, who appears as Principal Powers.

Director Mike Mitchell (rebounding nicely from the disaster that was Surviving Christmas) isn't the most sure handed of directors. There are times when Sky High is a little sloppy in terms of execution, but he and his screenwriters' approach to the material and their clever odes to all that is super, make the experience something much more fulfilling then I was expecting. They've underpinned this picture with a tone that is hard to resist, and I even got a kick out of the less than state of the art special effects. The sometimes cheesy visuals only make the film more enjoyable. And as I write this, I've just discovered that Mike Mitchell will bring the beloved 70s' H.R. Pufnstuff to the big screen. I'm a sucker for everything Kroft Superstars, so I can't wait for that one, and given the tone of Sky High, Mitchell could very well be the perfect guy for the job.

Sky High is one of the most pleasant surprises of the summer. It even manages to slip in a message - sidekicks can be heroes too. What this movie does, it does surprisingly well. I suppose my lack of expectation added to my overall enjoyment of this likable film, but whatever. A good movie is a good movie, and Sky High is one that everyone can enjoy.