jack

The problem I have with it is that it is entirely predicatable from the trailer. I've not seen it but here is my predicted plot summary.

We start with a flashback. Some crime is being commited. Just as the bomb is about to blow up/the safe is to be cracked/the woman is to be robbed a pair of superheroes arrive and save the day conveniently using each of their superskills exactly once for the audience. They grapple the wrong-doer to the ground. Freeze! The picture turns black and white and pulls out to show it is a newspaper showing how great these superheroes are.

Cut to modern day. Said paper is hanging on the wall of a 'den' in a typical American house. The male superhero — we shall call him Mr Unbelievable (lit. fantastic) — is reminising. His wife calls him to dinner. He comes upstairs and we find wife is other superheroe from the flashback. She will be called Mrs Unbelievable for clear reasons :).

Over the course of the dinner it become apparent that the teenage son knows nothing of his parents' heritage. It also is clear he has a typically teenage level of not caring for them. Plot is advanced by one character off-handedly mentioning the child — we shall call Todd to be properly American — starts high-school tomorrow (despite him looking about 16 of course).

The next morning comes and he boards the schoolbus. Initially it is all very normal until the bus transforms into a rocket car and flys into the air. Pause for 5 minutes to show reaction shots from Todd, general enjoyment of everyone else on the bus, a manic bus driver and all those special effects we paid for.

Eventually we arrive at a floating school called Sky High. There exists some exposition scene with the principal explaining the conceit of the school. At some point Todd's parents' heritage as the world's greatest superheroes becomes apparent. Todd feels preasure to live up to them but unfortunatley has no super powers.

We now alternate between scenes at school and scenes at home. In these scenes the following is shown.

a) Todd makes some friends and each has a scene explaining their super power. These will all get used in the final showdown.
b) Todd makes one or more enemys.
c) There are a number of 'amusing' scenes showing the sort of lessons superheroes might take.
d) Todd is teased for having no powers.
e) Parents are worries about lack of powers and try doing silly things (like putting radioactive waste in food, making a gamma ray generator, focussing the moon onto a rabbit) to force them out.

Eventually there is a showdown and Todd is chased by the bullies. At the key moment he suddenly 'starts to believe' and turns out to have at least one superpower with which he defeats the bully. Cut to another set of scenes as the parents are happy and a montage of doom whereby the remainder of his powers are learnt.

Meanwhile a supervillan starts to terrorise Earth. He is in some tangential way releated to the flashback at the start of the film. After a confrontation he manages to imprison Todd's parents and goes on national TV to show this.

Todd sets out to save his parents with his friends coming with him. We now enter the final phase. As Todd faces the supervillan things appear to be going against him until each of his friends use their powers together to even the balance. At this key moment Todd performs some signature move of Mr U that, until know, he has been unable to perform, defeats the supervillan and frees his parents.

Cut to Sky High at first year graduation. Todd gets a special prize and the approval of his peers. Everyone is happy. End of film.

It'll be something like that anyhow.