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| 12 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sky-high-poster_6831.jpg]] |
| 13 | [[caption-width-right:300:[[TemptingFate "If life were to suddenly get fair, I doubt it would happen in high school..."]]]] |
| 14 | |
| 15 | ->''"Living up to the family name means that I’m supposed to save the world someday. I just have one small problem..."'' |
| 16 | -->-- '''Will Stronghold''' |
| 17 | |
| 18 | ''Sky High'' is a 2005 superhero film directed by Mike Mitchell and produced by Creator/{{Disney}}. Writing credits are shared by Creator/PaulHernandez, Creator/BobSchooley and Creator/MarkMcCorkle. |
| 19 | |
| 20 | The story revolves around Will Stronghold, son of the world's two most famous superheroes, the [[SuperStrength superstrong]] Commander (Steve Stronghold) and the [[{{Flight}} flight-based]] Jetstream (Josie Stronghold). He is about to start high school at the titular Sky High, a school exclusively for people with superpowers and his parents' alma mater. Between dealing with GirlNextDoor Layla ([[GreenThumb plant controller]]), son-of-archnemesis JerkWithAHeartOfGold Warren Peace ([[PlayingWithFire fireball thrower]]) and the typical cliques of high school (being either a hero or "[[{{Sidekick}} Hero Support]]"), Will must also face the embarrassing fact that, despite his pedigree, he does not seem to ''have'' any superpowers. At least not yet... |
| 21 | |
| 22 | It features a surprising number of high-level names, including Creator/MichaelAngarano as Will Stronghold, Creator/DaniellePanabaker as Layla, Creator/KurtRussell as The Commander/Steve Stronghold, Creator/KellyPreston as Jetstream/Josie Stronghold, Creator/LyndaCarter as Principal Powers, Creator/BruceCampbell as Coach Boomer, and Creator/MaryElizabethWinstead as Gwen Grayson. The film maintains a surprisingly sizable following, despite having generally fallen under the radar. This was also the first [[Film/DoctorStrange2016 Disney-owned superhero movie]] scored by Creator/MichaelGiacchino (''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles1'' doesn't count). None of his music was on the album released with the movie, but Creator/{{Intrada}} ''finally'' released [[http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.10676/.f?sc=13&category=-113 his score]] in 2016. |
| 23 | |
| 24 | To the surprise of many, a [[http://comicbook.com/2016/10/17/sky-high-sequel-is-reportedly-in-development/ sequel]] was announced to be in development in 2017, although nothing has been heard of it since. |
| 25 | |
| 26 | Not to be confused with the [[Manga/{{Skyhigh}} seinen manga by Tsutomu Takahashi]]. Or the [[Film/SkyHigh1922 silent film]]. Compare ''ComicBook/PS238'' and ''Franchise/MyHeroAcademia''. |
| 27 | |
| 28 | ---- |
| 29 | !!This film provides examples of: |
| 30 | |
| 31 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 32 | |
| 33 | [[folder:#-C]] |
| 34 | * EleventhHourSuperpower: Quite literally one. [[spoiler:When Will gets punched out of the window by Royal Pain, he is shown falling to the ground but it becomes a literal example of DieOrFly as he develops his mother’s flight ability and is able to rejoin the fight against Royal Pain.]] |
| 35 | * FiveFiveFive: The number on Ron Wilson, Bus Driver's card. |
| 36 | * AbsurdlyDividedSchool: The titular school is divided between heroes and "hero support", also known as side-kicks, based solely on their powers at the time of enrollment. "Hero support" students are looked down on by pretty much everyone else, and outright bullied in most cases, in addition to their classroom being much smaller and poorly funded, and them not even having the privilege to choose their own hero names. The driving conflict of the film is the protagonist being sorted into Hero Support for not having a superpower. |
| 37 | * AcademyOfEvil: [[spoiler:What Royal Pain plans to turn Sky High into, raising the now-infant students and faculty as a generation of supervillains. However, it was already an academy for villains as much as heroes]]. |
| 38 | * TheAce: The Commander/Steve Stronghold, much to the annoyance of his son. |
| 39 | * {{Acrofatic}}: Speed, one of the bullies/supervillains, is a Flash-like speedster in spite of being overweight. Having said that, his weight makes him extremely strong when he is at top speed, making him a LightningBruiser. |
| 40 | * ActionDad: Steve Stronghold/The Commander is a superhero father. |
| 41 | * ActionMom: Josie Stronghold/Jetstream, who has the ability to fly and help her husband defeat enemies. |
| 42 | * ActorAllusion: |
| 43 | ** After they resisted it the entire film, the Principal's last line is, "I'm not ComicBook/WonderWoman, you know." She's played by Creator/LyndaCarter. It is also a CastingGag, since Carter's character in ''Sky High'' is the principal of the titular school, and her character in ''Wonder Woman'' is a superhero. |
| 44 | ** As with ''Franchise/EvilDead'', Creator/BruceCampbell's character has a thing for the word "boom". |
| 45 | ** Creator/KurtRussell played a character with super strength in ''Film/TheStrongestManInTheWorld'', which was also made by Disney. |
| 46 | * ActuallyPrettyFunny: Layla tries to make a lemon for Will while saying WhenLifeGivesYouLemons but produces an apple instead. He snarks "Make apple juice?" and they both start laughing. |
| 47 | * AdultsAreUseless: Steve and Josie are the only competent heroes shown in work, [[spoiler:but they are taken down in seconds by the villain in the finale]]. Anything worthwhile is done by adolescents [[AlmightyJanitor (or Ron Wilson, Bus Driver)]]. Even the villains are all young, [[FountainOfYouth sort of]]. (The only exception is [[spoiler:Stitches, but he's controlled by Royal Pain anyway]].) |
| 48 | * AffectionateParody: |
| 49 | ** The film is fond of pointing out the more ridiculous tropes in both the superhero and high school drama genres, which it typically accomplishes by using them straight but to an [[ExaggeratedTrope over-the-top]] degree. For example, the Commander has an entire drawer full of identical phones for when he [[DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength pushes the buttons too hard]].[[note]][[FridgeLogic Clearly, he's not a Nokia user.]][[/note]] |
| 50 | ** It can also be considered an affectionate parody of UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks. |
| 51 | * AirVentPassageway: The main kids escape through one when the bad guys crash Homecoming at the climax. |
| 52 | * AllForNothing: Villainous example. [[spoiler:The bad guys have been working on their plan for at least seventeen years and likely over twenty, but their "victory" ends up lasting a couple hours max.]] |
| 53 | -->'''BigBad:''' [[spoiler:I went through puberty ''twice''... for ''this''?]] |
| 54 | * AllGuysWantCheerleaders: {{Averted|Trope}} with Penny. Nobody in the film seems to consider her particularly attractive, at least not in comparison to the more "preppy" Gwen. |
| 55 | * AllLoveIsUnrequited: Mr. Boy, for Josie. Justified in-story, in that a hero like her could never notice someone in 'Hero Support' - not with the strapping, handsome, charismatic Commander around. Josie at least thanks him for saving her life with a peck on the cheek at the end of the movie. |
| 56 | * AlliterativeName: Gwen Grayson, Steve Stronghold and Barron Battle, as is typical of the superhero genre. |
| 57 | * AllOfTheOtherReindeer: In this school, you're either a hero, or a zero; "Hero Support" = {{Sidekick}} = socially inferior. {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d when Zach's glowing [[ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman actually becomes useful]], with [[DeadpanSnarker Magenta]] singing "''then all the reindeer loved him.''" |
| 58 | * [[AlmightyJanitor Almighty Bus Driver]]: Ron Wilson, Bus Driver is a highly-trained ''flying'' bus driver, [[spoiler:and he isn't half bad in a fight either]]. |
| 59 | * AlphaBitch: |
| 60 | ** Penny. "[[JerkAss Sorry, all full]]." [[MesACrowd She's apparently the]] ''[[MesACrowd entirety]]'' [[MesACrowd of the cheerleading squad, as well.]] |
| 61 | ** Gwen starts to act this way as the movie goes on. |
| 62 | * AlwaysSaveTheGirl: Played straight in Save the Citizen. Warren shouts at Will to "save the citizen" which would win them the game, even when Speed nearly kills Warren by suffocating him. Will decides to save Warren and then [[TakeAThirdOption toss him to grab the dummy hostage]] and win. Warren doesn't thank him, but he does mellow out later on. |
| 63 | * AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: "Seems like just yesterday that you two were swimming naked in the kiddie pool." |
| 64 | * AndIMustScream: It's implied that [[spoiler:the heroes turned into babies have their consciousness trapped while being only able to cry and flop around, except for Mr. Medulla who can still talk. A baby Steve is crying in terror as Gwen monologues to him and mocks how he can't understand what she's saying, only to cheer up when his son appears]]. |
| 65 | * AndStarring: The opening cast roll ends with "and Creator/KurtRussell". |
| 66 | * {{Animorphism}}: Magenta, but she can only [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway turn into a guinea pig]]. |
| 67 | * AppropriatedAppellation: If Coach Boomer doesn't like a student or their powers, he gives them an insulting moniker like "Popsicle" for Ethan or "Hothead" for Warren. In the climax, Coach Boomer orders "Hothead" seriously to evacuate students [[spoiler:as Royal Pain goes on her rampage]] and Warren later calls Ethan "Popsicle" affectionately for helping him take down Speed, sharing a high-five. |
| 68 | * AscendedFridgeHorror: In the final battle, Will is trying to talk down the BigBad, only to get distracted on learning [[spoiler:his ex-girlfriend is actually a de-aged supervillain rather than the daughter of one. He stops and says "I made out with an old lady." This gives Royal Pain the opening and motivation to start thrashing him]]. |
| 69 | * BadassNormal: Ron Wilson, Bus Driver! [[spoiler:Until [[EmpoweredBadassNormal the credits]], at least.]] |
| 70 | * BallOfLightTransformation: The Principal can transform into something similar to a mini-star. This gives her the ability to fly at a very high speed with drastic changes in direction and angle. |
| 71 | * BattleTrophy: Steve and Josie have an entire section of their base to show off stuff taken from defeated opponents. Exploited by Royal Pain to [[TrojanHorse sneak a spy camera inside]]. |
| 72 | * BatmanGambit: A minor one in the beginning of the film. Will's parents defeat a giant robot terrorizing the city, and the Commander takes a part of the robot (its eye) as a trophy. [[spoiler:That robot eye is still functioning and being used by Royal Pain (who sent the robot to attack the city in the first place) to secretly spy on the heroes.]] Royal Pain knew he would do just this ("His ego's bigger than a giant robot"), and the reporter says it's a habit of his. |
| 73 | * BeTheBall: One girl's superpower is to turn into a big rubber beach ball. The unimpressed Coach Boomer merely kicks her away shouting ''"SIDE-[[VisualPun KICK]]!"''. |
| 74 | * BellyScrapingFlight: Vertical example: [[spoiler: when the school nearly plummets to the ground, Magenta restores the anti-gravity just before it crushes a house. Will, who's underneath trying to slow its fall, puts his feet on the house roof to push off and fly it back up again]]. |
| 75 | * BerserkButton: |
| 76 | ** [[spoiler:Gwen/Sue Tenny/Royal Pain hates when Stitches calls her "Daddy's little girl".]] |
| 77 | ** At the climax, [[spoiler:Will seems to be making some headway into Gwen by means of PolitenessJudo... until he makes the mistake of calling her an "old lady" after learning her backstory, forcing him to settle things the old-fashioned way]]. |
| 78 | * BetrayalByInaction: Will's CorruptTheCutie moment acts as of this. He stands up Layla by accident at the Paper Lantern when Gwen comes to his house to invite his parents to Homecoming, then he starts hanging out with her because Gwen keeps pulling Will away from his sidekick friends. He finally puts his foot down when [[spoiler:Gwen uses him to host a party at his house and hurts Layla's feelings]]. |
| 79 | * BettyAndVeronica: Layla and Gwen, respectively. |
| 80 | * BewareTheNiceOnes: |
| 81 | ** Will. When Warren Peace threatens his friends, Will goes from defensive to offensive and discovers his super strength at the same time. He also [[spoiler:dumps Gwen when the latter makes Layla cry, and he ends up being crucial in the fight against Royal Pain]]. |
| 82 | ** Layla. She can ''weaponize plants'', people. [[MartialPacifist She just doesn't, usually,]] unless you strike the first blow. Then, all bets are off. |
| 83 | * BigBad: The film's main antagonist is a [[BlackCloak black-cloaked]], [[EvilSoundsDeep deep-voiced]] individual currently observing the Stronghold family, unbeknownst to them, and with designs on the mysterious "Pacifier" weapon. Or, in other words, [[spoiler:not exactly the sort of person you'd expect to turn out to be the hero's girlfriend, Gwen Grayson]]. |
| 84 | * BilingualBonus: The brief conversation between Warren's boss yelling at him for slacking and his NoYou LameComeback is in Cantonese. |
| 85 | * BitchInSheepsClothing: Or in this case, [[spoiler:BigBad in sheep's clothing]]. |
| 86 | * BlackAndNerdy: Ethan. |
| 87 | * BlackCloak: The BigBad sports one of these until their true identity is revealed at the climax. |
| 88 | * BoomerangBigot: [[spoiler:TheReveal of Gwen's past makes her coldness toward Layla, and indirectly the other sidekicks, somewhat perplexing. Whether she genuinely fell for Will, saw something of herself in Layla that she hated, or simply went [[DrunkWithPower drunk with popularity]] isn't particularly well-explored, though the second is slightly implied and the third more obviously expected]]. |
| 89 | * {{Bowdlerise}}: In Bowling For Soup's version of "I Melt With You", the lyric "Making love to you" was changed to "Being friends with you". |
| 90 | * BrainyBaby: [[spoiler:Professor Medulla when he's regressed to a baby. He's still capable of talking and retains much of his knowledge]]. |
| 91 | * BrickJoke: |
| 92 | ** There's an exchange from the first day at school featuring a guy with laser vision executing MaleGaze in a very tangible fashion on a girl with ice powers, who immediately retaliates by freezing him solid. [[FreezeFrameBonus Blink and you'll miss it]], but later on in the movie, the main kids admire her handiwork. |
| 93 | ** Early on in the movie, it's mentioned that the only way for kids of superheroes that don't get powers to obtain powers of their own is to fall in a vat of toxic waste. This is mentioned again later. [[spoiler:At the end of the movie, Ron Wilson, Bus Driver falls into a vat of toxic waste and does in fact get super powers. See WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue below.]] |
| 94 | ** Early during the Homecoming party, Zach asks Magenta for a dance; she turns him down, and he says "Me neither". At the end, ''she'' asks ''him'' for a dance. He accepts, saying "Me too." |
| 95 | ** [[spoiler:Ron Wilson, Bus Driver]] fights a robot similar to the one Steve and Josie took down at the beginning. |
| 96 | ** During "Save the Citizen", Medulla mentions there used to be a time they used real citizens. During the epilogue, [[spoiler:Stitches]] is said to have become the "citizen" to be rescued and nobody wanted to save him, [[spoiler:but Will admits he was joking about that.]] |
| 97 | * BrokenAesop: According to Layla, Will allegedly breaks down the barriers between heroes and sidekicks by manifesting hero-worthy powers while still in Sidekick class... only to be informed mere seconds later that he's been promoted to the Hero track. The fact that he remains loyal to the "sidekicks" even after his transfer (aside from temporarily letting popularity go to his head) might mitigate things slightly. |
| 98 | ** The fact that it was several "sidekicks" who helped save the day will presumably do more. |
| 99 | ** The film's primary aesop is that it's wrong to judge or mock others for shallow reasons like their powers or their appearance. It then spends the entire runtime making the powerless, old, fat Mr. Boy look as pathetic as possible for laughs. |
| 100 | * TheCallPutMeOnHold: Will. [[spoiler:At least until his powers activate.]] |
| 101 | * CampStraight: Mr. Boy is a somewhat effete fellow who talks about topics such as what colors go well with his eyes. He's also still crushing on the prettiest girl in high school after 27 years. |
| 102 | * CannotSpitItOut: [[spoiler:Layla to Will]]. |
| 103 | * CardboardPrison: ''Heavily'' {{averted|Trope}}. The entirety of the detention room in Sky High is a PowerNullifier, as well as the prisons. |
| 104 | * CardCarryingVillain: The film's bad guys don't beat around the bush with what they do, and the same is implied to be true for most other villains in this world. |
| 105 | * ChallengingTheBully: Thanks to his newfound powers, Will's friends decide he'd be able to defeat bullies Speed and Lash in a game of Save The Citizen. Though he spends the conversation insisting he has no interest in competing with them, the challenge is made anyway, with the stakes being a year without bullying or his friend's head being dunked in the toilet every day. |
| 106 | * ChekhovsClassroom: Subverted for Will, played straight for everyone else. |
| 107 | * ChekhovsGun: |
| 108 | ** More like [[spoiler:[[ChekhovsGun Chekhov's Pacifier]]]] - technically, it's an actual gun ''called'' [[spoiler:the Pacifier]]. |
| 109 | ** [[spoiler:The business card of Ron Wilson, Bus Driver.]] |
| 110 | ** The robot's eyeball. |
| 111 | ** Ron Wilson, Bus Driver taking time to mention the school's anti-gravity device. |
| 112 | * ChewOutFakeOut: Will trashes the school cafeteria, gets into a fight, and uses his powers when he wasn't supposed to. His dad punishes him by telling him no X-Box for a week. Will protests that he doesn't have one...at which point his dad reveals he's so proud of him for having powers that he bought him one. |
| 113 | * ChildhoodFriendRomance: Will and Layla, [[spoiler:though it isn't mutual until [[LastMinuteHookup the end]]]]. |
| 114 | * ClarkKenting: |
| 115 | ** Parodied with Steve and Josie Stronghold, who both wear thick glasses. While Steve accessorizes with vaguely 50s-style clothing, Josie just dresses like a normal mom. A normal HotLibrarian mom. |
| 116 | ** Royal Pain serves as a meta-example. [[spoiler:Her yearbook picture is Mary Elizabeth Winstead—who plays Gwen—[[HollywoodUgly in glasses and poorly done hair]]. Given that Gwen being Royal Pain is meant to be TheReveal, and Steve explicitly says that he "destroyed" Royal Pain, the movie seems to assume that the audience will not recognize Winstead in this picture. In fairness, the picture goes by pretty quick, leaving little time for comparison.]] |
| 117 | * ColorCodedCharacters: |
| 118 | ** There's a prevalent theme in pairing up characters with complementary color themes. Specifically, Will wears almost exclusively red, white and blue, plant girl Layla wears green, and human glow stick Zach wears neon and white. Justified, in that you would want to play up your powers to impress your classmates. Besides, if your parents are superheroes with similar powers, similar colors would be included in their costumes. Because they like those colors, you would be exposed to them throughout your childhood. |
| 119 | ** More generally, each of the seven main teen characters corresponds to a color of the rainbow: Warren for red, Ethan for orange, Zach for yellow, Layla for green, Will for blue, Magenta for, well, magenta (okay, it's purplish-magenta), and Gwen for violet. |
| 120 | * CombinationAttack: One of [[BattleCouple the Commander and Jetstream's]] famous moves is for Jetstream to fly the Commander into battle and throw him at an enemy, as shown early in the film when the duo take down a giant robot. |
| 121 | * ComedicSociopathy: |
| 122 | ** Mr. Boy, Boomer, and Medulla partake in this on occasion. |
| 123 | ---> '''Boy''': "Remember when we used to use REAL citizens?" |
| 124 | ** The cloaked mastermind frequently strangles Stitches when he's being annoying, to which he always replies "Uncle! Uncle!" |
| 125 | * ComedicUnderwearExposure: Poor [[ButtMonkey Zach]] has this briefly happen to him during the Hero Support [[InstantCostumeChange quick change]] lesson. |
| 126 | * ComicallyMissingThePoint: Will is more concerned about the fact that he [[spoiler: made out with someone his parents' age rather than the fact said person turned out to be a notorious supervillain]]. |
| 127 | -->'''Gwen:''' [[spoiler: Royal Pain wasn't my mother. [[ActuallyIAmHim Royal Pain is]] ''[[ActuallyIAmHim me!]]'']] |
| 128 | -->'''Will:''' Oh my god[[{{Beat}} ...]] [[spoiler: I made out with an old lady!]] |
| 129 | * CondescendingCompassion: How many Heroes, particularly Steve, behave toward Sidekicks. |
| 130 | * ConvectionSchmonvection: Averted. Warren can't use his fire powers while the group is crawling through a ventilation duct because the heat would fry the others. |
| 131 | * CorruptTheCutie: Will falls victim to this when he is sorted into the Heroes track and starts going out with Gwen. |
| 132 | * CoversAlwaysLie: The poster chose some... interesting positions to place the actors in relative to their characters' roles in the film. In particular, Layla is crammed into the back-right corner, and Warren is posed to look as menacing as possible. [[spoiler:Subverted, though. Warren is the RedHerring and (while it's reaching) Gwen holds a gun similar in shape to her villainous weapon.]] |
| 133 | * CrapsaccharineWorld: The setting is a colorful and comedic comic-booky world full of superheroes... who are governed by a FantasticCasteSystem that's drilled into their heads from at ''least'' their teenage years. There are also quite a few despicable super-criminals about, including at least one guy bad enough to earn ''[[LongerThanLifeSentence four consecutive life sentences]]''. |
| 134 | * CruelCheerleader: Exaggerated: Penny is not just ''one of'' Sky High's cruel cheerleaders, she's ''[[MesACrowd all of them]]''. |
| 135 | * CrushFilter: Every time Will looks at Gwen, she gets backlit and "True" starts to play. |
| 136 | * CurbStompBattle: |
| 137 | ** [[spoiler:Royal Pain versus Steve the second time. She just shoots him with the Pacifier to make him regress into being a baby. Then she follows it up by doing the same to Jetstream and most of the other supers at homecoming.]] |
| 138 | ** [[spoiler:Layla versus Penny, when one of Penny's clones slap her. They lampshade that they thought she was a sidekick.]] |
| 139 | ** Stitches versus [[spoiler:Ron Wilson, Bus Driver. Ron knocks him down with one punch]]. |
| 140 | * CyberCyclops: The giant robot defeated by Commander and Jetstream early in the film has a single eye as its sole facial feature, which the Commander decides to remove and keep as a souvenir. [[spoiler:It turns out to be a spying probe]]. |
| 141 | [[/folder]] |
| 142 | |
| 143 | [[folder:D-F]] |
| 144 | * DaddysLittleVillain: [[spoiler:Gwen was raised by Stitches to be evil, and she [[BerserkButton absolutely hates]] whenever someone (including Stitches himself) points this out. Also a rare instance of the "little villain" rather than the "daddy" being the dominant partner]]. |
| 145 | * DangerousDeviceDisposalDebacle: The Stronghold family defeated Royal Pain and took the villain's weapon, the Pacifier, as a new addition to their ever-growing collection of trophies -- even though they don't know what it does. Years later, Royal Pain plots to retrieve the Pacifier by stealing it back from the Strongholds. [[spoiler:Royal Pain even uses their tendency to collect trophies by sending a giant robot with a big shiny part for them to take -- which is actually a camera that lets her into the vault.]] |
| 146 | * DarkIsNotEvil: [[spoiler:Warren Peace]]. |
| 147 | * DatingCatwoman: |
| 148 | ** Warren has a superheroine mother and supervillain father. |
| 149 | ** [[spoiler:Will and Gwen, though in all fairness Will didn't know that Gwen was evil.]] |
| 150 | * DeadpanSnarker: |
| 151 | ** Magenta. She even dryly sings the aforementioned "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" line to tease Zach. |
| 152 | ** Warren Peace gives her a run for her money. Every second line out of his mouth is snark, usually aimed at the other main characters. |
| 153 | --->'''Warren''': [[ItMakesSenseInContext Does anyone else need a date for homecoming?]]\ |
| 154 | (''Ethan raises his hand, looking hopeful'') |
| 155 | * DeathGlare: Mr. Grayson gives Will a pretty epic one upon his first meeting with his daughter's new squeeze, apparently concerned that he's the boy with six arms and that he won't keep them to himself. |
| 156 | * {{Deconstruction}}: The film does this to a lot of popular superhero tropes, such as children of two superheroes winning the lottery (Will gets it, but Ron Wilson, Bus Driver, ended up with no powers whatsoever), various bitter villains and superheroes causing a lot of the problems, sidekicks never getting any respect and literally being expected to just hand things to their heroes, and the FantasticCasteSystem that often results in people with unique powers being put into the sidekick course because they're seen as "useless," such as [[spoiler:Sue Tenny]]. Thankfully, at the end, stuff like this seems to be going away. |
| 157 | * DefrostingIceKing: Warren after Will rescues him during Save the Citizen and as Layla becomes his MoralityPet. He even wears a tux to the dance despite saying he wouldn't rent one. |
| 158 | * DeliberateValuesDissonance: [[spoiler: The whole motivation for Gwen: back when she first attended Sky High as Sue, her powers weren't fully understood and seen as useless, so she was labeled a science geek and made a sidekick (not to mention during that time period in comics, there weren't many technopaths). Nowadays, her powers are seen for the useful and versatile abilities they are]]. |
| 159 | * DePowerZone: The school's detention room is designed to neutralize the powers of everyone who enters, thereby preventing any further problems from troublesome students. |
| 160 | * DerailingLoveInterests: It seems to happen with Gwen late into the film, [[spoiler:but it's averted when we find out it's actually her façade slipping and her revealing her true character]]. |
| 161 | * DesignatedGirlFight: Layla vs Penny. |
| 162 | * DestinationDefenestration: At the end of the film, [[spoiler:Gwen/Sue Tenny/Royal Pain forces Will out of Sky High's window only for him to use his mother's flying powers to return to the school]]. |
| 163 | * DiabolicalMastermind: [[spoiler:Royal Pain]]. |
| 164 | * DidntThinkThisThrough: |
| 165 | ** Warren tells Will in the climax to [[spoiler:go after Gwen since he, Ethan and Layla can handle Penny, Lash and Speed. The latter immediately split up the former in the ensuing fight, not allowing them to work as a team. Having Will there would have turned the tides much sooner]]. |
| 166 | ** When you stop and think about it, [[spoiler:Gwen’s]] entire EvilPlan [[spoiler:to turn heroes into babies and raise them as villains]] is this. Why? [[spoiler:Because she herself still remembers her entire life from before her own AgeRegression, meaning there's no reason the babified heroes wouldn’t have been the same way, making her plan to raise them as villains dead in the water.]] |
| 167 | * DieOrFly: [[spoiler:Royal Pain punches Will off the edge of the school. Thankfully, he discovers he can fly]]. |
| 168 | * DistractedByTheSexy: When Gwen goes over the rules of the school, Will gets completely lost in his CrushFilter while staring at her. "Rules? What rules?" |
| 169 | * DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength: Steve. The Commander's SuperStrength means that he sometimes [[DoesNotKnowHisOwnStrength has problems]] with household electronics when he gets upset. [[CrazyPrepared Luckily, he has extras.]] |
| 170 | *** Shown again when he puts a pool stick straight through the cue ball when he's aggravated. |
| 171 | ** [[spoiler:And Will, after he gets his powers. Justified, since Will is less experienced than his father.]] |
| 172 | * DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The climactic homecoming event has [[spoiler:a supervillain firing a (de-aging) gun into a crowd, taking out several adults (including teachers) before focusing on the panicking students who try to flee for their lives. It's not hard to see the similarity between Royal Pain's method and that of real-life mass murderers at schools]]. |
| 173 | * TheDogBitesBack: |
| 174 | ** Will gets attacked by Warren during their first encounter in the cafeteria. When Warren threatens his friends, however, Will takes him out with his newly-developed SuperStrength. |
| 175 | ** After being victimized by Speed and Lash earlier in the movie, Ethan plays a major role in [[spoiler:taking them out of commission during the climax]]. |
| 176 | * DoubleMeaningTitle: "Sky High" can refer to the SuperheroSchool itself or the immense expectations and pressure the adults place on the students. |
| 177 | * DragonTheirFeet: Kinda, sorta. Stitches is the last villain standing by the end. He attempts to get away with the [[spoiler:age-regressed superheroes]], but he's almost immediately taken down by [[spoiler:none other than Ron Wilson, Bus Driver]]. |
| 178 | * DrivesLikeCrazy: Ron Wilson, Bus Driver. |
| 179 | * DumbassHasAPoint: Curriculum example: it turns out that the sidekicks' decree to stay out of danger and not be a hero is legitimate when said sidekick's powers would make them TheMillstone. Zach mocks it, but in the climax he and Magenta take it to heart when neither of their powers [[spoiler:can stand up to Lash, Speed or Penny. Staying out of the way means that Warren only has to worry about himself and Ethan]]. |
| 180 | * DutchAngle: Almost every scene is shot this way. |
| 181 | * EarnYourHappyEnding: More so for Warren Peace than the others. He starts off as a loner because not even the snotty Hero track students want to be associated with him, due to his father being a giant criminal. Everyone assumes he's going to go evil as well, so he decides to play the part and attack Will when the latter accidentally trips on him. He starts mellowing out when Will insists on rescuing him from Speed during Save the Citizen; while he doesn't thank Will, he becomes nicer to Layla when she's stood up accidentally at the Paper Lantern and pulls out his dad's tux for the dance after finding out she's upset at Will. [[spoiler:The villains failing to recruit him bites them in the climax when he helps the Sidekicks escape and stands up to them, fully cementing himself as a hero. Cue him being lauded as such, getting TrueCompanions, and shedding his father's reputation.]] |
| 182 | * ElaborateUndergroundBase: The Secret Sanctum. |
| 183 | * ElaborateUniversityHigh: It starts off by being a floating and mobile campus in the sky to prevent villain invasions, accessible only by rocket powered school bus. |
| 184 | * ElmuhFuddSyndwome: Mr. Medulla [[spoiler:as a baby]]. |
| 185 | * EnemyMine: Lash and Speed force Will and Warren to team up during Save the Citizen. In a case of NiceJobFixingItVillain, not even Warren is petty enough to let his grudge against Will affect gameplay, and his JerkassHasAPoint moment is about Will focusing to win. Will then insists on saving Warren from Speed, who is suffocating him, and they win the game nonetheless. While Warren doesn't thank him, he drops most of his animosity towards Will, especially after talking to Layla. By the end of the movie, Will describes Warren as his best friend. |
| 186 | * EnergyRingAttack: The FreezeRay [[{{Technopath}} Gwen]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwxHkTiQy8Q assembles in science class emits a ray like this]]. |
| 187 | * EnterStageWindow: [[spoiler:Will flies back in through the broken gym window after Gwen throws him off the edge of the school during the final battle]]. |
| 188 | * EvenEvilHasStandards: |
| 189 | ** [[spoiler:After a particularly [[EvilIsHammy over-the-top]] moment from Stitches, Gwen gives a visible shudder and sneers "''Lunatic''." In the climax, she hands off a baby Commander to Stitches before fighting Will, showing she won't physically harm an infant]]. |
| 190 | ** Coach Boomer gleefully picks on his students, but when the villains start actively ''harming'' them at the climax, he [[MoreExpendableThanYou stays behind to give the main kids the chance to escape]]. |
| 191 | * EveryoneHasStandards: |
| 192 | ** Will [[spoiler:dumps Gwen when the latter makes Layla cry and leave Will's house in a rush. Will was head over heels for Gwen and didn't even know the context of her and Layla's altercation, but it doesn't matter - she made his best friend cry, she's ''gone'']]. |
| 193 | ** Warren is the one who bluntly tells Will that if [[spoiler:Layla hates him, then Will must have really screwed up. For Homecoming, Warren also shows up in a tux despite promising not to rent one]]. |
| 194 | * EveryoneWentToSchoolTogether: Most of the adults went to Sky High at around the same time. The cover of Steve's yearbook indicates they were the class of 1978. |
| 195 | * EvilCounterpart: [[spoiler:Gwen/Sue Tenny/Royal Pain is this to Layla. Gwen's technopathic abilities had been treated as a joke, and she was forced into a sidekick role, turning her into a villain. Layla herself has control over plants, but she doesn't show them off, nor does she turn her annoyance over the Sidekick/Hero rule into violence]]. |
| 196 | ** [[spoiler:Little bit of brilliance here, however. Sue was going to high school in the late 70s, when tech as she knew it was primitive compared to today's technology (even by evil genius standards). As such, she and the rest of the geeks were derided and humiliated. On the other hand, someone like Layla would have been a lot more welcomed in that era and most certainly would have had a lot more 'power' behind her abilities.]] |
| 197 | * EvilDetectingBaby: The [[spoiler:parents/superheroes]]-turned-infants begin to cry when being loaded into an "evil bus," [[spoiler:Will's father]] especially when being spoken to by [[spoiler:Royal Pain]]. |
| 198 | * EvilIsHammy: |
| 199 | ** [[spoiler:Gwen]] turns on the ham when [[spoiler:she reveals herself as Royal Pain]]. |
| 200 | ** It runs in the family - [[spoiler:Stitches is over-the-top to such a degree he gives ''Gwen'' the creeps]]. |
| 201 | * EvilPlan: The BigBad wants revenge, but that's actually a sidenote to their real agenda, [[spoiler:turning everyone in the school into babies and repurposing the school as a villain training center]]. |
| 202 | * EvilSoundsDeep: The cloaked mastermind has a very deep, intimidating voice with a metallic tinge, courtesy of Creator/PatrickWarburton. [[spoiler:Said mastermind turns out to be a teenage girl (albeit a deaged one) using a voice scrambler]]. |
| 203 | * EvilTwin: Parodied, when Coach Boomer invites Medulla on a double-date with a female hero ''and'' her evil twin. When we see the date, it's with Boomer looking on in disgust as Medulla enjoys the attention of both ladies. |
| 204 | * ExactWords: |
| 205 | ** Layla will only use her powers if a situation demands it, and she doesn't like using them "for violence". [[spoiler:A situation that demands it would be a supervillain smacking her in the face, and she wraps the latter in vines to incapacitate rather than hurt them.]] |
| 206 | ** Warren says he won't rent a tux for Homecoming. He shows up wearing one that used to belong to his dad. |
| 207 | ** Will orders Ron Wilson to get help if he's not back in thirty minutes from [[spoiler:stopping Royal Pain in the climax]]. Ron listens, but then he notices someone hijacking the school buses. [[spoiler:Since it was less than thirty minutes, Ron has no problem with leaving his bus and decking Stitches in the face before he can make off with de-aged students, teachers, and superheroes]]. |
| 208 | * TheFaceless: Royal Pain’s face is kept concealed inside a helmet until the climax of the film. |
| 209 | * FalseDichotomy: Layla, asked to demonstrate her powers, claims that the hero/sidekick dichotomy is a false one but is cut off by Boomer declaring her a sidekick. |
| 210 | * FantasticCasteSystem: The Hero-Sidekick dichotomy is drilled into the heads of everyone at Sky High, and there's a subtle undercurrent throughout the film that [[InherentInTheSystem it's the source of the majority of the conflict]]. |
| 211 | * FantasticRacism: Replace Fantastic Racism with Fantastic Elitism, and the archetype still fits here. A very low-key one, but those in "Hero Support" are often looked down upon by those deemed hero worthy. It becomes a plot point later on, to say the least. |
| 212 | * FastballSpecial: With Will playing the part of Colossus, and Warren playing the part of Wolverine. |
| 213 | * FatAndSkinny: Speed (the fat guy) actually has SuperSpeed, but Lash (the skinny guy) has [[RubberMan stretching powers]]. |
| 214 | * TheFettered: Layla will only use her powers when "a situation demands it," like comforting her best friend after a bad first day of school, rather than to show what she can do to the coach. [[spoiler:This comes in handy when she has to fight Penny, who thus has no idea what Layla is capable of when she really cuts loose.]] |
| 215 | * FireForgedFriends: [[spoiler:[[{{Pun}} Especially in Warren's case]]]]. |
| 216 | * FirstGirlWins: [[spoiler:Will and Layla, who he's known since first grade, get together.]] |
| 217 | * FlyingCar: Sky High's school bus, appropriately enough, is a flying bus. |
| 218 | * {{Foil}}: |
| 219 | ** Gwen and Layla, to each other. One's powers are derived from technology, the other's from nature. One is an overachiever, the other doesn't ''want'' to achieve in what she sees as a corrupt system. One's a senior, the other's a freshman. Finally, of course, they both like the same guy. [[spoiler:They also both have serious axes to grind with Sky High's system, but while Layla resists nonviolently, Gwen [[FaceHeelTurn has other ideas]].]] |
| 220 | ** Will, Warren, and Gwen form a foil triangle of children defined by who their fathers are. Will admires his father for all the good he doers, but he also feels immense pressure from him to carry on his legacy rather than be his own person. Warren has to live with the stigma of having one of the world's worst supervillains for a father, and everyone expects him to turn out the same rather than care about who he really is. Gwen [[spoiler:is also the (adopted) daughter of a supervillain, raised by him for the sole purpose of revenge. Unlike Warren, she gleefully lets this fact define her]]. |
| 221 | * FollowInMyFootsteps: Steve took it hard that Will [[spoiler:still]] didn't have any superpowers to enable him to become a superhero, but both Steve and Josie say he could still go into real estate. |
| 222 | * {{Foreshadowing}}: |
| 223 | ** Coach Boomer drops a car on Will to test his strength and a spring trap to determine whether he could fly. Will failed both tests, [[spoiler:but those were the superpowers he developed later on]]. |
| 224 | ** When the nurse and Will were talking about inherited superpowers (or lack thereof), [[FunnyBackgroundEvent Ron Wilson was outside swinging a broom like a weapon]]. Guess what he uses as a weapon [[spoiler:once he gets his powers later on]]? |
| 225 | *** The nurse explains that falling into a vat of toxic waste is the only way somebody without powers can get them (that, or getting bitten by a radioactive insect). |
| 226 | ** Pay close attention when Will's parents talk about what a weirdo they thought Sue Tenny was in High School. Gwen, who is on a date with Will, seems annoyed at this. [[spoiler:It turns out she ''is'' Sue Tenny[=/=]Royal Pain. Of course she was upset. They just insulted her right to her face.]] |
| 227 | ** Similarly, note how casually but firmly [[spoiler:Gwen tries to flip past the page with Sue Tenny's picture.]] |
| 228 | ** Also, when Steve notices the picture of Sue Tenny in the Yearbook, Gwen has a quick panicked reaction. More specifically she reacted like someone who got caught. [[spoiler: She was likely worried that he might have recognized her.]] |
| 229 | ** Will misses Gwen's advice on how not to fall off the edge of the school on his first day due to being [[DistractedByTheSexy too engrossed in her hotness]]. At the climax, Will ''does'' fall off the edge of the school... [[spoiler:because the selfsame Gwen, as Royal Pain, pushes him off]]. |
| 230 | * ForgotAboutHisPowers: When the BigBad traps an entire school of students and teachers with superpowers in the gym, no one ever bothers to use their powers to escape, considering the only thing blocking their escape routes are simple fire shutters. Only the Commander, Jetstream and Coach Boomer seem to take action but are defeated before they could use their powers. |
| 231 | * ForTheEvulz: [[spoiler:Penny, Speed, and Lash, apparently. Unlike Gwen and Stitches, they're never given any {{Freudian Excuse}}s or likable quirks. They seem to be fairly popular in school, which would write off being kindred spirits to Gwen as motivation]]. |
| 232 | * FountainOfYouth: The Pacifier's [[spoiler:real purpose. It de-ages anyone who is unlucky enough to encounter its beam. Royal Pain got hit by it in her final fight with Will's parents, and she gets her revenge by turning it on them. Mr. Boy is the only one who resists it for a fairly long while, and he needs to be hit twice for it to take effect]]. |
| 233 | * FreezeFrameBonus: Among other things, you can see the athletic banners hanging in the Sky High gym that list some other sports aside from Save the Citizen they play there (such as "Danger Maze") as well as read excerpts from Steve's yearbook. |
| 234 | * FreezeRay: Built by Will and Gwen in Medulla's class; Medulla promptly [[ComedicSociopathy turns it on a failing student who confused rays with beams]]. |
| 235 | * FromNobodyToNightmare: Steve probably regrets [[spoiler:picking on Sue Tenny in high school. She grows up to become his archnemesis, Royal Pain]]. |
| 236 | * FunnyBackgroundEvent: |
| 237 | ** During Will's conversation with the nurse, [[{{Foreshadowing}} Ron Wilson is outside swinging a broom like a weapon]]. |
| 238 | ** While the BigBad is monologuing outside during the climax, Stitches is skipping down the school steps like a child. |
| 239 | * FullNameBasis: Ron Wilson, Bus Driver |
| 240 | * FullNameUltimatum: In the Sanctum, the Commander calls Will by his full name (William Theodore Stronghold)... [[spoiler:and cheerfully celebrates with Will for the latter possessing his superpowers.]] |
| 241 | [[/folder]] |
| 242 | |
| 243 | [[folder:G-L]] |
| 244 | * GadgeteerGenius: Gwen can build ray guns with her mind. |
| 245 | * GenerationXerox: The powers that Will gains come from both his parents; he gains his father's strength during the one-on-one battle with Peace, then he gets his mother's flight [[spoiler: as he delivers the final blow to Gwen/Royal Pain]]. |
| 246 | * GenreThrowback: This really wouldn't be too different or feel out of place if it were a SaturdayMorningCartoon of the 1980's. |
| 247 | * GilliganCut: When going over the blueprints of Royal Pain's generator, it's shown you have to be a rat to get into the vents. Everyone stares at Magenta, who replies "[[OhCrap Oh, great.]]" Cut to her, as a guinea pig, crawling through the vents. |
| 248 | * GirlPosse: Penny herself is [[SelfDuplication an entire girl posse]]. |
| 249 | * GoodAllAlong: Warren Peace. |
| 250 | * GoodIsNotNice: Gwen had Will wrapped around her little finger due to his crush. He tolerated her clique's anti-sidekick behavior for her sake, but she finds out the hard way that he has a hard limit. Will dumps her on the spot the instant he realizes that Gwen hurt Layla and cost Will her friendship. [[spoiler:Gwen is actually the BigBad]]. |
| 251 | * {{Goth}}: Magenta, and not a [[PerkyGoth perky]] one but a cynical, snarky one. |
| 252 | * GotVolunteered: |
| 253 | ** How Will ends up playing Save the Citizen against Lash and Speed. |
| 254 | ** Happens again in the very same scene when Zach says that if Will loses, they can dunk Ethan's head in the toilet every day until graduation. |
| 255 | * GranolaGirl: Layla is an outspoken feminist and environmentalist. |
| 256 | * GreaterScopeVillain: |
| 257 | ** The original Royal Pain, [[spoiler:aka Sue Tenny]], was the inventor of the Pacifier that is the lynchpin of the modern villains' scheme but was killed when the weapon malfunctioned during a fight with the Commander seventeen years prior. [[spoiler:Or so it seemed...]]. |
| 258 | ** Baron Battle, Warren's father, is an even eviler villain with a massive impact on the backstory. As he's presently serving a [[LongerThanLifeSentence quadruple-life sentence]] with no chance of parole until his third life, we never actually get to see him. |
| 259 | * GreenThumb: Layla. Though she's classified as "Hero Support" (AKA a sidekick), she ultimately shows as much power as any of her superhero classmates. |
| 260 | * HarmlessFreezing: Happens to several characters, in various ways. It is treated with levity. |
| 261 | * HarmlessLiquefaction: Ethan has the power to melt himself into a puddle. |
| 262 | * HateSink: |
| 263 | ** The BigBad is undoubtedly evil, but they have a [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds fairly understandable motive]], and their SecretIdentity is someone the audience may well have wanted to like. Speed and Lash, by contrast, are two bullying and borderline sociopathic {{Jerk Jock}}s who torment everyone they encounter (including teachers) for no reason whatsoever. [[spoiler:They end up signing on with the aforementioned BigBad at the end of the film, again seemingly for no reason other than amusement]]. AlphaBitch Penny is just as meant to be hated as the two, [[spoiler:to the point where she is also outed as villain whose malicious actions make you wish for her to die]]. |
| 264 | ** [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]] with Boomer. He's certainly the least sympathetic teacher, and the film invites you to hate him as the face of the FantasticCasteSystem, but when the chips are down he does prove he has a more functional moral compass than Penny, Speed, and Lash [[spoiler:since he tries to fight off the baddies while the trio join up with them]]. It helps that he's [[LargeHam hilarious]], as well. |
| 265 | * HeartIsAnAwesomePower: |
| 266 | ** [[spoiler:The viewer is initially led to believe Ethan's ability to turn into a puddle is useless. Near the end of the film, however, it turns out to be absolutely perfect for ''setting up a sneak attack''. Lash never saw Ethan coming]]. Note that [[spoiler:right before he takes down Lash, Ethan demonstrates the ability to flow ''vertically'', something he'd never done before then]]. |
| 267 | ** Mr. Boy's teachings seem useless at first: how to change costumes instantly, stay out of danger while improvising, and work as a team to support your hero. While the costume change never comes up -- except to allow Stitches to make a dramatic entrance -- it turns out that if you change "supporting your hero" to "supporting each other," then it makes a bunch of seemingly pointless superpowers work together. For Magenta, at least, staying out of the climactic fight [[spoiler:with Lash and Speed means that she's able to crawl through the school piping to get to Royal Pain's sabotage]]. |
| 268 | ** An in-universe example. [[spoiler:Nobody saw the value of technopathy, causing Sue Tenny to be put into the sidekick class. She grew up into the supervillain Royal Pain and managed to build a de-aging gun and PoweredArmor with the intent of turning all the superheroes into babies and raising them as an army of villains (and nearly succeeded both times). As Gwen, her powers were evaluated as Hero-class when she re-enrolled, primarily because technology had moved on a lot since the late 70s.]] |
| 269 | * HellYesMoment: |
| 270 | ** Will, when his powers awaken in the middle of a fight with Warren. |
| 271 | ** [[spoiler:Layla won't use her powers except in self-defense. One of the villains, believing their side has already won and that Layla's a wimp anyway, attacks her just to be petty.]] "Big. Mistake." Also counts as a LetsGetDangerous moment. |
| 272 | * HeroicWillpower: Despite having ''no'' powers that we can see, Mr. Boy [[spoiler:gets hit in the back by the Pacifier while holding a baby Jetstream and holds on long enough to spit out half of an AnguishedDeclarationOfLove before Royal Pain hits him again. Note that the Commander and Jetstream de-aged in ''seconds'']]. |
| 273 | * HeroicSacrifice: |
| 274 | ** Mr. Boy opens himself up to an attack from Royal Pain to [[spoiler:save a de-aged Josie and make sure she wasn't hurt in the fall]]. |
| 275 | ** The teachers immediately shout at each other in the climax to protect their students, getting [[spoiler:de-aged as they order the kids to find or make an exit. Special notice to Coach Boomer, who holds off Royal Pain rather than save himself]]. |
| 276 | * HeWhoFightsMonsters: [[spoiler:As Gwen Grayson, Sue is the walking embodiment of the FantasticCasteSystem that she hated when she was in school, what with her ridiculing sidekicks the same way that she used to be ridiculed]]. |
| 277 | * HighSchool: Well, obviously. |
| 278 | * HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:Ethan's ever-so-glorious revenge on Lash for all the {{swirlie}}s he receives from him and Speed]]. Also, [[spoiler:Royal Pain fell victim to it when the Pacifier turned her into a baby]]. |
| 279 | * HoldTheLine: During Save the Citizen, Warren shouts at Will to get the citizen dummy as he distracts Speed. Before, Speed was blocking anyone from approaching the DeathTrap. Will nearly does go for the dummy until he sees Speed suffocating Warren. He switches gears and saves Warren before tossing him to grab the dummy seconds before it's mulched. |
| 280 | * HoneyTrap: [[spoiler:Gwen is a decidedly PG variant - she becomes Will's girlfriend to get access to his house, and by extension the Secret Sanctum and the Pacifier. Also a rare instance of the main villain doing the "trapping" personally]]. |
| 281 | * HookedUpAfterwards: Arguably, Zach and Magenta. Warren and Freeze Girl also count. |
| 282 | * HufflepuffHouse: No named characters from Sky High's junior class appear in the film. By comparison the protagonists are freshmen, Gwen and the three bullies are seniors, and Warren is ''probably'' a sophomore, [[SeriesContinuityError though some sources call him a freshman too]]. |
| 283 | * HybridPower: Will thinks he's powerless because his abilities are rather late to bloom. Turns out he gets ''both'' his dad's brute strength and his mom's flight (at different times), making him a FlyingBrick. |
| 284 | * IAmNotLefthanded: Layla, when she reveals her powers after [[spoiler:Penny hits her in the climax]]. |
| 285 | * IdiotBall: A very light case, with Steve. |
| 286 | ** Josie gets one in the climax. She sees red when [[spoiler:Royal Pain de-ages her husband and decides to charge head-on rather than using the homecoming decorations as an ImprovisedWeapon or any strategic maneuvering. She gets hit easily and turns into a baby, nearly falling to her death if not for Mr. Boy]]. |
| 287 | ** Bigger one handed to the entire school near the climax. [[spoiler:Over a hundred super heroes can't figure out a way out past barriers you'd see in a normal school hallway. None of them seem to even be trying to use any powers to aid the situation since the [[MoreExpendableThanYou teachers are more concerned about saving the students]] (other than Warren, when he opened an AirVentPassageway), opting instead to grab the barrier and shake. Though, perhaps it's a case of FridgeLogic; you could argue that they are at a school for SUPERHEROES, and such emergency barriers would be designed to survive powered assault. However, that DOES bring the question of why they don't just try to [[ThereWasADoor break down the walls.]]]] |
| 288 | * IfIDoNotReturn: Will and Ron Wilson, Bus Driver, have this exchange: |
| 289 | -->'''Will:''' If I'm not back in 30 minutes...\ |
| 290 | '''Ron:''' Come in after you!\ |
| 291 | '''Will:''' ...I was gonna say "get help".\ |
| 292 | '''Ron:''' [''crestfallen''] Get help. Right. |
| 293 | * IJustWantToBeSpecial: Ron Wilson, Bus Driver! |
| 294 | ** Will, [[spoiler:at first]]. |
| 295 | * ImpliedLoveInterest: Zach and Magenta. |
| 296 | * InLoveWithTheMark: [[spoiler:There are scant but definitely existent hints that Gwen's feelings for Will might be becoming real, though it's not elaborated on much. She looks genuinely concerned for him on occasion, most notably when he's being beaten up by the bullies at Save the Citizen, and her angry reaction when Will breaks up with her indicates she actually intended on continuing the relationship even after getting the Pacifier - though precisely ''what'' her endgame for him was is completely unexplored]]. |
| 297 | * InTheBlood: [[spoiler:Will inherited the powers of ''both'' his parents]]. |
| 298 | * InWithTheInCrowd: Will becomes popular after manifesting cool powers and defeating Speed and Lash at Save the Citizen, even becoming the boyfriend of the senior StudentCouncilPresident. Unfortunately, he leaves his freshman friends behind in doing so. |
| 299 | * IncomingHam: Ron Wilson, Bus Driver! |
| 300 | * IncompletelyTrained: They're all still in Superhero School. |
| 301 | * InherentInTheSystem: There's a strong undercurrent throughout the film that the Hero-Sidekick FantasticCasteSystem is the ultimate problem that causes all the conflict, from encouraging bullying and etching favoritism amongst the students to [[spoiler:actively breeding supervillains from both arrogant heroes and bitter sidekicks]]. |
| 302 | * InsistentTerminology: The "polite" term for a sidekick is "Hero Support." In practice, it comes off just as condescending. |
| 303 | * InstantCostumeChange: Appears to be a latent [[RequiredSecondaryPowers secondary power]] for ''every'' Super, even Sidekicks. Mr. Boy can change from his teaching clothes to his hero uniform after ducking under a desk for two seconds, and there's a scene in the TrainingMontage that shows the Sidekicks all managing to change clothes while quickly running behind a screen-divider. |
| 304 | * InsultBackfire: After Layla [[spoiler:incapacitates Penny and her clones]]: |
| 305 | -->[[spoiler:'''Penny''']]: But I thought you were a sidekick!\ |
| 306 | '''Layla''': [[TranquilFury I ''am'' a sidekick]]. |
| 307 | * InterruptedDeclarationOfLove: Mr. Boy is halfway through one [[spoiler:towards Jetstream as Royal Pain turns the Pacifier on him. Interestingly enough, it took ''two'' hits to take him down]]. |
| 308 | * ITakeOffenseToThatLastOne: |
| 309 | ** At Homecoming, on learning in order that [[spoiler:Gwen is Royal Pain, she has the Pacifier, her "father" is her sidekick, and the whole thing was a trap for the Commander and Jetstream]], the Commander can only say with wonder [[spoiler:"Royal Pain is a girl?"]] |
| 310 | ** Royal Pain only [[spoiler:attacks Will when he says "I made out with an old lady"]]. |
| 311 | * JadedWashout: Coach Boomer. Steve Stronghold, outraged over the coach putting Will in Hero Support, rants about how Boomer "never made the big time" and now uses his position to pass judgment on other heroes' kids. He doesn't seem that far off in his assumption, as Boomer treats his students terribly throughout the film and arbitrarily labels them as "hero" or "sidekick" based on whether he thinks their powers are any good. |
| 312 | * {{Jerkass}}: |
| 313 | ** Speed and Lash, who even pick on teachers. [[AllThereInTheManual The official website]] implies they're favorites of Boomer, which may be how they get away with it. [[spoiler:The climax confirms them to be JerkWithAHeartOfJerk villains]]. |
| 314 | ** Coach Boomer himself is a thoroughly unpleasant and bigoted teacher who is strongly implied to vent his frustrations with his own failed superhero career on his students. [[Film/SchoolOfRock Those who can't do, teach, and those who can't teach, teach gym]]. That said, [[spoiler:when Royal Pain starts turning everyone into babies, his first act is to tell Warren to get as many people as he can out while he tries to slow her down]], so he [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold does care in his own way]]. |
| 315 | * JerkassHasAPoint: |
| 316 | ** During Save the Citizen, Will focuses when Warren tells him to keep his head in the game rather than let Gwen distract him. Later, Will silently agrees when Warren tells him that [[spoiler:if Layla hates Will, then Will must have really screwed up]]. |
| 317 | ** Played with in regards to Boomer's Hero-Sidekick sorting. |
| 318 | *** On one hand, Boomer relegating those not fortunate enough to win the SuperpowerLottery to Sidekick duty could be seen as NecessarilyEvil, and ''why'' he's given that job. This is a school designed to create superheroes that have to go toe-to-toe with supervillains and city-wide threats: giant robots, huge monsters, evil geniuses armed with high-tech arsenals, and the like. Are they really supposed to rank the people who can [[SuperStrength punch through walls]], [[{{Flight}} fly]], and run at SuperSpeed with the girl who can turn into a guinea pig? They'd end up [[CurbstompBattle curbstomped]] by the first superpowered villain they fight, and most of the sidekicks would get their asses kicked by a BadassNormal. They do their part in the climax, but that's largely because they've got a FlyingBrick, a [[PlayingWithFire pyromancer]], and a ComicBook/PoisonIvy expy to handle the heavy-duty heroing and also because of [[ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman multiple convenient coincidences that make them useful]]. |
| 319 | *** On the other hand, Will's father Steve thinks Boomer deliberately washes some real heroes' kids out as a form of petty revenge for not making the "big time" (i.e. not having advanced beyond "gym teacher"); Will had to explain that in Will's case he really ''didn't'' have powers. [[spoiler:At least at that time.]] Will's mother, Josie, is specifically mentioned as both able to fly '''and''' an expert martial artist. If Sky High trains the high-level heroes in martial arts, why not the lesser-powered heroes who could actually use those fighting skills to augment their abilities? Why are the high-level heroes the ones who get the advanced technology like rays, and the lesser-powered heroes are expected to fork weapons over in a combat situation? Because no one expects the "hero support" to do anything. |
| 320 | * JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Warren Peace and Coach Boomer. |
| 321 | * JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: Penny is probably the most heartless character in the film, [[spoiler:with her being a villain backing this up]]. Same with Lash and Speed. |
| 322 | * JustOneLittleMistake: [[spoiler:Gwen apparently just couldn't resist being rude to Layla at the party, which leads to Will deciding not to go to the dance with her, which also leads to him uncovering the EvilPlan essentially by sheer coincidence]]. |
| 323 | * KnowWhenToFoldEm: |
| 324 | ** The Sidekicks and Warren realize that they can't take on [[spoiler:Royal Pain]] in a straight fight; some of the adults try, but they get shot [[spoiler:with the Pacifier]] while shouting orders to each other. Instead, [[spoiler:Warren follows Coach Boomer's instructions to make an exit and helps the sidekicks evacuate through the air vents]]. [[spoiler:Royal Pain's ''lackeys'', however are relatively easier pickings for them since Warren has fought Speed and Lash before]]. |
| 325 | ** After Layla shows off her powers, [[spoiler:Penny and her clones reveal that if they stay in the school everyone will die, since Royal Pain is going to blow it out of the sky. Penny may be a heartless henchwoman, but even ''she'' doesn't want to lose her life]]. |
| 326 | * KryptoniteFactor: Briefly demonstrated in a scene featuring Medulla teaching the "Hero Support" class. |
| 327 | * LargeHam: Coach Boomer. Makes sense, considering his powers and the fact that he's played by Creator/BruceCampbell. Stitches, as well. |
| 328 | * LargeHamTitle: Less pronounced than most with Ron Wilson, Bus Driver! |
| 329 | * LastMinuteHookup: [[spoiler:Will and Layla]]. |
| 330 | * LegacyCharacter: |
| 331 | ** Subverted. [[spoiler:The current Royal Pain was believed to be the original's daughter, but she was the original after being de-aged.]] |
| 332 | ** Steve really wants Will to be ''his'' LegacyCharacter, a source of much angst for the latter. |
| 333 | ** Warren Peace. His parents are a superhero and supervillain. There's a lot of hinting in the first half of the film that he could go either way. [[spoiler:In reality, he's all hero, but everyone thinks he'll go villain anyway, resulting in much anguish for him]]. |
| 334 | * LegFocus: Zach compliments Magenta's... [[PlayedForLaughs while she's a guinea pig]]. |
| 335 | * LettingHerHairDown: Inverted. Gwen for most of the movie has her hair in stylish, relaxed waves as she attempts to hide her cattiness. [[spoiler:When she reveals herself as Royal Pain, her hair is tied up in a sensible bun so that it can fit under her helmet. It gives her a sterner look and reveals to Will and the audience that she is definitely a NoNonsenseNemesis and supervillain to boot]]. |
| 336 | * LetsGetDangerous: |
| 337 | ** Downplayed with Mr. Boy, who [[spoiler:leaps into action to rescue a de-aged Josie. While it doesn't do much to save everyone else (and he soon goes down himself), it's impressive that he kept her from getting hurt and was fighting the beam with all he had]]. |
| 338 | ** Hero Support has to pool their powers with Mr. Boy's teachings and clever strategies to [[spoiler:take down Royal Pain and her posse. They conduct themselves beautifully, especially Layla and Ethan]]. |
| 339 | * LifeIsntFair: When Layla complains that Power Placement and splitting kids into Heroes and Sidekicks based on how cool Coach Boomer thinks their powers are isn't fair, Will has this surprisingly deep retort: |
| 340 | -->'''Will''': If life were to suddenly get fair, I doubt it would happen in high school. |
| 341 | * LightEmUp: Zach, but he just [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway glows]]. |
| 342 | * LikeBrotherAndSister: Layla claims this of Will. [[spoiler:She's lying.]] |
| 343 | * LimitedWardrobe: Played with -- each student's clothing varies day to day but with the same colors and design, hinting toward their emerging SuperHero personas. |
| 344 | * LogicalWeakness: Warren's flame-based powers can be neutralized in a vacuum, as shown in the Save the Citizen gym fight when Speed runs around him. |
| 345 | -->'''Mr. Medulla''': The vortex sucks away the oxygen. No oxygen, no flame. |
| 346 | * LongerThanLifeSentence: There's a passing mention that Baron Battle had received a quadruple life sentence, with no chance of parole until after the third. |
| 347 | * LoserFriendPuzzlesOutsiders: Students are segregated by class (no, not that kind of class). "Heroes" (the kids with conventionally useful powers) are treated as - and believe themselves to be - superior to "Sidekicks" (everyone else). When the "Hero" protagonist befriends several "Sidekicks", it bemuses the other "Heroes". |
| 348 | * LoveInterestTraitor: [[spoiler:Will goes out with the older Gwen, whose role is showing him the ropes of superhero school in between being sweet on him. Turns out she just wanted the weaponized FountainOfYouth in his basement..]]. |
| 349 | * LoveTriangle: Gwen <-> Will <-> Layla. Becomes a quadrangle with one open end if Warren is included, though it's never made clear how genuine his feelings for Layla were; this would apparently have been explored in one of the never-made sequels. |
| 350 | * LuredIntoATrap: [[spoiler:Penny]], while chasing Layla, mocks how she's not fighting back. Layla, however, runs for a room with plants outside and moves towards them on the pretense of retreating. [[spoiler:When she gets close enough and Penny hits her, it's not even a fight.]] |
| 351 | [[/folder]] |
| 352 | |
| 353 | [[folder:M-P]] |
| 354 | * MadeOfIron: |
| 355 | ** The instructors state that Will has no powers...after he has already taken several hospitalizations' worth of punishment during tryouts with no injury. |
| 356 | ** Warren is thrown face first into a concrete overhang, falls, hits a table hard enough to splinter it to pieces, is thrown ''through'' a wall into a pillar hard enough to ''break it in half'' and then gets up (looking not the worse for wear, except for the debris all over him). He ''goes back for more''. Surely, that boy is made of stronger stuff. Being MadeOfIron is possibly a secondary power. |
| 357 | --->'''Warren''': ''(angrily; to Will)'' You think I can't take a hit? |
| 358 | ** Nurse Spex mentions getting kicked through a wall by Will's dad. Make of this what you will. |
| 359 | * MadScientist: The school has a Mad Science ''class'', taught by one. |
| 360 | -->'''Medulla''': Rays! Ftom the silliness of the shrink ray to the devastation of the death ray, these are the very foundations of Mad Science. |
| 361 | * MadScientistsBeautifulDaughter: [[spoiler:Hinted at with Gwen, until we learn ''she's'' actually the Mad Scientist herself. She's still a [[LargeHam hammy]] [[VillainousHarlequin evil clown's]] beautiful adoptive daughter, if that counts]]. |
| 362 | * MagicPants: Seems to be the case with most of the super-powered individuals. When Ethan melts, so do his clothes. When Magenta shapeshifts, her clothes seem to just meld into her guinea pig form's fur and are back on her when she returns to human form. The weirdest would probably be an unnamed shapeshifting boy who is somehow able to manipulate the clothing he's wearing, as well as his body. This is probably for the best, seeing as they're all supposed to be high school students. |
| 363 | * MakingASplash: Ethan. Although he [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway doesn't control water, he can "melt" into some kind of liquid (and can't do anything while in it)]]. |
| 364 | * ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler:[=Gwen/Royal Pain=]]]. |
| 365 | * MaskedVillainsUnmaskedHeroes: The main villain Royal Pain wears a face-concealing helmet. The Commander and Jetstream obscure their identities through ClarkKenting, and their superhero costumes don't have masks. [[TheHero Will]] and his friends don't wear masks either. |
| 366 | * MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: While Will and Gwen share their first kiss, [[spoiler:Speed sneaks into the Secret Sanctum and steals the Pacifier]]. |
| 367 | * MeaningfulName: |
| 368 | ** Warren Peace, the son of a hero and a villain. [[PunnyName It's like "war and peace"]], [[DontExplainTheJoke GET IT?]] |
| 369 | ** Coach Boomer. His superhero name used to be Sonic Boom, to boot. |
| 370 | *** In what is almost certainly a parody of the StevenUlyssesPerhero trope, Steve's yearbook reveals that his real last name is ''Boomowski''. |
| 371 | ** [[RubberMan Lash]] and [[SuperSpeed Speed]]. |
| 372 | ** [[SuperStrength Stronghold]]. His first name fits, too. Will, as in "William" but also as in "''willpower''." |
| 373 | ** Principal POWERS. |
| 374 | ** [[TheSmartGuy Professor Medulla]]. |
| 375 | ** The Pacifier. [[spoiler:"My dear Commander, who said anything about killing you?"]] |
| 376 | * MetronomicManMashing: Will does this to [[spoiler:Royal Pain]] when they fight. |
| 377 | * MisfitMobilizationMoment: Happens when [[spoiler:Will, Layla, Warren, and the sidekicks fight Royal Pain's invasion during Homecoming]]. |
| 378 | * MissingMom: Gwen's died when she was a baby. [[spoiler: It's MetaphoricallyTrue.]] |
| 379 | * MoodLighting: During the fight sequences, and when [[spoiler:Sky High is falling]]. |
| 380 | * MoralityChain: Layla for Will. As Gwen seduces Will into CorruptTheCutie, he spends less time with Layla. [[spoiler:When Gwen hurts Layla's feelings, however? Will dumps her and calls Layla a dozen times begging for her forgiveness.]] |
| 381 | * MoralityPet: Layla is the first person in the film that Warren treats with kindness, offering to heat up her cold entrée in the Paper Lantern microwave. He may hate Will, but he has nothing against Will's "sidekick". When [[spoiler:she "asks" him to Homecoming, though he only agreed to make Will jealous, he digs his dad's tux out and wears it for her]]. |
| 382 | * MoreExpendableThanYou: The teachers [[spoiler:are the first to go down in the fight with Royal Pain after she de-ages Steve and Josie. Mr. Boy risks his life to save "Josie" from a deadly fall after she's de-aged, Principal Powers' first concern is for the students, and Boomer focuses on telling everyone to make an exit]]. |
| 383 | * MotionComic: As an AffectionateParody to the superhero genre, the intro and credits sequence are drawn with a comic book style involving some animation. |
| 384 | %%* MotorMouth: Zach, to some degree. |
| 385 | * MrFanservice: Warren Peace is TallDarkAndHandsome and extremely ripped for a high schooler. Steven Strait was a male model before he began acting. |
| 386 | * MsFanservice: Jetstream's costume shows a lot of skin, as does Gwen's Homecoming gown. |
| 387 | * MuggleBornOfMages: Subverted with Will. He's just a late bloomer who didn't get his powers until a few days after starting at Sky High. Played straight with Ron Wilson [[spoiler:until the WhereAreTheyNow epilogue reveals he fell into a vat of radioactive waste and became a {{Sizeshifter}}]]. |
| 388 | * MundaneUtility: |
| 389 | ** Subverted when Warren offers to heat up Layla's now cold meal. She protests that they're not supposed to use their powers outside the school, but he explains he was just gonna put it in the microwave. |
| 390 | ** Played straight for most of the movie, as most of the kids' power uses fall under this heading. Layla spruces up houseplants (and picks fruit off of trees), Gwen helps Will in mad science class, Zach illuminates a classroom when the power goes out, Speed and Lash bully kids and dominate gym class, etc. In fact, minutes after Warren's above protest, he lights a candle in the restaurant he works at with his powers. |
| 391 | ** Among the staff, Nurse Spex uses XRayVision to check students for broken bones, Principal Powers uses her ability to turn into a comet to teleport anywhere in the school, and Coach Boomer uses his voice to...[[LargeHam sound intimidating]]. |
| 392 | * MyBrainIsBig: Professor Medulla. |
| 393 | * MyGodWhatHaveIDone: PlayedForLaughs. When Will realizes that his date was [[spoiler:the villain all along,]] he is shocked... cause he was dating someone who was [[spoiler:actually older than she looks.]] |
| 394 | * MysteriousWatcher: The Strongholds are unwittingly under surveillance by the mysterious cloaked mastermind (and Stitches) for most of the film, with their exact goals only becoming apparent toward the end. |
| 395 | * NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Royal Pain is the supervillain BigBad and archenemy to Will's dad. [[spoiler:They are further revealed to be a supervillain''ess''.]] |
| 396 | * NearVillainVictory: The bad guys might very well have won had [[spoiler:Will not stayed home reading his dad's old yearbook instead of going to Homecoming. By chance, he happens upon a picture of Sue Tenny holding the Pacifier. From there, he works out the connection between her and Gwen]]. |
| 397 | * NeverBeAHero: The message drilled into Hero Support is "Just stand back and hand me the silver-tipped crossbow, kid, and don't block my camera angles while you do it." |
| 398 | * NeverTrustATrailer: One of the Creator/DisneyChannel bumpers for the film rearranges the dialogue for the Layla vs. Penny fight, With Layla responding to Penny's ''"I thought you were a sidekick!"'' line with ''"Big mistake!"'' In the film itself, she says ''"Big mistake!"'' as a PreAsskickingOneLiner before unleashing her powers. Her ''actual'' response to Penny's line is ''"I '''''am''''' a sidekick!"'' |
| 399 | * NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: Will is tossed out a window... [[spoiler:and discovers he can fly]]. This is [[{{Foreshadowing}} foreshadowed]] (albeit subtly) when he's had his FirstKiss with Gwen: [[spoiler:he shoots out his arm in a triumphant punch like ComicBook/{{Superman}} and ''flies along the street'', grabbing a post and swinging on it to slow himself. He probably thought it was just his SuperStrength which elevated him. Maybe he was too ecstatic to really notice (he's a teenager), or perhaps he took note but just managed to master it until he needed to use it]]. It must be remembered that [[spoiler:his mother's power is flight, and so it's not implausible to inherit abilities from ''both'' his parents]]. |
| 400 | ** [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] when Will [[spoiler:reveals he can fly]], including [[spoiler:Royal Pain]]'s reaction as well, shortly before Will kicks ass. |
| 401 | -->'''Will:''' Surprised? Well ''so am I!''\ |
| 402 | '''[[spoiler:Royal Pain]]:''' You're [[spoiler:flying]]?! That's impossible! |
| 403 | * NiceGuy: Will's key feature, often shown by his willingness to try to talk to his foes as opposed to fighting. Also, Ron Wilson, Bus Driver! |
| 404 | * NiceJobBreakingItHero: |
| 405 | ** The Commander's habit of keeping trophies allows [[spoiler:Royal Pain to put a spy camera in the secret hideout]]. |
| 406 | ** Will breaking the one rule to let no one in the hideout at the worst possible time [[spoiler:allows Royal Pain to steal back the Pacifier]]. |
| 407 | * NighInvulnerability: Steve, thanks to his SuperStrength. Also [[spoiler:Will]], once he gains his powers. |
| 408 | * NoHoldsBarredBeatdown: Will and [[spoiler:Royal Pain]] deliver one to each other in the climax. [[spoiler:It seems Royal Pain wins at first, but then Will's flying powers come in, and he uses them to surprise her.]] |
| 409 | * NoOSHACompliance: |
| 410 | ** Inverted: the launch ramp for the Sky High school bus is marked with a number of signs so no ordinary driver goes near it. |
| 411 | ** Also played straight: While Sky High's location changes regularly to foil attacks or villain recruitment, it lacks a force field or anything beyond voluntarily followed rules to prevent anyone getting flung off the edge of the school and falling to their death if they can't fly. |
| 412 | * NonActionGuy: Unusually enough for a wielder of SuperStrength, Will. His fights with both Warren and [[spoiler:Gwen]] begin with a sincere attempt to reason with them, only defending himself when he mistakenly presses their {{Berserk Button}}s - and even then, he's shown to be a pretty terrible fighter who relies on [[UnskilledButStrong awkward improvised moves made up for with sheer brawn]] to win. |
| 413 | * NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup: [[spoiler:The Pacifier. Despite being built by Royal Pain, the whole EvilPlan rests on getting it back from the Strongholds. It seems Royal Pain just could not build another. Possibly justified by the original being a group design based on the picture of the Science Club. Also, she seems to have forgotten everything about her past life, while retaining her powers. She didn't ''know'' how to make it from scratch, and even if she did, she's a supervillain. She'd steal it just for poetic revenge. Also justified by the fact that she's a technopath rather than an actual genius. She can make stuff but might not really understand how it works. Reference the number of times Forge has created stuff and never been able to recreate or undo them again]]. |
| 414 | * NotSoDifferentRemark: Realizing how much the sidekicks are bullied, [[spoiler:Will shows empathy for Royal Pain being bullied as a sidekick when apologizing to Gwen for what his dad did to "her mom". This goes out the window when Royal Pain admits that she didn't have a mother; she IS the original Sue Tenny]]. |
| 415 | * NotSoAboveItAll: Mr. Boy is established as the OnlySaneMan of the teachers, doing what he can to teach his students on the "lesser" Sidekick track. Even so, he chuckles at the memory of real citizens being used in Save the Citizen. |
| 416 | * NoYouGoFirst: Layla is going to confess to Will that she likes him, by asking him to the school dance. As she was going to talk about the school dance, Will figures it's the perfect time to mention that he's going with the most popular girl in school. So, Layla ends up telling him that she's going as well, [[OperationJealousy with his archenemy]]. |
| 417 | * NotWearingTights: Notably, only the adult heroes wear SpandexLatexOrLeather, and then only when in action or on special occasions. |
| 418 | * NotWorthKilling: |
| 419 | ** Inverted; instead of shooting him [[spoiler:with the Pacifier to go with her future villain students]], [[spoiler:Royal Pain]] actively tries to kill Will. |
| 420 | ** Played straight when [[spoiler:Lash, Speed, and Penny]] only go after the "sidekicks" after realizing [[spoiler:they escaped the gym and start taunting them with their powers]]. |
| 421 | * OhCrap: |
| 422 | ** Will panics when he first crosses paths with Warren before their fight in the cafeteria. Then, Warren has one when Will's SuperStrength manifests itself and he is about to be PunchedAcrossTheRoom. Will has ''another'' one when he realizes that Principal Powers is going to send him and Warren to the detention room. |
| 423 | ** Lash and Speed when Will finally develops super-strength and confronts them about tripping him in the cafeteria. |
| 424 | ** Will has one after a tearful Layla leaves his party and realizes Gwen isn't who she seems to be after all. |
| 425 | ** Will again has two in quick succession later on when he looks through his father's yearbook and notices that [[spoiler:Sue Tenny looks ''exactly like Gwen'', and that her Science Club picture in the yearbook has her holding the Pacifier. Then, he notices that the actual Pacifier (which his father had kept as a trophy in the Sanctum) is ''gone'']]. |
| 426 | ** Everyone at the Homecoming event gets a MassOhCrap when [[spoiler:Gwen reveals herself as Royal Pain]]. The Commander recovers quickly, however, in favor of [[spoiler:marveling that Royal Pain is a girl and mocking her for thinking a mere gun could kill him]]. |
| 427 | ** Penny, when [[spoiler:Layla is about to use her plant powers to interrogate her]]. "Big mistake," ''indeed''. |
| 428 | ** Royal Pain, when [[spoiler:she realizes that Will can fly and is about to give her a beatdown]]. |
| 429 | ** Stitches, when [[spoiler:Ron Wilson forces him off his bus]]. |
| 430 | ** The Timmermans, when [[spoiler:they realize that Sky High is about to fall on them. Fortunately, they are saved, and their new home doesn't get destroyed]]. |
| 431 | * OldSuperhero: |
| 432 | ** Chronically unappreciated All-American Boy is the past-his-prime sidekick without the retired superhero. His assigned mentor, the Commander, is still operating at his peak, while All-American Boy is now teaching "hero support" classes in the titular hero school. However, he is far from decrepit and is still able to help the heroes. |
| 433 | ** Boomer is also implied to have washed out of a formal superheroic career and takes his bitterness out on his students. |
| 434 | * OlderSidekick: |
| 435 | ** [[spoiler:Stitches to Gwen, sorta.]] |
| 436 | ** Also Ron Wilson, Bus Driver to Will. |
| 437 | * OlderThanTheyLook: Will is seriously grossed out when when he learns that [[spoiler:Gwen is Sue Tenny.]] |
| 438 | -->[[spoiler:"I made out with an old lady!"]] |
| 439 | * OnThree: Catching the ongoing party thrown by the students at his house, Commander angrily orders every guest to get out of the house as he counts to three. |
| 440 | * OnlySaneMan: |
| 441 | ** Adults and students alike goes DeerInTheHeadlights in the climax when [[spoiler:Royal Pain uses the Pacifier on Commander and Jetstream]] before fleeing in a blind panic, as the teachers try to protect the kids. Mr Boy is one of the exceptions as his sidekick training kicks in; he tosses his snacks, leaps into the air and [[spoiler:catches a de-aged Josie before she can fall and seriously hurt herself]]. |
| 442 | ** ''Warren'' of all people grabs the SmartBall in the climax when Coach Boomer orders him to find or make an exit from the gym as [[spoiler:Royal Pain starts her rampage]]. Rather than flee in a panic as most of the students are doing, he leads the sidekicks to an air vent and blasts it open. |
| 443 | * OperationJealousy: Layla started a fake relationship with JerkWithAHeartOfGold Warren Peace in order to annoy Will. Warren, who disliked Will for his own reasons, was happy to oblige. |
| 444 | * OppositesAttract: A somewhat more literal case of this trope. At the end of the movie, [[spoiler:a girl with [[AnIcePerson ice powers]] expresses an interest in [[PlayingWithFire Warren]], who seems to reciprocate that interest]]. |
| 445 | * OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent: Will, and most of the others, too. |
| 446 | * PaperThinDisguise: |
| 447 | ** The Commander is wearing glasses and Steve Stronghold is not, [[LampshadeHanging as Layla points out]], and his disguise is totally [[ClarkKenting different from Superman]]. |
| 448 | ** Averted with [[spoiler:Royal Pain]]. The Commander is completely surprised when it turns out [[spoiler:his archnemesis is a "girl," and the girl he had invited to dinner a few weeks ago. That's because Royal Pain's armor covers her body completely, and she uses a voice modulator]]. |
| 449 | * PaperTiger: The giant robot the Strongholds are shown fighting early goes down with a single hit. Justified because [[spoiler:the whole point of the robot was to give the Commander an opportunity to collect a trophy that enables Royal Pain to see inside the Commander's hideout.]] |
| 450 | * ParentalBonus: |
| 451 | ** Will walks Gwen home and is confronted by a DeathGlare from her father, who demands to know if he's the boy with six arms. Will assures him he has only two, but Mr. Grayson still insists he keep them to himself. |
| 452 | ** At Homecoming, Mr. Boy offers a morose Layla a drink, assuring her that the bubbles in the punch are "only" ginger ale. |
| 453 | * PeerlessLoveInterest: How Will sees Gwen, much to Layla's irritation. |
| 454 | * PetTheDog: It's part of the EvilGloating, but [[spoiler:Royal Pain wraps a baby Commander in her cape while she's monologuing to him rather than leaving him naked]]. |
| 455 | * PhosphorEssence: Subverted with Zach: he can glow in the dark... [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway and that's about it]]. |
| 456 | * PickOnSomeoneYourOwnSize: Inverted with Royal Pain, [[spoiler:after she's de-aged and is now eighteen years younger than her archnemesis. It turns out she still has it out for the Commander and plans her revenge by de-aging him and Jetstream so they'll know what it's like]]. |
| 457 | * PicturePerfectPresentation: With {{Bookends}}. Will's voiceovers at the beginning and end are, respectively, comic book art turning into live-action and live-action becoming comic art. |
| 458 | * PlayingWithFire: Warren. |
| 459 | * PlotTailoredToTheParty: In the climax, everyone's powers become useful and are used, even the [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway lame powers like glowing.]] |
| 460 | * PluckyComicRelief: Zach, the most goofy and enthusiastic of Will's sidekick friends. |
| 461 | * PolitenessJudo: Will, after apologizing to [[spoiler:Royal Pain]] for what [[spoiler:his dad did to her "mom"]], asks that the latter [[spoiler:put his de-aged father (who is now a helpless infant) down]]. It actually works in that [[spoiler:Gwen gives the baby Commander to Stitches before she finishes her EvilGloating, reveals that "Royal Pain is ME", and launches into a fight with Will]]. |
| 462 | * PoweredArmor: What Royal Pain [[spoiler:a.k.a. Sue Tenny/Gwen Grayson]] develops to fight on the same level as [[SuperStrength the Commander]] and [[{{Flight}} Jetstream.]] It also seems to contain a CranialProcessingUnit, as it powers down once [[spoiler:Will shatters Royal Pain's helmet. However, FridgeLogic: since Royal Pain WAS a Technopath, she could have been animating the armor with her powers]]. |
| 463 | * PowerNullifier: The Detention Room. |
| 464 | * PowerPerversionPotential: Alluded to -- when Will walks Gwen home, her dad asks accusingly "You're not that boy with the six arms, are you?" |
| 465 | * PragmaticVillainy: [[spoiler:Why kill your worst enemy when you can de-age him and turn him into your supervillain protégé?]] |
| 466 | * PredecessorVillain: [[spoiler:Sue Tenny was the original Royal Pain, inventor of the Pacifier, and architect of the EvilPlan. Gwen is initially mistaken for her daughter, but she is actually Sue herself, grown up all over again after her previous self's supposed death actually turned her into an infant]]. |
| 467 | * PrettyFlyForAWhiteGuy: Zach dresses, and sometimes acts, like a stereotypical white rapper. |
| 468 | * ProductPlacement: |
| 469 | ** A Coca-Cola drinking fountain can be seen in the cafeteria scenes, including the scene where Will inadvertently comes into conflict with Warren. |
| 470 | ** After Will gains his powers while fighting with Warren, his father presents him with an Xbox console. |
| 471 | * PsychoticSmirk: It's easy to miss as the camera isn't focused on him. Right as the BigBad is revealed, [[spoiler:Mr. Grayson]] sports one, betraying his allegiance to the villain. |
| 472 | * PubertySuperpower: In some cases. [[spoiler:Will gets his powers in his early teen years, while Layla apparently had hers when she was in kindergarten.]] |
| 473 | * PunchedAcrossTheRoom: When Will develops SuperStrength during his fight with Warren in the cafeteria, the first thing he does is punch Warren across the cafeteria and through Medulla's office. |
| 474 | * PunnyName: Warren Peace. Sounds like the term "war and peace". |
| 475 | [[/folder]] |
| 476 | |
| 477 | [[folder:R-T]] |
| 478 | * {{Racist Grand|ma}}pa: Will's grandfather, the patriarch of the Stronghold superhero dynasty, apparently hated Sidekicks, according to his son. He's never actually seen in the film, though, and may be deceased. |
| 479 | * RadiationInducedSuperpowers: |
| 480 | ** Referred to by the school nurse: |
| 481 | -->"The kids who get bit by radioactive insects or fall into a vat of toxic waste, their powers usually show up the next day. Or - they die." |
| 482 | ** Also by Layla and Magenta |
| 483 | -->"I forget. Did Tigerman get bit by a radioactive tiger, or was he bit by a regular tiger and then exposed to radiation?" |
| 484 | * RainbowMotif: Each of the six main teen characters dresses mainly in one of the colors of the rainbow. |
| 485 | * RaiseHimRightThisTime: [[spoiler:Inverted. Royal Pain was regressed to a baby by her own Pacifier device, then she was raised by her henchman to be evil again. And her evil plan is to do the same to as many superheroes and Sky High students as she can.]] |
| 486 | * RedHerring: Warren's dad, but not [[spoiler:Gwen]]'s. |
| 487 | ** More blatantly is Mr. Medulla and Coach Boomer, who are usually together and clearly positioned in a way to make the viewer suspect that they are the two shadowy villains seen throughout the movie. [[spoiler: They aren't, it's actually Gwen and her "father".]] |
| 488 | * {{Reincarnation}}: [[spoiler:Gwen Grayson functionally serves as this to Sue Tenny in a sci-fi variation of this trope portrayed by means of RaiseHimRightThisTime (which they decidedly did ''not'' in this case)]]. |
| 489 | * RelationshipUpgrade: [[spoiler:"In the end, my girlfriend became my arch enemy, my arch enemy became my best friend, and my best friend became my girlfriend. But, hey, it's high school."]] |
| 490 | * RescueEquipmentAttack: Will ends his fight with Warren by using one of the school's fire extinguishers just before he gets burned alive. |
| 491 | * RevengeBeforeReason: [[spoiler:As Gwen, Sue had all the popularity and adoration that she'd wanted during her own school days, but she threw it all away in the name of revenge on Will's parents]]. |
| 492 | * RewatchBonus: If you were to watch the scene where Will walks Gwen home with the knowledge that [[spoiler:Gwen is Royal Pain]], you may be able to pick up that her father, Mr. Grayson, [[spoiler:is actually Stiches under a civilian guise]]. On a similar note, pay close attention to Gwen while the Strongholds are looking through Steve's yearbook. [[spoiler:She tries to flip right past the pages with her pictures on them.]] |
| 493 | * RiddleForTheAges: There are a good number of unresolved questions in the film, which may or may not have been answered in the never-made sequels. They include: |
| 494 | ** What is Mr. Boy's power, how did he save Steve's life, and why does Steve seem to barely remember him in the present? |
| 495 | ** Will we ever get to see Baron Battle? |
| 496 | ** For that matter, what's the full story on [[NoodleIncident the other villains Steve took trophies from]]? |
| 497 | ** [[spoiler:Did Gwen have genuine feelings for Will? If she did, is this heartwarming or ''incredibly'' squicky?]] |
| 498 | ** [[spoiler:Did Warren have genuine feelings for Layla?]] |
| 499 | ** [[spoiler:Perhaps most tantalizingly, was the Hero-Sidekick dichotomy abolished following the Royal Pain incident, or did it somehow manage to survive?]] |
| 500 | * RudeHeroNiceSidekick: All the "hero" kids were obnoxious stuck up {{Jerk Jock}}s. All the kids relegated to "{{sidekick}}" were fairly decent [[spoiler:(until Will did kind of a FaceHeelTurn upon becoming a hero)]]. |
| 501 | * RuleOfFunny: In the DVD Bonus Features, there's one question which Kevin [=McDonald=] (in his Medulla costume -- large head and all) answers "Yes, I agree", and then he consents for the editors to use him saying that for anything they like. Throughout the documentary, they randomly cut to him saying "Yes, I agree" for virtually anything. It's hilarious. |
| 502 | * RunningGag: Stitches constantly getting choked by Royal Pain and desperately yelling "Uncle! Uncle! Uncle!" |
| 503 | * SamusIsAGirl: [[spoiler:The Commander is ''very'' surprised to learn that his former archnemesis is the girl who he invited to dinner a few weeks ago]]. |
| 504 | -->"Yes I'm a girl, you idiot! How I ever lost to a fool like you, I'll never know." |
| 505 | ** Though, to be fair, [[spoiler:Royal Pain's armor IS kind-of masculine, and it has that voice modifier]]... |
| 506 | * SassyBlackWoman: Penny. |
| 507 | * SealedWithAKiss: [[spoiler:Will and Layla at the end of the film]]. |
| 508 | * SearchingTheStalls: During the final fight, Lash searches the bathroom stalls for Ethan after the latter melts and retreats into the boys' bathroom before the former can punch him. When Lash finally finds the stall Ethan was hiding in, it seems as though he flushed himself, [[spoiler:but Ethan surprises Lash from behind and kicks his head into the toilet, giving him the ultimate swirlie]]. |
| 509 | -->'''Ethan:''' [[spoiler:Sucks for you!]] |
| 510 | * SecretIdentity: The Strongholds, and likely most superheroes. |
| 511 | * SelfDisposingVillain: [[spoiler:Sue Tenny, when the Pacifier blows up in her face. With a bit of FridgeBrilliance, Gwen also qualifies; she already ''had'' everything she wanted to begin with, and her willingness to throw all that away for {{Revenge}} is what causes her to lose in the end]]. |
| 512 | * SelfDuplication: Penny, the one-woman cheerleading team. |
| 513 | * SeriesContinuityError: |
| 514 | ** When Steve is on the phone with his customer Mr. Timmerman at the beginning of the film, the latter's first name is stated to be "Burt." However, when [[Creator/TomKenny he]] physically shows up at the end, it's suddenly "Chester." |
| 515 | ** Warren's school year is never stated in the film itself, and the [[AllThereInTheManual supplementary materials]] disagree with each other on whether he's a freshman or a sophomore. Fans tend to assume sophomore, likely because he's not in the Power Placement scene with the other incoming freshmen. |
| 516 | * ShapedLikeItself: The film's moral notwithstanding, Will and Warren ''are'' the Heroes and their friends ''are'' the sidekicks. |
| 517 | * SheCleansUpNicely: Layla has this reaction when she sees Warren in a tux. |
| 518 | * SheFu: Penny does this while [[DesignatedGirlFight fighting]] Layla. [[spoiler:Taunting her this way turns out to be a horrible idea; she could have just ''not'' backed Layla into a room with plants outside and won.]] |
| 519 | * ShipTease: Zach and Magenta. They're frequently together, take each other to Homecoming on the basis of their mutual dislike of Homecoming, Zach asks if she needs protection from Warren, and later he even [[LegFocus compliments her (guinea pig) legs]]. |
| 520 | * ShipperOnDeck: Steve and Josie are shipping their son with Gwen from the instant they meet her. [[spoiler:Boy, do they end up regretting ''that'']]. |
| 521 | * ShoutOut: |
| 522 | ** Gwen Grayson's name may be a reference to prominent comic book characters '''Gwen''' [[ComicBook/SpiderMan Stacy]] and [[ComicBook/{{Nightwing}} Dick]] '''Grayson'''. It is also a reference to the tendency for comic book characters to have alliterative names. |
| 523 | ** Will has a poster in his room of fellow superhero team Music/TheAquabats. |
| 524 | ** While teaching "English for Hero Support", Mr. Boy wrote on the blackboard [[ComicBook/{{Batman}} Holy (blank), (blank)man]]. |
| 525 | ** The name of the Secret Sanctum is almost certainly a reference to the [[ComicBook/DoctorStrange Sanctum Sanctorum.]] |
| 526 | ** During Save the Citizen midway through the movie, Speed runs around Warren fast enough to lower the air pressure around him, just like ComicBook/TheFlash did during a Silver Age battle with an alien. |
| 527 | ** See Nurse Spex's line at the top of the page. |
| 528 | ** Possibly unintentional, but Will and Warren are able to win "Save the Citizen" by using a [[ComicBook/XMen Fastball Special]] |
| 529 | ** Mr. Boy's given name is [[Series/TheWaltons Johnathan]]. |
| 530 | ** Some fans believe Layla Williams may be named for ''Laurey'' Williams, the lead female character in ''Theatre/{{Oklahoma}}'', both due to the similarity in their names and the fact that it's mentioned that the future Commander and the future Baron Battle competed over the lead male role of Curly, Laurey's love interest, when they were in school - reflecting Layla's own romantic prospects in the two men's sons. |
| 531 | ** Steve mentioned a Hawaiian villain called King Kamehamayhem, a reference to the historical Hawaiian ruler King Kamehameha. |
| 532 | ** Magenta doesn't remember if Tigerman was ''[[Franchise/SpiderMan bitten by a radioactive tiger]]'' or bitten by a normal tiger and then exposed to radiation. |
| 533 | * SidekickGlassCeiling: Largely how the Hero-Sidekick dichotomy here works. |
| 534 | * SinisterSuffocation: During the game of "Save the Citizen", Speed creates a vortex around Warren to drain the oxygen around him. Will is noticeably horrified by this strategy, as he immediately relinquishes the opportunity to win the game and hurries to save his partner instead. |
| 535 | * SittingOnTheRoof: Will and Layla do this after the first day of school. |
| 536 | * SmackOnTheBack: Will has just gotten his powers and his super-strong dad hugs him, which is somewhat painful. |
| 537 | -->'''Will''': OOOWW! |
| 538 | -->'''Dad''': Sorry! |
| 539 | -->'''Will''': *''grins and hugs him back''* |
| 540 | -->'''Dad''': OW! You ''are'' strong! |
| 541 | * SmugSnake: Penny is a rare female example, as well as Lash, Speed, and (to a lesser extent) Coach Boomer. |
| 542 | * {{Soaperizing}}: The characters' relationships are surprisingly well-developed. |
| 543 | * TheSociopath: The BigBad, Royal Pain aka [[spoiler:Gwen Grayson is a very pretty and seductive woman, but she is also a [[ManipulativeBitch calculating]] [[ConsummateLiar liar]] and a violent [[ItsAllAboutMe narcissist]] (the Commander even described her as a complete and total psychopath)]]. |
| 544 | * SoLongSuckers: [[spoiler:Penny blows a mocking kiss at the people she locks in the gym]]. |
| 545 | * SoProudOfYou: |
| 546 | ** When Will's superpower manifests itself, the Commander is proud that his son inherited his powers. |
| 547 | ** When the Commander and Jetstream recognize the kids as heroes - and the Commander (for the first time ever) [[DudeWheresMyRespect treats Mr. Boy with respect]] [[RelegatedMentor for what he has been doing all these years]]. |
| 548 | --->'''The Commander:''' And, Jonathan; whatever you're teaching them, keep teaching them... it.\ |
| 549 | (''the Commander shakes his hand as an equal, and Jetstream kisses him on the cheek'') |
| 550 | * SpandexLatexOrLeather: Latex, Camp/kid-friendly. Mr. Boy's costume from when he was All American Boy was spandex. As mentioned elsewhere, the kids all wear CivvieSpandex. |
| 551 | * StarterVillain: Early in the film, the Commander and Jetstream battle a giant robot, with the Commander defeating it with ease. This seems to be invoked by the BigBad, as [[spoiler:the robot's eye has a camera inside that the Commander takes as a souvenir, allowing them to see inside the Commander's lair]]. |
| 552 | * StatingTheSimpleSolution: In one scene, Will and his friends discuss their Hero Support homework. One question concerns a radioactive zombie attacking their hero, with one option being to hand the hero a crossbow. Zach points out that in such a situation, the sidekick could simply use the crossbow themselves. |
| 553 | * StevenUlyssesPerhero: The same as PunnyName above, but used so much that it deserves both entries. A particularly ridiculous one is Baron Battle's real name: ''Barron'' Battle. |
| 554 | * StudentCouncilPresident: Gwen is this to Sky High. She's not quite [[AbsurdlyPowerfulStudentCouncil all powerful]], but she's allowed to plan events and clearly well-liked by both the students and the teachers. However, it is revealed that Gwen is [[spoiler:Royal Pain]]. |
| 555 | * SuicidalGotcha: [[spoiler:After Royal Pain throws Will out a window during their fight, he (much to both his and her surprise) flies right back up]]. |
| 556 | * SuperFamilyTeam: Steve wants to found one, "The Stronghold Three," with his wife and Will once the latter graduates. Will is less than interested. |
| 557 | * SuperheroSchool: Sky High itself, of course. |
| 558 | * SuperpowerfulGenetics: Superpowered parents tend to have superpowered kids. There's only one instance on record of two superpowered parents having a child with no powers: poor, poor Ron Wilson, Bus Driver. |
| 559 | * SuperSpeed: Speed ([[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin obviously]]). |
| 560 | ** Also seems to be a latent ability within every superhero ''and'' sidekick. Mr. Boy and the rest of the Hero Support class are able to change into their outfits in seconds, and during the climax, Stitches is able to change into his supervillain outfit while literally standing next to Steve and Josie. |
| 561 | ** During a deleted scene, Josie performs an InstantCostumeChange behind a tree. |
| 562 | * SuperSpit: One incoming freshman's saliva is acidic. |
| 563 | * SuperZeroes: Poor, poor Mr. Boy. It's never really explained if he even has powers at all; he's shown to be able to jump much farther than a normal human would be expected to, but this may simply be an instance of the overall exaggerated tone of the film. |
| 564 | * SuspiciouslyAproposMusic: The song "Voices Carry" accompanies the scene where [[spoiler:Gwen manipulates Layla into abandoning Will, Will discovers Gwen is not as nice as he thought and she was just using him, and he breaks up with her.]] |
| 565 | * {{Swirlie}}: A common thing bullies do. Lash and Speed regularly do this to Ethan. [[spoiler:Ethan later does this to Lash out of revenge during the final fight.]] |
| 566 | * SycophanticServant: Stitches is a thoroughly deranged, little man who was apparently so loyal to the original Royal Pain, that [[spoiler:he not only raised her de-aged self for seventeen years for revenge but also willingly resumed his henchman position (complete with physical abuse) once she became a teenager]]. |
| 567 | * SympathyForTheDevil: Despite all that she did to him and Layla, [[spoiler:Will is very sympathetic when he realizes his ex-girlfriend had something to do with Sue Tenny, assuming Sue was her mother. He listens to Gwen's speech about how Sue Tenny was shunted to the sidekick track and apologizes for his dad killing Sue in their final battle. The sympathy goes away when Gwen reveals she is a de-aged Sue Tenny, not the latter's daughter, and he appropriately squicks out on realizing "I made out with an old lady."]] |
| 568 | * TalkingTheMonsterToDeath: Will always tries this with an opponent first, only resorting to violence in self-defense. |
| 569 | * TallDarkAndHandsome: Warren Peace. |
| 570 | * TaughtByExperience: In the climax, [[spoiler:Warren doesn't let Speed get close enough to suffocate him again. He's ready to fire as Speed tries to taunt him while keeping his distance. The minute Warren gets an opening thanks to Ethan, he takes down Speed with one timely blast]]. |
| 571 | * {{Technopath}}: Gwen Grayson is the {{Trope Namer|s}}, though the power existed previously. |
| 572 | * TemptingFate: The Commander mocks Royal Pain for thinking the Pacifier could "kill him" and doesn't bother to dodge when "the toy gun" fires at him. [[spoiler:It successfully turns him into a baby instead]]. |
| 573 | * ThisCannotBe: Royal Pain yells "You're flying?! That's impossible!" when [[spoiler:she realizes that Will has finally gained flying superpowers from his mother]]. |
| 574 | * ThisIsNotADrill: Averted. In the climax, you would expect this trope would come into play and that all the heroes and students gathered in a gym would be ready for a real emergency. [[spoiler:Nope. It turns out that if someone fires a gun into a crowd, even one that doesn't kill people, the actual adults left will focus on getting the students to safety and leave themselves open to fire while the students themselves regress to blind panic, meaning ''no one'' is prepared to handle a trigger-happy supervillain]]. |
| 575 | * ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman: There are quite a few impressive coincidences that can only be solved by one of the random powers that the Sidekicks have. |
| 576 | * TimeForPlanB: Will eventually reveals to his parents that his powers never awakened. As a result, he was shunted to "Hero Support". The Commander says it's possible that he is a late bloomer, but is forced to acknowledge that Will may remain powerless. He and Josie discuss what to do, and Josie vetoes tossing their son in toxic waste. They decide that they'll do all they can to support Will, and Commander realizes that real estate is still an option. |
| 577 | * TooFastToStop: Does Speed in ''twice''. |
| 578 | * TookALevelInBadass: Ron Wilson, Bus Driver and Ethan. |
| 579 | * ToxicWasteCanDoAnything: It's established that being dipped into a pool of toxic waste will either grant the person superpowers (if they're lucky) or kill them (if unlucky). [[spoiler:In the epilogue, Will reveals that Ron Wilson, Bus Driver was dipped into toxic waste and is now a giant]]. |
| 580 | * TrailersAlwaysSpoil: The trailer makes it seem like the main conflict of the movie is Will's lack of super powers. Then, approximately ten seconds later, it shows him with super strength and flight — at which point the viewer realizes there's probably more to this movie that they're not saying, and there goes the element of surprise. |
| 581 | * TraumaticSuperpowerAwakening: [[spoiler:Super-strength and super-flight for Will. The former happens when Warren Peace threatens his friend, and the latter when Royal Pain tosses him out of the school]]. It's implied that this is how everyone gets their powers. |
| 582 | ** Somewhat [[DownplayedTrope downplayed]] and more stretched out for Zach. |
| 583 | --->'''Will''': How was your summer?\ |
| 584 | '''Zach''': To be honest, it was tough, man. [[MisspellingOutLoud T-U-P-H]]. I was seriously sweatin' it. My dad going, "Zach, I powered up before I started shaving." And here's me, dude, halfway through August... And zip.\ |
| 585 | '''Will''': Oh, so you... You don't have your powers.\ |
| 586 | '''Zach''': [[InnocentlyInsensitive You think I'd even show up today if that happened?]] No. No, no. Woke up a few days ago and... Bam! |
| 587 | * TwinThreesomeFantasy: Accidental in-universe case of this; Coach Boomer convinces Medulla to go on a double date with him, a superheroine, and her EvilTwin. The date ends with Medulla dating both the heroine ''and'' her evil twin, with Boomer being something of a third wheel. |
| 588 | [[/folder]] |
| 589 | |
| 590 | [[folder:U-Y]] |
| 591 | * TheUglyGuysHotDaughter: Gwen Grayson, Sky High's resident knockout, turns out to be the daughter of a weedy little NerdGlasses-sporting guy who's noticeably shorter than she is. [[spoiler:But not by blood]]. |
| 592 | * UnderestimatingBadassery: |
| 593 | ** Layla gets shunted into the sidekick track for refusing to participate in the FantasticCasteSystem on principle. While the other Hero Support students really do have highly situational powers, the villains learn to their cost that she's actually ''seriously'' powerful. |
| 594 | ** Stitches rolls his eyes when Ron Wilson, Bus Driver confronts him for using the school buses without permission. He goes down in one punch; just because Ron doesn't have powers doesn't mean he lacks fighting skills. |
| 595 | * UnequalPairing: Will and Gwen; her behavior at times comes off as almost predatory, [[spoiler:which was probably the point]]. |
| 596 | * UnfazedEveryman: Being a MuggleBornOfMages, Will is always amusingly nonplussed by the weirdness that comes with living among superhumans his whole life. |
| 597 | * UninvitedToTheParty: After Will becomes popular in the Hero Course and starts to abandon his friends from Hero Support, he throws a party at his house and forgets to invite his friends -- specifically, his {{Childhood Friend|s}} and next-door neighbor Layla. She sees the party going on next door and walks inside to try and find Will, but she gets told by the AlphaBitch that Will doesn't want her there. Humiliated and heartbroken, Layla goes home. This is the incident that starts to snap Will out of his AcquiredSituationalNarcissism. |
| 598 | * UnrequitedLoveLastsForever: Mr. Boy towards Jetstream. This is [[LampshadeHanging lampshaded]] by his AnguishedDeclarationOfLove before being Pacified. |
| 599 | * UnskilledButStrong: The ''only'' reason Will is able to make it through any of his fights is his ability to tank damage like no other. His fight with [[spoiler:Royal Pain]] is full of haymakers, shoulder tackles, and simply flinging his opponent around like a rag doll. |
| 600 | * UnusuallyUninterestingSight: Boomer's scream upon learning the Commander's son has no powers shakes the school to its foundation, and Principal Powers' only reaction is to catch her potted plant before it falls over without even looking up from her notes. |
| 601 | * UnwillingSuspension: This is done to the inflatable "Citizen" in the Save the Citizen game in Sky High, to simulate villains doing this to their captives. Will mentions at the end how after they replaced the citizens with the actual villains no one saved the Citizen anymore, but we're to assume that's a joke because [[DontExplainTheJoke he said as much.]] |
| 602 | -->"Remember when we used to use real citizens?" |
| 603 | -->"Yeah..." |
| 604 | * VillainBall: Yes [[spoiler:Gwen]], don't use your weapon capable of neutralizing any opponent with a single blast in the final battle. Why [[spoiler:turn someone into a helpless baby]] when you can kill them instead? |
| 605 | ** Then again, [[spoiler:why destroy what could be your chance to have an incredibly loyal force of supersoldiers at your command]]? |
| 606 | ** However, if you think too hard about the plot, [[spoiler:Gwen's]] whole desire for revenge starts to make less and less sense, given that she's got everything she wanted ''then''. [[spoiler:She had her]] hands on the ball the entire movie. |
| 607 | * VillainousHarlequin: Stitches. |
| 608 | * WakeUpGoToSchoolSaveTheWorld: The whole point. |
| 609 | * WellDoneSonGuy: If Mr. Boy is any example, this is what the 'Hero Support' track is designed to turn students into. |
| 610 | * WhamLine: All delivered by the same person: |
| 611 | ** ''A single word'' - "ME!" When the time comes to unmask the BigBad, you ''will'' boggle at who says this. |
| 612 | ** [[spoiler:"My dear Commander, who said anything about killing you?"]] |
| 613 | ** [[spoiler:"Royal Pain wasn’t my mother. Royal Pain is ME!"]] |
| 614 | * WhamShot: Right before the climax, Will's at rock bottom - [[spoiler:he's lost Layla, lost Gwen, and lost all his other friends for the sake of a popularity that he's now likely lost too. As he sits morosely in the Secret Sanctum, paging through his dad's old yearbook, he notices two things in quick succession - first, a student who's a dead ringer for Gwen is pictured as the builder of the Pacifier weapon, and second, that the actual Pacifier is ''gone''.]] Cue "OhCrap". |
| 615 | * WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway: |
| 616 | ** Glowing, melting, and shapeshifting into a guinea pig are all seen as lame powers by Boomer. However, the kids prove [[HeartIsAnAwesomePower just how awesome they can be]] in the climax and several could easily be used for espionage and/or utility purposes. |
| 617 | ** [[{{Deconstruction}} Deconstructed]] with the BigBad's background and motivations. [[spoiler:Sue Tenny's powers as a {{technopath}} were considered the stuff of {{Sidekick}}s when she went to Sky High, and her resulting status as a nerdy outcast drove her down the path of evil. Speaking outside of the film for a moment, other fictional heroes such as Iron Man show that control of machines and having access to very powerful tech is a ''very'' useful thing. However, she WAS originally enrolled in SH in the 70's, and technology was nowhere ''near'' as advanced, effective or useful as it is now.]] |
| 618 | * WhatTheHellHero: Principal Powers points out to Will and Warren that living up or down to their fathers' reputations by using their powers is a waste of potential. |
| 619 | -->'''Principal Powers:''' Now, here at Sky High we do everything we can to teach you how to use your powers. But what you do with them, now that's up to you. Living up to your father's reputation or trying to live it down is a sad waste of talent. ''Your'' talent. Try to keep that in mind the next time you're about to do something stupid. |
| 620 | * WhenHeSmiles: [[http://i40.tinypic.com/1reozo.png behold Kubrick!Warren]] - and, for contrast, [[http://i43.tinypic.com/2h7p85i.png behold grinning!Warren]]. |
| 621 | * WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: Shown in comic book form during the credits, the most awesome of which is [[spoiler:Ron Wilson, Bus Driver, who falls into a vat of radioactive waste, grows to a colossal size and gets a new job -- fighting [[{{Kaiju}} giant monsters that attack the city]]]]! |
| 622 | * WhiteVoidRoom: The detention room, which is white, can neutralize all superpowers. |
| 623 | * WhosLaughingNow: [[spoiler:Gwen's motivation to become a villain as apparently her first go around in the school had her put in "Hero Support" since her powers weren't considered superhero worthy. Needless to say, she winds up proving them wrong]]. |
| 624 | * WhyCouldntYouBeDifferent: Steve really takes it hard when he learns Will has no powers and is Hero Support. Josie admits being disappointed as well, but she is far more accepting and convinces Steve to be. Steve cheers up when realizing Will can go into real estate like they did. |
| 625 | * WhyDontYouJustShootHim: Lampshaded during a study session with the hero supports; they're discussing radioactive zombies and what to do. One of the options is handing the hero his crossbow. Zach wonders why you don't just shoot the zombie yourself. |
| 626 | * WildTeenParty: Gwen throws one [[spoiler:in Will's house under the pretense of it being the "Homecoming" committee. He's pretty angry with her about it. Then it's later revealed to be a part of Gwen's EvilPlan to infiltrate the Strongholds' secret sanctum and steal the Pacifier]]. |
| 627 | * WireDilemma: Tongue-in-cheek version; ''all'' the wires are red. |
| 628 | * WhatYouAreInTheDark: Warren, in the climax, [[spoiler:makes an exit with his firepowers to escape the gym. Rather than go first or leave anyone behind, he gestures at the Sidekicks to go and takes up the rear]]. |
| 629 | * WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: [[spoiler:Both Royal Pains, Sue and Gwen, but in particular the former - she had a genuinely amazing power, but nobody realized it in the 1970s, and she was placed on the Sidekick track and thoroughly bullied; it's all but outright stated that one of those bullies was the future Commander, later to be recognized as the greatest superhero in the world. It's not hard to see why she snapped. Gwen is less sympathetic, but it's doubtful she had the healthiest upbringing either, having been raised by her "mother's" SycophanticServant for the sole purpose of a seventeen-year revenge scheme that turns out to be AllForNothing]]. |
| 630 | * WorldOfHam: The character played by Creator/BruceCampbell is actually one of the most ''normal'' characters in the film. |
| 631 | * WouldntHurtAChild. Royal Pain is [[spoiler:surprisingly gentle with the adults as infants, even while monologuing how she's going to raise them as a new generation of supervillains. She and Stitches even review the instructions of strapping them into baby seats safely. Heck, when Will begs her to put his infant father down, she actually complies before focusing her monologuing on him]]. |
| 632 | * WreckedWeapon: The Pacifier was broken during the Commander's fight with Royal Pain thanks to the Commander's grip crushing it and causing it to explode. [[spoiler:However, Gwen repaired it for the climax.]] |
| 633 | * YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: Principal Powers tells Will and Warren this when putting them in detention. She says neither of them have to be what people say they are, whether it's living up to a hero's legacy or living down a villain's one, and they can make a different choice than what their parents expect. While Warren doesn't listen at the time, much later he clearly makes a choice to be on the hero's side when [[spoiler:fighting Lash and Speed]]. |
| 634 | * YouAreWhatYouHate: [[spoiler:Given a second chance at high school, Sue/Gwen became pretty, popular and powerful and dumped all over the sidekicks... exactly what she wanted revenge for from her first time around]]. |
| 635 | * YouKilledMyFather: [[spoiler:Will believes that Gwen's mother was the original Royal Pain, who was seemingly killed in their last battle against the Commander, and that this is Gwen's motivation for revenge. He couldn't be more wrong; when he apologizes to Gwen on his father's behalf, she reveals ''she'' is Royal Pain and was de-aged by the Pacifier]]. |
| 636 | [[/folder]] |
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