Just some observations mixed with questions to follow. I don't recognize most of these characters. The lead and her bestie's relationship seem plausible enough. Others however, don't feel like people that exist any place but in a movie. How and why are the antagonists here friends? The sniveling Gooch is completely and stupefyingly inept, getting owned every time by female characters, both enemies and allies, and he loves slapping his head... a lot. He's also easily the most helpless, hopeless character and the movie's (scape)GOAT! I won't bother much with the vaguely lesbian Kendra, and her butterfly knife(?) or the leader of the strangely insular trio Barrett, making(and looking)like an ersatz, young Kevin Bacon. Of greater concern is the linchpin event, at the heart of this story. Barrett is the highly privileged son of a congressman who trolls the streets in broad daylight picking up a familiar, but hesitant young girl, with his number one and two in tow? Really? Who thought this was a winning idea? You'll notice phones are like another character here. Things happen with them that are highly questionable, but convenient to the plot. Dermot Mulroney is on board, in a turn similar to the one he played in this year's Scream sequel, and the late Anne Heche plays his wife and she, well... see for yourself. The lesser known players are solid enough, but some say and do "iffy" things that detract from their performances. One scene has the lead girl, Eden intending to schmooze up to (Barrett) Schroder for reasons known to both, but when it's just the two of them alone, he's doing all the talking while she can barely wait to dispense with the small talk, cutting straight to the chase with all the finesse of Godzilla stomping through Tokyo! While this movie's third act is more interesting than what came before it, it's the clunky stuff that came before that holds it back, as a whole. I actually started this review while still watching the film. I was ready to give it 2 stars 30-40 mins in, before it continued to it's conclusion and I realized that it would be too harsh a judgment. It's simply not that bad, but it also, while competently assembled with a certain amount of flair, has character, dialogue and script/plot issues that keep it firmly in, "It's ok" territory.
Reviews
2 Reviews
Sky High
(2020)
Cliff Notes makes movies, too.
19 March 2023
This movie had me constantly asking: "How'd we get here? The movie goes from a few light, 2 min convos, between Ángel and his crush Astrella (with her 'Jenny from the block' appeal), to them strokin' in the dark! This happens in real life, but the movie doesn't really lay down the proper groundwork. Ángel goes from square, working stiff mechanic, to aspiring crime lord, in the span of 2 jobs, and about 30 mins real time. In about that same span, he gains an enemy, who becomes his friend/benefactor/rival, then suddenly an arch enemy/rival! All this is happening too fast--this sucker isn't wasting time with plausibility or real exposition. At some point, even though years (inexplicably) pass, the cops always seem to be around whenever something big is going down. Plans are executed, but we never see any planning. I could go on, but I think one gets the gist.
I think the biggest failing of this movie is that Ángel is not very likable. His motivations don't make much sense. At least, not in a way that you can get behind. He turns on people. Cheats on them. Uses people. The movie makes him this almost master-mind level criminal, because it makes the movie more interesting, but it doesn't feel organic. In fact, everyone is either a criminal, or associated with one, leaving one with the impression that it's just a way of life for these people. If there's a moral compass here, i didn't really see it, unless you count the one cop. I mean, there isn't much nobility on display here. Nobody's trying to raise money for an operation, or trying to save the orphanage. The one time someone does make a noble sacrifice, it just feels weird and actually ends badly. Like this movie.
I think the biggest failing of this movie is that Ángel is not very likable. His motivations don't make much sense. At least, not in a way that you can get behind. He turns on people. Cheats on them. Uses people. The movie makes him this almost master-mind level criminal, because it makes the movie more interesting, but it doesn't feel organic. In fact, everyone is either a criminal, or associated with one, leaving one with the impression that it's just a way of life for these people. If there's a moral compass here, i didn't really see it, unless you count the one cop. I mean, there isn't much nobility on display here. Nobody's trying to raise money for an operation, or trying to save the orphanage. The one time someone does make a noble sacrifice, it just feels weird and actually ends badly. Like this movie.
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