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SKY HIGH Better than Fantastic Four but nowhere near the league of The Incredibles, Sky High is yet another feature film that centers on a family of superheroes. Cribbing as much from X-Men and the Harry Potter series as from the aforementioned pair, this live-action Disney romp stars appealing Michael Angarano as Will Stronghold, a boy who attends a high school populated exclusively by kids with special powers. As long as Sky High tweaks the superhero genre, it remains on solid ground, thanks to knowing dialogue and smart casting. But whenever the movie gets distracted by the conventions of the typical teen flick (the heroes are the popular kids and their sidekicks are the nerds -- get it?), it becomes a pale imitation of Mean Girls, Clueless and half the John Hughes oeuvre. 2.5 stars.
VALIANT This animated feature clocked in at 109 minutes during its recent run in England, and for once, I'm glad of the short attention spans of American tots, as the movie has been mercifully chopped down to 76 minutes for its stateside engagement. The most interesting moment in this turgid film is the revelation at the end that of the 53 Dickin Medals given to animals for bravery during World War II, 31 of them went to pigeons. That sounds like a compelling subject for a live-action documentary (March of the Pigeons?), but instead, the topic has been tossed away on a rigidly rote cartoon that features the usual mix of audience condescension, uninspired computer-animated graphics, obvious morals aimed at small children and, oh yeah, flatulence gags. Ewan McGregor, in his second 2005 tour of duty in a mediocre cartoon (following last spring's Robots), provides the voice for the title character, who gets to prove his mettle by delivering important messages as part of the Royal Homing Pigeon Service. 1.5 stars.
OPENS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31:
THE CONSTANT GARDENER: Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz.
OPENS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2:
A SOUND OF THUNDER: Edward Burns, Ben Kingsley.
TRANSPORTER 2: Jason Statham, Amber Valleta.
UNDERCLASSMAN: Nick Cannon, Cheech Marin.
