Sky High - review + Warren Peace sketch
I know I said my previous post was probably going to be my last in a very long time, but this cannot wait. If I don't post this now, I'll never get the chance to do it.
I saw Sky High after it first came out weeks ago, when my younger brother dragged my entire family into the cinema. I obligingly sat down and rolled my eyes as the theater lights dimmed, fully resigned to suffer through two hours of a cheesy, Disney kiddie movie, so I was both pleasantly surprised and very impressed by how good the movie turned out to be and how much potential it has.
It's creative, very humorous, often tongue-in-cheek, sometimes intentionally cheesy, but with consistently great results, and enjoyable all the way. In addition to the superhero high school comedic fun, there's even a sweet, best-friends-turned-lovers relationship woven believably into the plot, with just the perfect amount of Harmonious interaction to keep me grinning from cheek to cheek. Since the film is pretty much a cross between X-Men and The Incredibles, it's no surprise that Sky High opens a LOT of avenues for further exploration. After all, the superhero genre has never had a shortage of potential.
Among the extremely likeable cast, the female best friend and the anti-hero in particular caught my attention and sparked my creativity.
The Best Friend
Layla is the hero's best friend, and she has been since elementary school. She's very modest, very patient, and very pacifistic, and she staunchly upholds her strong moral convictions even at the expense of her social standing. I find it impossible not to like this character, even when she stumbles about with jealousy and insecurity over the hero, Will. Earthy, natural, practically radiating sunshine, Layla is just awesome beyond words.
The Anti-Hero
Then there's Warren Peace. Besides the wickedly cool name, he appears at first to be the epitome of the "bad boy", a character type that normally repulses me. But the key here is that Warren Peace does not actually fit the "bad boy" mold; he just looks the part. In reality, he's more anti-social than he is a typical "bad boy" because he's neither a bully nor someone who intentionally stirs up trouble. He just wants to be left alone. He can't be classified as a "bad boy," and if you watch the movie, you'll know exactly what I mean when you get to the restaurant scenes.
Ultimately, it's the characters that attract me to a work of fiction. Plot is, and always has been, secondary to the characters and their development. Considering how much I liked Sky High's characters, down to nearly everyone in the supporting cast, it's easy to tell how much I enjoyed the film. :)
So after I saw this movie all those weeks ago, I rushed home and sketched Warren Peace, but I didn't post the image online. Tonight, I got the chance to watch Sky High again, and I was forcibly reminded of how much I truly loved it.
Anyway, here's the pic that I should have put up a long time ago, and like most of my sketches, it will someday have a colored version.
I saw Sky High after it first came out weeks ago, when my younger brother dragged my entire family into the cinema. I obligingly sat down and rolled my eyes as the theater lights dimmed, fully resigned to suffer through two hours of a cheesy, Disney kiddie movie, so I was both pleasantly surprised and very impressed by how good the movie turned out to be and how much potential it has.
It's creative, very humorous, often tongue-in-cheek, sometimes intentionally cheesy, but with consistently great results, and enjoyable all the way. In addition to the superhero high school comedic fun, there's even a sweet, best-friends-turned-lovers relationship woven believably into the plot, with just the perfect amount of Harmonious interaction to keep me grinning from cheek to cheek. Since the film is pretty much a cross between X-Men and The Incredibles, it's no surprise that Sky High opens a LOT of avenues for further exploration. After all, the superhero genre has never had a shortage of potential.
Among the extremely likeable cast, the female best friend and the anti-hero in particular caught my attention and sparked my creativity.
The Best Friend
Layla is the hero's best friend, and she has been since elementary school. She's very modest, very patient, and very pacifistic, and she staunchly upholds her strong moral convictions even at the expense of her social standing. I find it impossible not to like this character, even when she stumbles about with jealousy and insecurity over the hero, Will. Earthy, natural, practically radiating sunshine, Layla is just awesome beyond words.
The Anti-Hero
Then there's Warren Peace. Besides the wickedly cool name, he appears at first to be the epitome of the "bad boy", a character type that normally repulses me. But the key here is that Warren Peace does not actually fit the "bad boy" mold; he just looks the part. In reality, he's more anti-social than he is a typical "bad boy" because he's neither a bully nor someone who intentionally stirs up trouble. He just wants to be left alone. He can't be classified as a "bad boy," and if you watch the movie, you'll know exactly what I mean when you get to the restaurant scenes.
Ultimately, it's the characters that attract me to a work of fiction. Plot is, and always has been, secondary to the characters and their development. Considering how much I liked Sky High's characters, down to nearly everyone in the supporting cast, it's easy to tell how much I enjoyed the film. :)
So after I saw this movie all those weeks ago, I rushed home and sketched Warren Peace, but I didn't post the image online. Tonight, I got the chance to watch Sky High again, and I was forcibly reminded of how much I truly loved it.
Anyway, here's the pic that I should have put up a long time ago, and like most of my sketches, it will someday have a colored version.