Skyrunners (2009) starring Kelly Blatz, Joey Pollari, Conrad Coates, Jacqueline MacInnes Wood, Nathan Stephenson, Linda Kash directed by Ralph Hemecker Movie Review

Skyrunners (2009)   2/52/52/52/52/5


Joey Pollari as Tyler Burns in Skyrunners (2009)

No Intelligent Life Form

I've mentioned it before that as an adult reviewing movies for children can be difficult, it is always hard to ignore the problems you see and try and think whether they would annoy a child. But having tried to watch "Skyrunners", a Disney XD movie, with the innocence of youth I still can't believe that a child would find it that enjoyable. Here we have a movie which seems to have trawled various children movies and sci-fi and cobbled together various elements such as a young kid flying in an UFO, the same kid suddenly getting big over night and an unsubtle message about destroying the planet. It just doesn't work and never has that touch of magic you expect from a Disney movie even one made for TV.

Brother's Nick (Kelly Blatz) and Tyler Burns (Joey Pollari) discover an UFO on the way home for school and whilst younger more sensible Tyler suggests they contact the authorities Nick wants to take it home, which they do despite getting chased by some agents. When Tyler on the prompting of Nick climbs in the UFO it turns their lives upside down as not only do they have a fancy way of travelling but suddenly Tyler gets an over night growth spurt, gains special abilities to take on the school bullies and can even hear what people think. But at the same time Tyler discovers that there is a deeper reason for them coming across the UFO as the learn the planet is in danger.

Kelly Blatz as Nick Burns in Skyrunners (2009)

Watching "Skyrunners" as an adult it is impossible not to spot the various influences which have been used as the basis of various elements from "Flight of the Navigator" to "Big" it draws on a lot. Now that probably won't bother a young child who won't have seen these movies but it does make it derivative even through to the whole environmental message it throws in there. But it does feel seriously cobbled together with an idea lifted from a movie, a series of scenes built around that idea such as when Tyler wakes up taller and his clothes don't fit and then it moves on to the next idea lifted from the next movie. It means it doesn't gel and in fact feels like it is biding its time till eventually it focuses on the story of Nick and Tyler saving the planet.

Now all of this may work for younger audiences who can't spot the familiar ideas but "Skyrunners" also lacks that magic you expect from a movie which comes from Disney. It all seems very ordinary with no real imagination or creativity even in the special effects and as such it struggles to keep your attention. And talking of ordinary the various characters are so ordinary that with the exception of the brothers and the pretty Jacqueline MacInnes Wood as Julie 'Smoking' Gunn they are all forgettable.

The only thing about "Skyrunners" which did just about work for me was the acting from Kelly Blatz as Nick and Joey Pollari as Tyler, their characters may end up very ordinary but at least Blatz and Pollari play them with confidence. As for the rest of the acting, well with forgettable characters the acting is also forgettable.

What this all boils down to is that "Skyrunners" was frankly disappointing with it being derivative and ordinary with none of that magic you expect from a Disney movie. Maybe younger audiences will find it entertaining but for anyone else it is frustratingly dull.


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