Up, Up, and Away! (2000 TV Movie) User Reviews

Average Disney Film

[lee_unit · 5/10 · 16 December 2006]

First off, the plot line in this movie is about as entertaining as watching a plant grow. We have your average American family (The Marshalls) living in your average American town, except for the fact that they have super heroes; Bronze Eagle, Warrior Woman, and Silver Charge. Real imaginative. Anyways without spoiling too much of this movie this moral is that you don't always need super powers to save the day. Yawn. With that said, we have some great B-list actors in this film that pull it through the running time. Sherman Hemsley "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons"),(you may also remember him from that Nelly music video where he's 2 stepping in the ballpark) is hilarious as always, portraying the eccentric grandfather. Michael J. Pagan does a nice job at playing the dorky but cool (is that possible?) Warrior Eagle. Chris Marquette ("Joan of Arcadia" and "The Girl Next Door) does a great job at playing the always-funny best friend. However, some of the best acting in the film comes from TV commercial star Derek Lee ("Q-Bert", "Kohl's" and "Waffle Crisp Cereal"), as he plays the witty, unknowing, second-best friend. His part is small but single handedly almost validates a viewing of this movie alone. I don't know how many times i've rewinded my VHS just to watch him say "I Pick Amy" one more time. He does it with so much conviction it makes the viewer want to pick amy, and at the same time cry at the sheer brilliance of it all.

Overall I recommend this movie to children, parents of children, and worst enemies.

Robert Townsend superhero movie?

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 15 July 2021]

One of the joys of Disne+ is discovering things that you never knew existed. Did you ever know that Robert Townsend - yes, the man who made Hollywood Shuffle - directed and starred in a superhero movie two decades before the recent Marvel movie boom and The Incredibles?

Bronze Eagle (Townsend) is super strong and can fly. His wife, Warrior Woman (Alex Datcher), is just as strong and can outfight nearly anyone. Their children Silver Charge (Kasan Butcher) and Molly have all manner of powers. Even the grandparents in this family, like Steel Condor(Sherman Hemsley!) and Doris (Joan Pringle) are superheroes. The only one that isn't is Scott (Michael J. Pagan), who may never get powers if he hits puberty before they manifest.

Writer Dan Berendsen was also the scribe for numerous episodes of Sabrina, the remake of The Initiation of Sarah and the movies for Hanna Montana and The Wizards of Waverly Place.

It's not the best superhero movie you've seen, but the idea that aluminum foil is the kryptonite for our heroes is pretty funny. And I dig the eventual hero name that Scott gets, Warrior Eagle.

An interesting little film

[The Extra In The Background · 24 June 2001]

Before the review, a brief plot summary: The Marshalls are an average family in an ordinary American town with it's own superheroes, Bronze Eagle, Warrior Woman, and Silver Charge. What most people don't know is that Jim Marshall, his wife Judy, and their eldest son Adam are the town's heroes. Their young daughter Molly also has super-powers, mainly laser vision, but thirteen-year old Scott is nearing his fourteenth birthday, after which one cannot recieve superpowers. However, so as to not disapoint Dad (and their visitng grandpa, Steel Condor), he tricks the family into thinking he can fly and has superstrength. Meanwhile, the seemingly innocent "Earth Protectors" which are giving out CDs about the enviroment to the kids in Scott's class, may not have all the world's best intentions in mind.

This film does sound silly and childish. Granted, it's not supposed to entertain adults or recieve an Oscar nomination. But it's really fairly original, showing us all superheroes' weakness: alluminum foil, which alters their structure. The special effects aren't that bad, but the filmmakers respect that and don't exagurate on them.

The cast, while slightly forgettable (except for Sherman Hemsley of "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons") aren't that bad at acting. It's not exactly a riveting potrayl, but it's satisfying. Derek Lee is irritating, but his part is small and not enough to ruin it. Michael J. Pagan does a nice job as Scott Marshall, who is dubbed Warrior Eagle by his parents and does a dorky job at rescuing a woman from a fire. Kevin Conolly was also interesting as the young criminal genious who uses "Earth Protectors" to control minds, against the will of Amy (Jamie Renee Smith), who wants to use the mind control to prevent waste and preserve the enviroment.

Superhero fans might want to watch it for the fun references, i.e. Sherman Hemsley's character Steel Condor's grudge against Superman, Man of Steel, The Green Hornet visiting the Marshalls, etc. In fact, Mr. Fantastic and The Invisible Woman cameo at Scott's birthday party!

Your kids will like it. Don't expect "Batman" or "Robocop", but if you're in the mood for some nice, doesn't-take-itself-seriously entertainment, you might wanna give it a shot, too.

Up, Over, And Out

[bkoganbing · 3/10 · 25 February 2010]

One of the more mediocre projects to come out of the Disney studios is Up Up And Away, a story about a normal kid who can't quite fit in with his family of superheroes. This same premise was put to better use in the film Sky High that starred Kurt Russell which was also for the Magic Kingdom.

In fact even more to the point I saw this plot also used in Saved By The Bell where Zack uses subliminal advertising in a music tape to get his woman Kelly. Here the villain is science teacher Kevin Connolly who is getting the kids at his high school to commit crimes on his behalf.

Robert Townsend and Alex Datcher are the parents of young Michael Pagan who if he's going to be a superhero should get his superpowers by puberty. He's got an older brother and a younger sister with same, talk about a competitive family.

Sherman Hemsley is in the cast as the grandfather of the superhero clan, imagine George Jefferson with superpowers that have gone a bit rusty and you have the Hemsley character.

It's really not worth wasting your time with.

This movie is good for it's intended audience, CHILDREN

[llbfgt · 7/10 · 27 August 2006]

This movie has received generally weak reviews, but I haven't seen (in recent comments, anyway) the fact that, as broadcast on the Disney Channel's Big Movie Show it audience is "'tween-age" children. I watched it with my 6 and 8 year-olds, and they enjoyed it very much, so did I. They didn't understand everything but they did understand the "moral" of the story, that you don't have to be a super hero to help people. I also enjoyed that fact that there was no "bad words" or smarmy kids that sass their parents and each other. I will not by any means watch any of the new Disney theatrical releases of remakes that murder the spirit of the original (I couldn't make it through the opening scene of "That Darn Cat") but I have generally liked (and let my children watch) the Disney Channel Original Movies...Even Cheeta Girls 2 with a romantic subplot did not go over the line of appropriateness for 'tweens (at least mine). If anyone thinks that this is a "lame" or "predictable" movie, fine, it might be, but it satisfies its target audience; the UNJADED 6-12 year old, without offering up smart-mouthed role models.

Maybe the worst?

[brandi-ferrell · 3/10 · 18 November 2022]

Oh my goodness, this might be the worst movie I have ever seen. I am going through and watching all the old Disney Channel original movies and this one was next on the list. As soon as I saw the promotional picture for the movie I knew I was going to hate it. I almost didn't even watch it, but I thought I'd give it a chance. I think the only thing worse than the acting was the visual effects. This movie must've had a very, very small budget. It was just kind of a dumb little story and the take away line of you don't need a cape to be a superhero was a little generic and it was pretty disappointing that the kid didn't even end up getting super powers in the end. Also, it was really dumb their weakness is tinfoil. I don't know if even little kids would like this.

What was Disney thinking?

[cityofgods24 · 1/10 · 29 July 2006]

This is by far the most lethargic Disney movie I have EVER seen! Nothing in this film seems to coincide with the story. There was one since (out of the seemly endless array of idiocy in this film) that strikes my thoughts moreover… When Jim/Bronze Eagle (Robert Townsend) and Judy/Warrior Woman (Alex Datcher) are watching the news over the Bank Robbery they saved, you can see their faces close up and hear the folks in the background talking capriciously, while at the same time both "superheros" were talking about why one another were "late." My question is, "didn't anyone hear those people?" at the same time while watching this, the character Bronze Eagle says, "Honey I think we need new head-shots the photographer called." Okay, "numbers are listed." There are so many moments in this film that make you wonder "how in the world did they get the founds to make it?" In the beginning of the movie, they wanted to show that "tinfoil" is their "super" weakness. They prattle on and on about how dangerous it is to be near it and to even touch it…yet in the beginning they are within two feet or even one foot away from it without any ominous happenings. Near the end of the film they appear to get perennially weaken by it (till someone intervenes, of course) at the LEAST 10 feet away.

Don't watch this movie. Don't waste your time. Instead, why not water the glass. Believe me there is more "superness" out of watering the glass, hell why not even dress up for it… make it fun!

This movie is so bad...

[lazerzero · 1/10 · 10 September 2006]

That me and my friends were in tears laughing at it.

One major, MAJOR problem I had with the movie was the actors, and how bland and unbelievable their script seemed. For example, in one scene, there is a woman trapped in a burning building, with no way for people to see her inside. Even so, there is a news crew, tons of civilians standing by and watching, a few fire trucks and a police squad. NONE of them were doing anything, even though they some how know there is a woman in side the flaming building. Super hero comes and saves her, and drops her off in the middle of the crowd of people. Later in the movie, "nobody saw where she went". NOBODY SAW HER? The super hero dropped her in a group of people! That's impossible!

Another thing that bothered me was the story line. People are being controlled by a computer program that is just an "e" spinning around a globe while a voice talks to them. A spinning "e" and a voice cannot hypnotize a person into robbing a bank, like it does in this movie. In the same category, simple household tin foil renders all the superheros completely useless, they can't touch it, and if they are tied up in it, it apparently "sucks their power out", which is just plain stupid.

The villains are apparently pretty dumb, too. They were convinced that a few kids popping bubble wrap above their heads were a police squad shooting at them from outside the building. Yeeeeeeah.

If it wasn't for the completely ridiculous plot line (which, IMHO, completely ruined the movie), it wouldn't have been too bad.

Up, Up, and Away into the world of impossible land

[chrishewittpiano · 8/10 · 16 July 2002]

This movie was okay, but it could have been better. It was a little short in my opinion, didn't really have in depth detail about their families & friends, but other than that, this film is fun and worth watching. I liked the music in this, and the way that the surrounding was so comforting. It was very neat in many different ways. The only thing that was a little unbelievable is besides the fact that the father can fly, is that the kids don't really look like 8th graders. On this, they look like 6th graders. But you know like in some movies people are always older than they really look. I really think that they should make a sequel to this. It would make the first one twice as popular and it would be something else fun to watch. I give this a 10/10 even with all of those concerns that I have about it. I think everyone should see it!

before the incredibles or skyhigh

[206geek · 3/10 · 12 November 2019]

This movie is clearly is where they got the idea for skyhigh and the incredibles

This movie is terrible.

[williamunny1 · 18 August 2001]

If you want to see a lame and pathetic movie, watch up up and away. It has a predictable plot and a lame plot. Of course you know the kid's going to be normal. Also the way the kid gets the thieves busted To put it short watch something worth your time.

good, but a sequel should have super-powered villain

[pumpkinbomb78 · 22 September 2002]

I really like'd this. I suspect that they are mutants since, 1.They have super powers without an explination, 2.You can't have powers after 14, most mutants get theur powers around 12 or 13. I loved the villain but he should've had a codename, but the sequel should have a villain with powers(I think they should get their powers by acciendent and the movie be their origin story).