Up, Up, and Away (2000 film)
Encyclopedia
Plot
The movie tells the story of Scott Marshall (Michael J. PaganMichael J. Pagan
Michael Jamon Pagan is an American actor and screenwriter.-Biography:Pagan attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach and West Los Angeles College in Los Angeles. He has received training at the Tasha Smith Acting Studio and the Ivanna Chubbuck Studio...
), the son of two great superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es, Bronze Eagle and Warrior Woman. All of his family members are gifted with superpowers
Superpower (ability)
Superpower is a popular culture term for a fictional superhuman ability. When a character possesses multiple such abilities, the terms super powers or simply powers are used...
. His father, Bronze Eagle (Robert Townsend), has the gift of flight
Flight
Flight is the process by which an object moves either through an atmosphere or beyond it by generating lift or propulsive thrust, or aerostatically using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....
. His mother, Warrior Woman (Alex Datcher
Alex Datcher
Cynthia Alex Datcher sometimes credited as Alex Datcher, is an American actress. She has made many guest appearances on sitcoms and TV dramas; she also has numerous supporting roles in many movies. She has been acting since 1990....
), has the power of superhuman strength
Superhuman strength
Superhuman strength, also called superstrength, super-strength, or super strength, is an ability commonly employed in fiction. It is the ability for a character to be stronger than humanly possible...
and superior hand-to-hand
Mêlée
Melee , generally refers to disorganized close combat involving a group of fighters. A melee ensues when groups become locked together in combat with no regard to group tactics or fighting as an organized unit; each participant fights as an individual....
combat skills. His brother, Silver Charge, is gifted with superhuman speed
Speedster (fiction)
A speedster is a fictional character in superhero fiction, particularly comic books, whose primary power is the superhuman ability to perform physical and/or mental acts at impossibly high speeds. The most recognizable such superhero is the Flash...
, electrical and magnetism manipulation. His little sister, Molly (Arreale Davis), who constantly shows off her powers, much to her family's annoyance, has x-ray vision
X-Ray Vision
In science fiction stories or superhero comics, X-ray vision is the ability to see through physical objects at the discretion of the holder of this superpower. The most famous possessor of this ability is DC Comics' iconic superhero character, Superman....
, as well a heat vision. His grandfather, Edward (Sherman Hemsley
Sherman Hemsley
Sherman Alexander Hemsley is an American actor, most famous for his role as George Jefferson on the CBS television series All in the Family and The Jeffersons, and as Deacon Ernest Frye on the NBC series Amen. He also played Earl Sinclair's horrifying boss, a Triceratops named B.P...
), is known as the "Steel Condor", and has the ability of superhuman strength
Superhuman strength
Superhuman strength, also called superstrength, super-strength, or super strength, is an ability commonly employed in fiction. It is the ability for a character to be stronger than humanly possible...
, invulnerability and flight
Flight
Flight is the process by which an object moves either through an atmosphere or beyond it by generating lift or propulsive thrust, or aerostatically using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....
(though at his old age, he flies slower than cars), and has an ongoing feud with Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
.
It is said that his grandmother, Doris (Joan Pringle
Joan Pringle
Joan Pringle is an American actress best known for playing vice principal "Sybil Buchanan" in the TV series The White Shadow. During the third and final season her character was promoted to principal...
), has the ability to shapeshift
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
. Scott desperately wants powers of his own. To his surprise, however, he doesn't develop any by his 14th birthday - the latest age at which this is possible.
Meanwhile, a group of activists known as the "Earth Protectors" have been giving out CDs about the environment to Scott's classmates. But while the creator of the program, Nina (Olivia Burnette
Olivia Burnette
Olivia Nicole Burnette is an American actress.-Career:She began her career at age six. Perhaps her most famous role was that of Dorothy Jane Torkelson on the NBC sitcom The Torkelsons, later renamed Almost Home. She also notably played two different roles on the NBC series Quantum Leap...
), wants to use the CDs to help educate people about the environment, her partner, Malcolm (Kevin Connolly), sees the program as a means to brainwash the entire world into giving him whatever he wants.
He tries, at first, to brainwash a bank's staff into giving him all the money, but since the program is specifically for children, when one of Malcolm's henchmen sneezes, the staff snaps out it. He then does the next best thing, by using the program to make the children steal their parents' money and give it to him, thinking that it's just that night's homework. Fortunately, Scott's sister uses her x-ray vision to discover the money in his backpack. He tries to tell his parents that he didn't know he had stolen the money, but they are still suspicious.
Malcolm continues to use the program for personal gain, by giving the kids chocolate craving
Food craving
A food craving is an intense desire to consume a specific food, stronger than simply normal hunger. According to Marcia Levin Pelchat "It may be the way in which foods are consumed A food craving is an intense desire to consume a specific food, stronger than simply normal hunger. According to...
s, making them all wear blue, etc. One day, after Scott is almost late for school due to being mesmerized by the software, Jim get suspicious about Earth Protectors and decides to take Adam with him to the bank so he can use his electrical powers to make the computer system bring back up the Earth Protectors program.
Unfortunately, he gets over-excited at the thought that he could finally help his parents save the day that he overloads the computer's power supply, frying the system, destroying any information that they might have been able to recover. Meanwhile, Scott pretends to have superhuman strength
Superhuman strength
Superhuman strength, also called superstrength, super-strength, or super strength, is an ability commonly employed in fiction. It is the ability for a character to be stronger than humanly possible...
and the ability to fly, so as not to disappoint his parents, who would be unhappy to learn that their son is normal. But he lets the success go to his head, because once the Earth Protectors program is fully developed so it will work just as well on adults as it does on children, Malcolm blows up their warehouse, with Nina inside.
Scott tries to save her, but they both almost end up getting killed, but are saved by his father, who was told by his grandfather, who discovered Scott's ruse, that he is not super powered. They are safe, but Scott drops his mask in the process. Malcolm later finds it and matches it to Scott. Malcolm then sends a super strong version of the program to Scott during school, and has him tell him everything, about his family.
Malcolm then sends a special version of the program to Scott's teacher, and tells her that she needs to give that disk to Scott. He also tells her that all the children's parents have to watch that night's lesson, with them. Scott almost brings the special disk home, but accidentally runs into a girl in his class, Amy (Jamie Renée Smith
Jamie Renee Smith
Jamie Renée Smith is an American actress.-Biography:Born in New York City, Smith began her acting career at the age of six when, at her first audition, she landed a guest-starring role on an episode of Saved by the Bell: The College Years...
), whom he secretly likes.
They end up mixing up the disks, and instead Amy's mother (Nancy Sorel) subconsciously robs a bank and goes to Earth Protectors' new warehouse. After tying her up, they use her as bait to lure Scott's parents and brother to the warehouse. Once there, they capture them with aluminium foil
Aluminium foil
Aluminium foil is aluminium prepared in thin metal leaves, with a thickness less than , thinner gauges down to are also commonly used. In the USA, foils are commonly gauged in mils. Standard household foil is typically thick and heavy duty household foil is typically .The foil is pliable, and...
, a superhero's only weakness. Scott, along with Amy and his best friend, Randy (Chris Marquette), head to the warehouse to save his family from being brainwashed by Malcolm into becoming super villains who will obey anything he says.
When they get there, they are helped by Nina, who has become disgusted by Malcolm's antics. Nina tries to replace the bad disk with one of the good disks, but is stopped by one of Malcolm's henchmen. Scott has literally less than a second to stop the machine from permanently reprogramming his family. He uses a soccer ball to smash the main computer, stopping it with only milliseconds to spare.
His family then easily defeats and captures the villains, and Silver Charge uses his powers to (literally) burn away their memories of the heroes' identities, by burning some of their brain cells. Also Amy admits she likes Scott and asks him to a dance, but Adam erases her memories of everything that happened. Scott manages to get his family to agree to let Randy keep his memories and everything returns to normal for the family.
Amy doesn't seem to remember she liked Scott, and they go back to somewhat hating each other, although when it's time to pick a team captain for soccer she chooses Scott instead of herself, surprising him. He chooses her and they end up as co-captains, with Randy asking Scott about super powers.
Cast
- Michael J. PaganMichael J. PaganMichael Jamon Pagan is an American actor and screenwriter.-Biography:Pagan attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach and West Los Angeles College in Los Angeles. He has received training at the Tasha Smith Acting Studio and the Ivanna Chubbuck Studio...
- Scott Marshall - Robert Townsend - Jim Marshall/Bronze Eagle (FlightFlightFlight is the process by which an object moves either through an atmosphere or beyond it by generating lift or propulsive thrust, or aerostatically using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....
) - Alex DatcherAlex DatcherCynthia Alex Datcher sometimes credited as Alex Datcher, is an American actress. She has made many guest appearances on sitcoms and TV dramas; she also has numerous supporting roles in many movies. She has been acting since 1990....
- Judy Marshall/Warrior Woman (Superhuman strengthSuperhuman strengthSuperhuman strength, also called superstrength, super-strength, or super strength, is an ability commonly employed in fiction. It is the ability for a character to be stronger than humanly possible...
and Superior hand-to-handHand to hand combatHand-to-hand combat is a lethal or nonlethal physical confrontation between two or more persons at very short range that does not involve the use of firearms or other distance weapons...
and weapons combat skills) - Sherman HemsleySherman HemsleySherman Alexander Hemsley is an American actor, most famous for his role as George Jefferson on the CBS television series All in the Family and The Jeffersons, and as Deacon Ernest Frye on the NBC series Amen. He also played Earl Sinclair's horrifying boss, a Triceratops named B.P...
- Edward Marshall/Steel Condor (Superhuman strengthSuperhuman strengthSuperhuman strength, also called superstrength, super-strength, or super strength, is an ability commonly employed in fiction. It is the ability for a character to be stronger than humanly possible...
, invulnerability, and flightFlightFlight is the process by which an object moves either through an atmosphere or beyond it by generating lift or propulsive thrust, or aerostatically using buoyancy, or by simple ballistic movement....
) - Kasan Butcher - Adam Marshall/Silver Charge (Electrical manipulation, Magnetism manipulation and superhuman speed)
- Arreale Davis - Molly Marshall (x-ray visionX-Ray VisionIn science fiction stories or superhero comics, X-ray vision is the ability to see through physical objects at the discretion of the holder of this superpower. The most famous possessor of this ability is DC Comics' iconic superhero character, Superman....
and heat visionHeat visionHeat vision may refer to:*Thermography, image production using infrared radiation*Infrared vision, a capability of detecting infrared radiation*Heat vision, a fictional superpower...
) - Kevin Connolly - Malcolm
- Olivia BurnetteOlivia BurnetteOlivia Nicole Burnette is an American actress.-Career:She began her career at age six. Perhaps her most famous role was that of Dorothy Jane Torkelson on the NBC sitcom The Torkelsons, later renamed Almost Home. She also notably played two different roles on the NBC series Quantum Leap...
- Nina - Ty OlssonTy OlssonTyler "Ty" Olsson is a Canadian actor. He's best known for being the voice of the dragon Ord on Dragon Tales and for portraying real life 9/11 victim Mark Bingham in the A&E television movie Flight 93.-Life and career:...
- Barker - Chris Marquette - Randy
- Jamie Renée SmithJamie Renee SmithJamie Renée Smith is an American actress.-Biography:Born in New York City, Smith began her acting career at the age of six when, at her first audition, she landed a guest-starring role on an episode of Saved by the Bell: The College Years...
- Amy - Scott OwenScott OwenScott Bradley Owen plays the double bass in the Australian rock band The Living End. After playing the piano for many years, he decided that the keys would not work for a rockabilly band, so at age 17 he purchased and taught himself double bass, letting him play rockabilly with best friend and...
- Reach - Joan PringleJoan PringleJoan Pringle is an American actress best known for playing vice principal "Sybil Buchanan" in the TV series The White Shadow. During the third and final season her character was promoted to principal...
- Doris Marshall (shapeshiftingShapeshiftingShapeshifting is a common theme in mythology, folklore, and fairy tales. It is also found in epic poems, science fiction literature, fantasy literature, children's literature, Shakespearean comedy, ballet, film, television, comics, and video games...
) - Nancy Sorel - Mrs. Rosen
- Benita HaBenita HaBenita Ha is a Chinese Canadian actress. She is best known in Canada for her appearance in the television show Street Cents. Her most recent appearance is in the film Scooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins. She also appeared in Smallville, X-Men: The Last Stand, Psych, Paycheck, Catwoman, and Flight 93...
- Ms. Parker