Mike Mitchell Movies
An ordinary teenager finds out he's not so ordinary after all in this comedy-adventure. Will Stronghold (Michael Angarano) has his share of anxieties about starting high school, but once he arrives on campus, he discovers he's attending Sky High, a special learning facility for the children of superheroes. Will realizes his father is actually super-human crime fighter Captain Stronghold (Kurt Russell), while his mom is fellow champion Josie Jetstream (Kelly Preston). However, in Will's first few days at school, Coach Boomer (Bruce Campbell) is unable to discover any superior abilities in him, meaning that instead of joining the school's budding heroes, he's been relegated to the ranks of the lowly sidekicks. In time, Will discovers he happens to have super strength after all, but will he learn to hone his new gifts in time to fend off the bullies at school, get the girl of his dreams, and save his folks from a longtime nemesis? Sky High also features Lynda Carter, Dave Foley, and Kevin McDonald. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Angarano, Kurt Russell, (more)
Directed by Mike Mitchell, Surviving Christmas finds Drew Latham (Ben Affleck) uneager to spend another lonely Christmas in his own home. Longing for holidays past, Drew travels to his childhood home intending to relive the experience of a family Christmas -- unfortunately, his family no longer lives there. This represents only a small snafu to Drew, who offers the Valco patriarch and his wife (Sopranos star James Gandolfini and Catherine O'Hara) a huge amount of money if they consent to pretend they are his parents and that he is a cherished member of the family. This entails participating in Latham family traditions, such as Christmas tree selection and crowded holiday shopping excursions. Though the Valcos reluctantly go along with Drew's requests, Alicia, their eldest daughter, arrives at home and refuses to comply with her "brother's" wishes. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Affleck, James Gandolfini, (more)
- 2002
An outgrowth of a series of "interstitial" segments seen between programs on cable TV's Independent Film Channel, the adult-oriented Fox Network sitcom Greg the Bunny was set in an alternate world where human beings peacefully coexisted with talking puppets. Among the "Fabricated Americans" in this bizarro setup was Greg the Bunny, an unemployed puppet who shared an apartment with human roomie Jimmy Bender (Seth Green). Thanks to Jimmy's dad, TV producer-director Gil Bender (Eugene Levy), Greg lands a job on the popular kiddie show Sweetknuckle Junction, where he falls prey to the petty jealousies of his fellow puppets and the sharkish behavior of cutthroat network executives. Created by Dan Milano, who also provided the voice for the title character, Greg the Bunny was first broadcast on March 27, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Yet another Saturday Night Live alumnus makes his bid for big-screen success as Rob Schneider, best remembered as the "Making copies!" guy, tackles his first leading role in this broad comedy. Deuce (Rob Schneider) earns a meager living as a professional fish tank cleaner until he's asked to housesit for a gigolo. Deuce mistakenly answers the gigolo's business phone and finds himself having sex with a woman he's never met and getting paid for it (not a bad deal, since women generally avoid Deuce like the Ebola virus). It's not long before Deuce learns that there's more to selling your body than one might expect: for example, being re-styled by your pimp or having to explain your new source of income when the owner of the house gets home. Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo was the first feature film produced by Adam Sandler's production company, Happy Madison; Sandler himself makes a cameo appearance, while Oded Fehr, William Forsythe, Eddie Griffin, and Marlo Thomas highlight the supporting cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rob Schneider, William Forsythe, (more)
