Zoom : Academy For Superheroes

[KLAXXON]

Tim Allen and Courteney Cox star in this superhero kids film from the man who brought us Thunderpants, Thunderbirds and Garfield.

Tim Allen stars as Captain Zoom / Jack Shepherd, a former superhero who is called back to work to transform an unlikely group of rag tag kids into superheroes at an X-Men style private academy. Think Galaxy Quest crossed with Sky High with elements of Shaggy Dog and you’ve sort of got what this film is about.

I’m going to be completely honest and up front; although this has been billed as a family adventure, this film is not something to watch as a family. The average adult will not be impressed with multiple ‘stink jokes’, ‘snot jokes’ and certainly not by the soundtrack. In fact, by the end of the film, I was ready to seek out the band Smash Mouth and shoot them repeatedly using an AK-47 for creating such an irritating soundtrack. I’ve been humming the music for days…

That said however, Zoom does have a few things going for it - some pretty good special effects, a good cast of likeable kids and most importantly by far – a couple of good leading stars. First we have the brilliantly watchable Tim Allen playing his usual cross between Buzz Lightyear and Santa character… and it’s always good to see Courteney Cox working again – it’s nice to know that she’s still alive.

So in short, for those looking for a superhero film for the kids, you could do worse than Zoom.


Much maligned but basically entertaining, Zoom: Academy for Superheroes casts Tim Allen as Jack Shepard - a washed-up former superhero who finds his services needed after his evil brother emerges from a 30-year sabbatical. Assisted by a clumsy scientist (Courteney Cox), Jack reluctantly sets out to train four youngsters (including Spencer Breslin's Tucker Williams and Kate Mara's Summer Jones) with preternatural abilities in the proper use of their powers. While there's certainly no denying that Zoom: Academy for Superheroes has been infused with more than a few unreasonably puerile jokes and gags, the film does benefit substantially from Allen's funny, expectedly charismatic performance - which, along with with quirky supporting turns from folks like Rip Torn, Chevy Chase, and Thomas F. Wilson, generally ensures that the whole thing remains surprisingly watchable throughout. That being said, one can't help but lament Jack's egregiously predictable character arc and the inclusion of a few eye-rollingly sentimental moments (all of which are accompanied by laughably corny pop songs). And while it's easy enough to see why it received torrents of negative reviews upon its initial release, Zoom: Academy for Superheroes - viewed on the small screen - essentially comes off as a light-hearted and mindlessly engaging time-waster.


Tim Allen ... Jack Shepard / Captain Zoom
Courteney Cox ... Marsha Holloway
Chevy Chase ... Dr. Grant
Spencer Breslin ... Tucker Willams / Mega-Boy
Kevin Zegers ... Connor Shepard / Concussion
Kate Mara ... Summer Jones / Wonder
Michael Cassidy ... Dylan West / Houdini
Ryan Newman ... Cindy Collins / Princess
Rip Torn ... Larraby
Cornelia Guest ... Cindy's Mom
Ashton Moio ... Halloween Bully
Hunter Aarniokoski ... Prince
Thomas F. Wilson ... Dylan's Teacher (as Tom Wilson)
Ridge Canipe ... Mean Bully
Danny McCarthy ... Meaner Bully



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