Zoom (2006)

Former superhero Jack is called back to work to transform an unlikely group of ragtag kids into superheroes at a private academy.

Director:

Peter Hewitt

Writers:

Adam Rifkin (screenplay), David Berenbaum (screenplay)

Stars:

Tim Allen, Courteney Cox, Chevy Chase

4 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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 Whitney Newman	...	Cindy Collins / Princess (as Ryan Newman)
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

Storyline

Former superhero Jack Shepard, also known as Captain Zoom, is called back to work to transform an unlikely group of ragtag kids into a new generation of superheroes. At a privacy academy, he trains Dylan, a 17-year-old boy who can turn invisible; Summer, a 16-year-old girl with telekinetic powers; Tucker, a 12-year-old boy with the power to enlarge any part of his body; and Cindy, a 6-year-old girl with super strength.

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Plot Keywords:

superhero | female hero | teenage superhero | superhero team | invisible man | 

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Taglines:

They're going to save the world . . . as long as they're home for dinner

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for brief rude humor, language and mild action

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Pictures [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 August 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Zoom's Academy

Filming Locations:

Kingman, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,510,408, 13 August 2006

Gross USA:

$11,631,245, 17 September 2006

Company Credits

Production Co:

Revolution Studios, Team Todd, Boxing Cat Films

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Spencer Breslin (Tucker Williams a.k.a. Mega-Boy) performed his role while wearing a fat suit.

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Goofs

When Zoom races up to the cliff edge to look down on Concussion, he raises the visor on his helmet, and the camera is reflected in his helmet.

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Quotes

Dr. Grant: Let me put it this way. Concussion is still alive, and he's coming back.
Larraby: He was destroyed.
Dr. Grant: Nope.
Larraby: We were there. We both saw it.
Dr. Grant: Nope.

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Connections

References BeetleBorgs (1996)

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Soundtracks

Everyday Superhero
Written by Steve Harwell, Matthew Gerrard, and Robbie Nevil
Performed by Smash Mouth
Courtesy of Beautiful Bomb Records Inc.

User Reviews

It feels like "product"

I have seen a number of movies from Revolution Studios, and with almost all of them I have found them to be souless "product" - movies put together with ingredients that seemed to guarantee a big hit, but lacking soul. With movies like this (a box office flop, partly due to the fact it was not screened for critics, a sign audiences know usually means a stinker), it's no wonder that Revolution Studios closed its doors a year later.

What went wrong with this movie? The main reasons the movie is a stinker can be traced to the script. We have four youths on the team Allen is leading, and we learn next to nothing about them. They are pretty interchangeable. The rest of the characters are poorly written as well. The bad guy of the movie doesn't appear until the last 15 minutes of the movie, leaving no time to develop him.

This poor writing of the characters may explain the awful performances from the adult members of the cast. I agree with the Leonard Maltin movie guide that Allen seems to be phoning it in. He seems to have a contempt for what he is surrounded by, making his character very unlikable. As for Chevy Chase, he doesn't even TRY to be funny.

The movie tries to inject emotion by playing popular pop songs on the soundtrack, but it doesn't work. The sets and various indoor and outdoor locations are okay, I guess. But the CGI used is third-rate, giving the movie a cheap look when it occurs. Kids may not mind that. But will they like the rest of the movie? If I saw this as a kid, I probably wouldn't have liked it - the movie lacks spirited characters and a sense of wonder and excitement. There may be some (very) young kinds who might like this movie, but I don't think it will be a movie that they will want to watch again and again.