Zoom: Academy for Superheroes is a family-oriented action/comedy about a small group of youthful degenerates turned superheroes. It is based on the comic book "Zoom's Academy". The movie debuted in summer of 2006 and had big names like Tim Allen, Courtney Cox, and Chevy Chase to pull in viewers. In general, the movie was not well received by audiences and had very bad marks from the media. The reason is that "Zoom" is a typical, cliched film with cheap attempts at humor and a storyline seen far too many times. Despite its bad qualities, I enjoyed it (to a certain degree). Read on to find out more...

Once long ago, Zoom (Tim Allen) and his brother Concussion (Kevin Zegers) were part of a top secret government project called the Zenith program. Dr. Grant (Chevy Chase) was the lead scientist on the program. Zoom, Concussion, and three others had shown special abilities as children. The government took them into this project and exposed them to Gamma 13 radiation to make them stronger, faster, and all-around more powerful. At first, everything went well. Zoom and his fellows were successful in their endeavors. Unfortunately, Concussion developed side effects to the Gamma 13 radiation and turned on his teammates. Zoom was able to overcome Concussion and send him into an alternative dimension. But it didn't happen without cost, as Concussion had killed the other team members.

Approximately thirty years later, the world is in need of another superhero team when a new threat emerges. General Larraby (Rip Torn), who runs Area 52 (the military installation that housed the Zenith program), sends Dr. Grant to recall the world's only remaining superhero back into action. Zoom, now in his human identity of Jack Shepard, is out of shape and runs an auto repair shop. Grant and psychologist Marsha (Courtney Cox) convince Jack to help them train a new batch of superheroes in a short time frame of twelve days.

The team of superheroes includes four youthful, troubled kids who have never fit in because of their abilities make them oddballs. Dylan (Michael Cassidy) has the ability to turn invisible. He is a brash, typical bad boy who likes to rebel against authority. Summer (Kate Mara) is an unpopular girl at school because everyone thinks she is weird. She has extensive telekinetic ability and an aptitude for foresight. Tucker (Spencer Breslin) is an obese kid who always is shoving some kind of snack into his mouth. He has an odd power, which is the ability to expand his body at will (imagine a balloon inflating). The last member is Cindy (Ryan Newman). She is a young six year old girl with superhuman strength.

Once Zoom is with Grant, Marsha, Dylan, Summer, Tucker, and Cindy, he has to help them learn to utilize their powers in full. Otherwise, Larraby intends to expose them to Gamma 13 radiation to prepare for the coming threat. The problem is that Zoom is cynical about the ordeal and must come to terms with himself. In addition, the troubled children must learn what it means to work together and be heroes.

What works for "Zoom" is one thing and one thing only, Tim Allen. Allen is overly sarcastic and cynical, and it is this performance that makes the movie remotely fun at all. His performance reminded me of his role in Galaxy Quest, which is a great film by the way. As for other strong points, "Zoom" does not really have any.

On the flipside, there are many points against "Zoom". I'll just name a couple. First, the storyline is generic and limited. There are far too many holes in it to mention. Suffice it to say, it could have used some more thought. Second, the characters are pretty bad. Chevy Chase is a great actor, but his role in this movie is complete crap. Chase pushes the physical comedy, which he is great at, but how he is portrayed is just awful. Chase ends up a target for the younger actors to trip him, push him, and do other things to make him fall on his butt. Not funny at all. Courtney Cox is also not a great addition to the cast. She attempts a role that she is clearly not fit for. As for the younger cast, none of them were particularly bad and not stellar either.

Overall, Zoom: Academy for Superheroes lacks in content. The movie is dry and not very funny. It is an over-the-top family-oriented comedy that tries to get laughs with one cheap attempt after the other. If it weren't for Allen, I would not give this movie any stock. "Zoom" may not be the strongest film out there, but it should offer enough laughs for those looking for a light hearted, over-the-top family movie.

The DVD

Video:
The video is given in 1.85:1 ratio anamorphic widescreen color. The picture quality is excellent, one of the best parts of the feature. In general, it is sharp and clear. At its worst, there is a very slight grain, but nothing terribly bad.

Audio:
The primary audio track is provided in English 5.1 Dolby digital surround with an alternative track in French 2.0 Dolby digital stereo. The quality of the 5.1 track is very good. It features a dynamic mix that utilizes the surround sound capability well. Dialogue is easy to hear throughout the presentation. Music is rich and vibrant, albeit the soundtrack is far too poppy and doesn't fit.

Extras:
For extras, there really isn't much. The first item is a collection of public announcement-like shorts entitled Academy For Superheroes Guide For Kids (8:29). There are a total of four shorts: "Avoid Junk Food", "Exercise Daily", "Good Sportsmanship", and "Unnecessary Danger". They are not amusing or even scripted well, but they do fulfill their intended message, albeit corny.

The next extra is Bringing Superheroes to Life: The Making of Zoom (14:30). It is your run-of-the-mill behind the scenes interview featurette with cast and crew. Individuals like Tim Allen, Courtney Cox, Chevy Chase, and others talk about their impressions of the movie and what it was like working with each other, and so on. Nothing really interesting or important is said.

Lastly, there are trailers for Open Season, Are We Done Yet?, Daddy Day Camp, Are We There Yet?, Surf's Up, Zathura, Monster House, and RV.

Final Thoughts:
Zoom: Academy for Superheroes is a movie based upon the comic book "Zoom's Academy". The story is about a retired superhero training a new team of troubled youths who are destined to save the world from evil. What works for "Zoom" is lead actor Allen. He is great in his role, very funny. But at the same time, nothing else really shines. "Zoom" fails on a lot of levels and for the most part it is far from entertaining. If it was not for Allen, I wouldn't have cared at all for this run-of-the-mill production. On that note, this movie receives a Rent It because of Allen's performance.