Superhero Kids Film - Zoom

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%u2026 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.

• Dr. Grant (Chevy Chase), a scientist at the Area 52 base who constantly annoys the children with his serious attitude. He is the inventor of Gamma 13.


• Marsha Holloway (Courteney Cox Arquette), a big fan of Zoom and his comic book adventures.


• Connor Shepard/Concussion (Kevin Zegers), Zoom's older brother who was turned evil by Gamma 13.


• Jack Shepard/Captain Zoom (Tim Allen), once a member of a superhero team known as Zenith. After a failed experiment with gamma radiation his brother, Concussion, turned evil and the original Zenith team disbanded.


• Summer Jones/Wonder (Kate Mara), a teenage girl who is constantly teased by the cheerleaders at her school. She has the power of telekinesis and empathy.


• Cindy Collins/Princess (Ryan Newman), the youngest of the. She is rarely taken seriously by the rest of the group. She has the power of superhuman strength.


• Dylan West/Houdini (Michael Cassidy), the oldest of the. He has the power of invisibility and clairvoyance.


• Tucker Williams/Mega Boy (Spencer Breslin), an overweight boy who is constantly teased about his appearance. He has the power of elasticity.


• Ace (Alexis Bledel). A member of the original Zenith team and Zoom's girlfriend. She possessed the power of flight.


• Daravia (Devon Aoki). Daravia was skilled in acrobatics.


• Marksman (Wilmer Valderrama). Marksman had clairvoyance called Mind Sight. He was also a skilled marksman, hence the name.

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