Zoom : L'Académie des super-héros

The soundtrack having 5 smash mouth songs really fits the tone and overall quality of the movie.

First off, a tiny bit about me. 1) I took my daughters (13 & 10) to this movie. 2) I tend to enjoy children's movies and I love SciFi. 3) My wife & I mostly agreed about the quality of this movie. 4) I've never rated a movie before.

Although I agree with many points from the first posting, I do think this movie *had* promise. It seems to me that if all characters were developed properly, that the screenplay had been more carefully thought out, that the technical filming of the show had gone better (boom mic!), that there was cohesiveness to the whole story, and that the actual plot had been more fully developed that this movie could have been spectacular. I was even willing to accept the story line until the kids were mysteriously found dutifully waiting in their room when they were supposed to be hiding. After that, it went downhill quickly for me.

I would have liked to see more exemplary development of the kids' powers -- the kind of foreshadowing that is later revealed in how they save the day (ie. A scene of Summer controlling the paint balls would have helped me believe better her focused power use in the end). Why spend all that time watching Cindy throw ton-weights at a target? How did Dylan's ability with the apple help in the end? What did they do with Tucker to help him learn to control his bloating? How is "mind sight" related to invisibility? Don't even get me started on Ms. Cox character (which I thought she played well).

The pacing and development of the two predictable romances was fair, but why not let Summer have a little tirade with Dylan for knowing he had "seen" her dancing? Followed up with Dylan's peace offering of the necklace pendant -- drama & release -- make the relationship grow on us.

The human stories here have to do with the kids as outcasts in life. Let's develop that more than the two short bits about the girls and Jack finally relating to Dylan. Zoom needed to grow with each kid to show his own growth and bring out his determination to succeed.

Then again, succeed at what? I think Tim Allen does a great job with the "unknown" aspect of the plot. He has no motivation, he gives none. But without a believable reason to drive the plot of the kids' training, we get what we saw. Also, there's nothing socially "dangerous" about the threat of Concussion - it seems a personal vendetta or overblown fear that Larraby is concerned about -- hardly enough to make me feel for him or his cause, and, unfortunately, the movie.

Finally, let's chew on continuity and technical prowess. I was thinking I saw the boom 5 times (but let's not quibble). Aren't people paid to notice these things (the director, even) during production? Let's keep track of where the characters are and give them a reason to go/be somewhere else. Let's give the characters more reason, heck even a strategy, to want to make and close a vortex. Let's see Rip Torn say the line that we watch him ventriloquize {sic}.

Would I watch it again? Maybe just to watch Zoom stumble again, see Houdini throw another punch, or see Summer be radiant -- OK, Cindy's got the tough-cute factor that can be enjoyable in moderation (pull up a chair, whydontya).

I seriously had a bad feeling when I hurried to get out of the video store that I had to do a wise pick on a kiddie like movie. I thought when I first rented this movie it would be pretty good and funny since Tim Allen was acting in it. But what can I say when I started watching it, it was to do with four kid super heroes and their leader Zoom from a comic book came to life in such a crude humoured film! I mean I need to say they introduced the characters like the four kids which was a little six year old girl who could lift up to ten pounds of weight, a fat chubby boy who can make his body go even fatter and bigger and can squash anyone in his way, a teenage girl who has the power to stare and control any like object or thing with her eyes and a boy who could turn invisible and use his mind to see things from a far distance. The only thing I liked about this movie was just about the end of the film, where there was quite a impressive battle with Jack's evil brother Conner and he finally showed off his zooming power to plan on making his brother part of his family again. But trust me I'll warn any viewer if you really want to see this movie you likely only need to see it once or even half of it since it's like the worst movie ever created in the history of the universe! Period!

I rented this movie for my cousin, it was his pick and we watched it as soon as we got home, he loved it! I seriously was expecting this big travesty of a film with the way the users are talking about it on IMDb, but I have to honestly say that it wasn't THAT bad, come on, it's a kid's movie, what did you expect? Citizen Kane? For the kids it had a fun plot and cool visuals, yeah, the story was a little lame, but as adults we should know that this movie was not meant for us, so I am going to judge it on being a children's movie.

These kids all have super powers, but don't know how to use them effectively, so the program of Zoom is going to help them become super heroes with a man who was a former celebrity type of hero who is now a has-been. They enjoy being kids with each other and learn how to use their powers in the right ways and must destroy Conor, another former super hero who went bad. Together they all must learn to a team and also a family.

Like I said, for a kid's movie, it's cute and it really wasn't a BAD movie, I've seen worse, believe me! So don't use most of these comments as your judgment factor, see how the kids react and really judge for yourself, it's a fun little flick that I wouldn't watch again, but I think it will be a fun small classic somewhere down the road for the children.

5/10

"Zoom" is a fun movie for two audiences. It's a comedy sci-fi flick that was made for kids, with a far-out allusion to the super-heroes group from the age of comic books. The humor appeals a little bit to we older movie buffs. But of more interest and entertainment for the older movie crowd are the two characters, Dr. Grant and General Laraby.

Chevy Chase is a hoot as the government scientist, Dr. Grant, and Rip Torn is very funny in his frequent role as a cantankerous commander of some sort from films of the past. Tim Allen and the younger cast who play the super heroes are okay and should amuse the younger of the young crowd who follow the superheroes. Of course, once they reach about eight years of age, the kids are no longer dazzled by these more comical, kid-friendly characters. They're ready for the tougher, rougher, more daring super hero flicks. They want the "real thing" like the adults. You know, Spiderman, Batman, Superman, Wolverine and Captain America.

My grandkids, the youngest ones anyway, get a kick out of flicks like this.