Zoom (2006 film)


Zoom is a 2006 American superhero comedy film directed by Peter Hewitt and written by Adam Rifkin and David Berenbaum. Based upon the children's book Amazing Adventures from Zoom's Academy by Jason Lethcoe, the film stars Tim Allen, Courteney Cox, Chevy Chase, Spencer Breslin, and Rip Torn. The film details a former superhero who is dragged into training four superpowered youths in becoming superheroes and combat an approaching threat.
Released theatrically on August 11, 2006 by Columbia Pictures, the film was panned by critics and was a box office bomb, earning $12.5 million on a $75 million budget. Zoom was nominated for one Razzie Award, Worst Actor for Tim Allen, but he lost to the Wayans brothers Marlon and Shawn Wayans for Little Man.

Plot

Decades prior to the start of the film, the Zenith team are five young superheroes who fought to protect the world from evil, led by Jack Shepard and his older brother Connor Shepard. The American military sought to enhance the team's powers using an experimental form of radiation called "Gamma-13". This made Zoom faster and stronger, but the gamma turned Concussion to the dark side. Thinking Zoom and the team betrayed him, Concussion killed his teammates Marksman, Ace, and Daravia. Concussion was believed to have been destroyed by Zoom at the cost of his powers, but was sent into another dimension instead.
Thirty years later, Dr. Ed Grant, the scientist behind the original Zenith Project, discovers that Concussion is making his way back into their dimension. General Larraby, the military officer in charge of the Project, decides to form a new Zenith Team to fight him. Jack finds himself dragged back into the Project, this time as an instructor. Larraby gives Jack the choice of a lengthy prison sentence should he refuse or a payment of $500,000 for training the team. Jack reluctantly agrees to help. In their secret base Area 52, he meets Marsha Holloway, who is a beautiful but clumsy psychologist, a big fan of Zoom's, and knows of him only through the comic book adaptations of the team's adventures.
The project holds an audition of would-be members, and four are selected: Dylan West, a seventeen-year-old boy possessing invisibility, Summer Jones, a sixteen-year-old girl with telekinetic powers and empathic senses, Tucker Williams, a twelve-year-old boy who can enlarge and inflate himself at will and Cindy Collins, a six-year-old girl with super strength. At first, things do not go well with Jack being bitter about the past and his sarcastic attitude disappoints Marsha. Dylan keeps trying to escape, Tucker has self-esteem problems and trouble controlling his powers, and the kids are annoyed by Jack's attitude. The team eventually forces Jack to face the fact that he's not really putting his heart into their training. Slowly things begin to come together as the new team's abilities improve, they adopt superhero identities.
Eventually, just as Concussion is about to arrive on Earth, it is discovered that Dylan also possesses a kind of clairsentience, also known as mindsight, a rare power that allows him to discover Concussion's location and the project's true purpose. The team is meant merely as a distraction from the military's plans to capture Concussion in a special net that will cause his concussive blasts to reflect on himself, neutralizing him. Marsha also reveals that she secretly possesses a form of rainbow-colored super breath, which she uses to aid the team in their escape when the military is about to transfer them to the Gamma-13 chamber. Using the malfunctioning flying saucer stored in the base, which they repair on the way, Jack escapes with the team, including Marsha. He is dropped off at a point in a desert where Concussion will arrive, planning to try to talk to him. Jack tells the team to avoid the confrontation, but they refuse.
When Concussion arrives, Larraby orders the net to be fired, but Concussion blasts it away and it almost lands on Cindy. This causes Jack to regain his powers and he saves her. Working together, the team and Marsha guide Concussion into a vortex that Zoom creates by running around in a circle at super-speed in the opposite direction as before. Dr. Grant yells to Zoom that if he closes the vortex, they can save Concussion. The vortex ultimately removes the Gamma-13 from Connor and restores his powers to normal, thus turning him good again. Zoom and Concussion are reunited.
Three months later, Cindy is in a school play of Rapunzel, using her strength to pull the "prince" up the tower. Tucker is the goalie on the soccer team. Dylan is dating Summer who is on the cheerleading team, using her telekinetic power to help build an upside-down pyramid. In addition, they still work together with Zoom as the new Zenith Team.

Cast

Thomas F. Wilson cameos as Dylan's teacher. David Lander cameos as a Wendy's employee

Production

Zoom was shot in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Release

Theatrical

Zoom was theatrically released on August 11, 2006, by Columbia Pictures.

Home media

Zoom was released on DVD and Blu-ray on February 13, 2007, by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment under the name "Zoom: Academy for Superheroes".

Reception

Box office

Zoom opened in 2,501 theaters on August 11, 2006 and earned $4.5 million in its opening weekend ranking number nine at the domestic box office. At the end of its run, on September 17, the film had grossed $12 million in the United States and Canada and $516,860 overseas for a worldwide total of $12.5 million. Based on its over $75 million budget, the film was a box office bomb.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 3% based on 67 reviews and an average rating of 3.02/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Lacking the punch and good cheer of The Incredibles and Sky High, Zoom is a dull and laugh-free affair." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 26 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.
Zoom was nominated for one Razzie Award, Worst Actor for Tim Allen, but he lost to the Wayans brothers Marlon and Shawn Wayans for Little Man.

Awards

Music

was originally attached to compose the film, but dropped out to work on Over the Hedge, and Christophe Beck stepped in. Christophe Beck scored the music for the film and on its soundtrack.

Soundtrack

Although an official movie soundtrack was not released, the following songs were heard during the film: