Movie Review: Zoom: Academy for Superheroes

By Jane Boursaw

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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that there's a ton of disrespectful behavior from both the adults and kids in this movie. Before warming up to the kids, Jack is downright mean, calling them names and treating them badly. There's also lots of crude behavior involving farting, burping, and a huge snot-bubble that bursts and covers everyone with green goo. In one scene, the kids trap a scientist in an environmental simulator and subject him to falling rocks, a cyclone, and a rainstorm, then laugh at him. Outtakes during the end credits show the cast singing "We like to poo in our pants."

Also, the parents in this movie are conspicuously missing, and the superheroes form their own "family." There's some mild profanity and comic-book style violence (kicking, punching, throwing, shattering glass).

Families can talk about the definition of "family." Does it always refer to people who are biologically related, or can it mean people who are bonded in another way (like the superheroes)? Also, was it right for the kids to take out their anger with their superpowers? What's a better way to handle anger? Could Jack have had a better attitude about training the kids?

Common Sense Media Review
Thirty years ago, Jack Shepard ( Tim Allen) was known as Captain Zoom for his incredible speed. At a secret facility known as Area 52, Jack led a group of superheroes known as Team Zenith, created by General Larraby (Rip Torn) and scientist Dr. Grant ( Chevy Chase). By subjecting the group to gamma-13 radiation, the government enhanced the kids' natural gifts, but also turned one, Concussion (Kevin Zegers of Transamerica), into a villain.

Concussion (who's also Jack's older brother), murdered most of the team before being sucked into a vortex and presumed dead. Jack was tossed out of the program and went on to live a life of bitter regret.

Now, it appears that Concussion is still alive. Not only that, he's ticked off and making his way back to the world through a growing spatial anomaly. So Larraby reactivates the Zenith program and recruits has-been Jack to train a new team of superhero kids: 16-year-old Summer Jones (Kate Mara) is a telepath who can move objects with her mind; 17-year-old Dylan West (Michael Cassidy of The O.C. can make himself vanish; chubby 12-year-old Tucker Williams (Spencer Breslin), can make parts of his body expand to superhuman size; and bratty 6-year-old Cindy Collins (Ryan Newman) has super strength.

The kids are whisked away to the Academy for the Super Gifted to learn how to control their powers -- and face Concussion when he returns (although they don't know this). Jack wants nothing to do with it, but an ultimatum of prison (and a $500,000 paycheck) provides all the motivation he needs. It doesn't hurt that he gets to work with the clutzy and beautiful psychologist Marsha Holloway (Courteney Cox).

The young superheroes are somewhat appealing, but this movie falls flat on just about every other account. The montage scenes get old fast, and the plot is predictable and covers the usual themes of teen angst, fitting in, and finding your own gifts. Chevy Chase still isn't funny, Rip Torn is like a maniacal cartoon character, and Tim Allen needs to find a different niche other than family movies -- maybe some obscure indie films with more of a Napoleon Dynamite flare. Based on Jason Lethcoe's comic-book for young adults and featuring dated tunes by Smash Mouth, this movie is harmless fun for kids, but not a whole lot of new material here.

Families who like this movie will probably prefer Sky High , The Incredibles , and Spy Kids .