Zoom Academy For Superheroes

Sat, Jul 12, 2008

So I want to say that I am a big fan of superhero movies. Batman Begins, The Incredible Hulk, Hellboy, even My Super Ex-Girlfriend are something that I might not go to the theater to see but I will definitely get from my Blockbuster Total Access account or buy on DVD! With that said, I am not a stickler for the movie staying true to the comic book. Er…I mean graphic novel! I don’t really care if a superhero movie is even based on a comic book graphic novel. I just like the thought of good triumphing over bad. Now with all of this in mind, I am often disappointed by this genre. Think Catwoman, the Punisher, and Sky High to name only three that, in my opinion, were miserable! It seems there might be an inherent contradiction in this love/hate relationship with this genre. Now onto the actual review of Zoom Academy For Superheroes!

Last night I put in this 2006 release starring Tim Allen, Courtney Cox, and Chevy Chase. The movie cost an estimated $35 million to make and was in widespread release for about two months. In that time it did surpass its estimated budget, but was by no means a box office blockbuster. British director Peter Hewitt was also at the helm of the ill-fated, box office flop, Garfield in 2004. This movie was no Garfield!

It was certainly light hearted and fun. The almost skit-like quality of the Tim Allen, Courtney Cox, and Chevy Chase characters made for quite a few laughs. At times it felt like the writers for Saturday Night Live had made the jump to the big screen. Rather than focusing on the “superhero” aspect, this movie dealt more with interpersonal relationships. In this regard, it was less like others of its genre and more akin to the young adult films like The Spiderwick Chronicles and Finding Neverland. This is overall a really enjoyable film about discovering who you are and what makes you unique. While this film was given a PG Rating by the Motion Picture Association of America, I do not see anything that should keep all but the youngest of children from watching it. For an enjoyable evening at home with the kids, I would definitely check out this movie!