Zoom is a 2006 film released August 11, 2006. It is based upon the novel, "Zoom's Academy", by Jason Lethcoe. Directed by Peter Hewitt, the film stars, Tim Allen, Kate Mara, Spencer Breslin, Michael Cassidy, Kevin Zegers, Chevy Chase, and Ryan Newman. The film is rated PG by the MPAA for brief rude humor, language, and intense action.

Tagline:

They're going to save the world...
As long as they're home for dinner.

Decades ago, the American military sponsored a superhero group called “Team Zenith”. Its leader was Jack Shepard, aka Captain Zoom, who possessed super-speed; his brother, Concussion, who could project shockwaves, was also a member. However, the military tried to increase their powers by exposing them to an experimental form of radiation called “Gamma-13”. This caused Concussion to become more powerful, but it also turned him evil. Concussion killed his teammates (except Zoom) and was believed killed in an explosion (in reality, he had been sent into another dimension.) Zoom apparently lost his powers, and retired.

Decades later, the scientist behind the original Zenith Project, Dr. Grant, discovers that Concussion is making his way back in a few days. 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. He is told that a new team is needed to battle a great menace, but isn’t told that it is his brother. In their secret base, Area 52 (a reference to Area 51) he meets Marsha, a beautiful but clumsy scientist, who is a big fan of his, knowing of him only through the comic book adaptations of the team’s adventures.

The Project holds an audition of would-be members, most of whom possess useless or disgusting powers. In the end, four young people are chosen: Dylan (a young man who is able to turn invisible); Summer, a young girl with telekinetic powers; Tucker, an obese boy with the power to enlarge any part of his body; and Cindy, a 6-year-old girl with super strength. All of them were having problems adapting to normal life because of their powers.

At first, things do not go well. Jack is bitter about the past, and his sarcastic attitude disappoints Marsha. Dylan keeps trying to escape, Tucker has self-esteem problems, and the kids are annoyed by Dr. Grant’s attitude. The team eventually forces Jack to face the fact that he’s not really putting his heart into their training.

Slowly, they come together as a sort of family. Dylan and Summer become attracted to each other, Cindy takes Jack as a father figure, and they start to improve in their training. The kids finally choose code names for themselves: Dylan becomes Houdini, Summer becomes Wonder, Tucker becomes Mega Boy, and Cindy becomes Princess.

Eventually, just as Concussion is about to arrive on Earth, Dylan develops a kind of clairsentience that allows him to discover this fact, as well as the Project’s true plans: the team is meant merely as a distraction, while the military uses a special “net” to capture Concussion. Using a malfunctioning flying saucer stored in the base, Jack escapes with the Team, including Marsha (who reveals that she also has a superpower: super breath.) He drops off at a point in a desert where Concussion will arrive, to try to talk to him; he tells the team to stay away, but they refuse. Finally, Concussion arrives, still looking like a young man (not having aged in the alien dimension he was trapped on). He refuses to listen to reason and starts beating on Jack. The rest of the team takes on him. Larraby orders the net to be fired, but Concussion blasts it away, and it almost lands on Cindy; but this causes Jack to react and recover his speed, and he saves her. He then runs back to the base, puts on his old costume, and returns to battle his brother. Working together, the team (plus Marsha) knock Concussion into a high-speed vortex that Zoom creates by running around at super-speed; this sucks out the energy out of his body and restores him to normal. The two brothers are happily reunited.

The movie ends with scenes depicting the kids living their lives better, even using their powers in public, and still active as a superhero team.

The movie was widely panned by critics, causing it to receive a 0% "rotten" rating on the Rotten Tomatoes website. Zoom has also performed poorly at the box office, earning only $11.4 million in North America as of September 1, 2006.