Krysten Watson

I wanted to like this. I grew up watching Tim Allen and I enjoy superhero movies, even if they are kid movies. Unfortunately, Zoom took its plot and actor potential and chucked it out the UFO's window. Zoom has good actors. The script and directing didn't do them justice. I did not enjoy the sexism and subtly misogyny directed toward Courtney Cox's character: needing to remove her glasses blatantly for the male gaze, taking sexist comments from coworkers, taking sexist comments from Tim Allen's character, very little depth of character, and no character development. I did not enjoy the fat-shaming directed toward Spencer Breslin's character: chubby boy's super power is essentially super bloating, fat as humor, and jokes at his expense without apology or resolution...from the main character who theoretically goes through character development. I did not enjoy the overused tropes: pretty woman's only flaws are that she is clumsy and wears glasses, teens are angsty, military general jumping the gun so to speak, angsty main character uses suppressed powers at the last moment, etc. The resolution, which was apparent about 30 miles away, was anticlimactic since it was blatantly obvious what was going to happen. Yes, this is a movie for children, but kids aren't dumb. Even if they didn't catch the hints about how the bad guy would be "defeated", the resolution of the final battle was lame even by kid standards. Honestly, it was the ladies that got me through the movie. They all acted beautifully and made the most of what was given to them. I swear I could see Courtney Cox's irritation shine through her character when she was on the receiving end of every blatant and subtle act of sexism. She and her character deserved better. Ryan Newman's character was adorable and sweet with the right amount of sass for a 6-year-old girl and aspiring princess. The kid-lisp was laid on a little thick, but she was a little girl herself, so it is forgivable. She acted better than most of the men in the movie. Kate Mara also did a great job. Given the role of angsty teenage girl, she held her own against her character's romantic pairing, shooting him down when needed. While quiet, she displayed intelligence, teamwork, and courage, yet still managing to show the teenager lightheartedness, nerves, and occasional sense of humor. My final bugaboo: men of a certain age should not wear bodysuits. Watching Tim Allen strut around in a bodysuit was...uncomfortable. Just don't. There are plenty of other costuming options for the dad-bod. I understand the reasoning Zoom wears a bodysuit (and it's a great choice for a younger and more fit Zoom), but Hollywood can stand to get a little more creative as actors (both male and female) age. I lied - one more bugaboo: The romantic pairings were unnecessary to the plot and came across forced. It would have felt more realistic if Tim Allen's and Courtney Cox's characters simply showed interest in one another at the end, assuming sexist comments weren't happening regularly. He could have simply asked her out on a date when it was all over and it would have felt better. Their whole relationship was forced and awkward (and not in the cute way). The teenage pairings were better played and more realistic, particularly the nerves leading up to the dance (which came out of nowhere and was entirely unrealistic, unnecessary, and ridiculous). I wish Hollywood would recognize when the tropes are tired and the ladies deserve better. And, while it is important to reduce, reuse, and recycle...Hollywood has been overdoing it with plots and sequels. We could use some originality...even in kid movies.