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Zoom

Zoom

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

200683 minPGMidcredits score: 10th percentile of all films
Director
Peter Hewitt
Starring
Tim Allen, Courteney Cox, Chevy Chase, Spencer Breslin

Jack Shepard is an out-of-shape auto shop owner, far removed from the man who once protected the world's freedom. Reluctantly called back into action by the government, Jack is tasked with turning a ragtag group of kids with special powers into a new generation of superheroes to save the world from certain destruction.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Zoom?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Zoom streaming on Howdy via Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Zoom?

Zoom earns 7 badges, led by Overhyped and Family friendly.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is Zoom worth watching?

Zoom's Midcredits score is the 10th percentile of all films, from 61K ratings across 6 sources. 23% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

10th percentile

Better received than 10% of films

19th percentile among Action11th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)12th
Approval (how many liked it)12th

47 /100

12th percentile of all films

21st percentile among Action12th percentile among 2000s

Critics 26 · Audience 49

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Ratings scatter across the whole scale — one of the most divisive reactions in the catalog.

23% liked it

12th percentile of all films

22nd percentile among Action11th percentile among 2000s
23% rated it 7–1077% rated it 1–6

Critics 5% · Audience 34%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 3 wins / 8 noms overall

94th percentile

61K ratings across platforms

88th percentile among Action89th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 32% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$35M
Opening weekend$4.5M
Domestic gross$12M
Worldwide gross$13M

Returned 0.4× its budget — 61st percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

It is an unambitious, formulaic kids' superhero movie designed for undemanding family viewing.

Fans praised

  • lighthearted fun for kids, harmless family entertainment
  • cast chemistry and veteran talents (Tim Allen, Chevy Chase, Courtney Cox)
  • humor lands for its target audience, kids engaged and laughing

Detractors panned

  • derivative script, recycles every superhero-kids trope from Sky High and The Incredibles
  • cheap, dated CGI and visible technical errors (boom mic, continuity gaps)
  • flat, clichéd characters with no depth or development

What stands out

ActingDivisive40

veterans phoning it in, child actors adequate but unremarkable; fans cite Tim Allen/Chevy Chase as entertaining, detractors call performances wooden

HumorDivisive35

slapstick and pratfalls (Cox tripping, Chase abused); fans call funny, detractors call painful

DialogueDivisive30

corny one-liners and groan-worthy puns; fans find them funny, detractors call them embarrassing

Effects and spectacleDivisive25

CGI widely derided as dated, cheap, and unconvincing; fans say adequate for kids

CharactersDivisive20

four kids reduced to one-note stereotypes (strong girl, fat expander, invisible teen, telekinetic girl) with no backstory

PacingDivisive20

dull setup drags, rushed climax; fans note it picks up for kids

Plot and storyDivisive15

paper-thin, incoherent story with huge holes and no villain development; fans accept simplicity as kid-friendly

OriginalityDivisive10

blatant patchwork of X-Men, Sky High, and The Incredibles

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 7 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • Critics vs users even
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is Zoom like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Feel-good: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something warm that leaves you smiling.

It is gentle and funny and leaves you feeling good. Skip it when you want something with weight.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Very little.

What it feels like

Feel-good.

Moods
HopefulJoyfulTriumphant
Heaviest: late
Warm humor
Register
PlayfulWarmAdventurous · 11% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its superhero training premise straight for a young audience, with a warm and playful tone.
The rideThe tone is light and upbeat throughout, building to an expected triumphant final act.
StructureThe story follows a conventional beginning-middle-end structure: call to action, training montages, and a final confrontation.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Feeling good.

The answer rests on this: Feel-goodFun
Why it leaves you this wayA light, upbeat family film that leaves you smiling and entertained.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterTyrant
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% (this title) · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Tyrant: A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).

21% of films fit this archetype

with Rebirth underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeA retired superhero is called back to train a group of misfit kids to defeat a former hero turned villain, following a standard team-assembly arc with a secondary theme of personal redemption.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfPurposeSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% (this title) · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Purpose · 9% of filmsCommunity · 14% of films: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Family bonds
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Dual lead
How it treats its themeJack must rediscover his own purpose by mentoring a team of misfit kids who also need to find their place.
StanceThe film affirms the value of teamwork and finding one's purpose; Jack and the kids together are the dual focus.

The world

ContemporaryInstitutionalUrbanRealistic
Orchestral classicalPopSupportive music · original score · Christophe Beck
Settinga privacy academy where kids with powers are trained
MusicA bright, family-friendly orchestral score with upbeat pop cues for training and action scenes.

Content guide

Is Zoom okay for kids?

PG

Zoom is rated PG: “Rated PG for brief rude humor, language and mild action” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (30/100), sexual content at minimal (14/100), language at mild (22/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (17/100) and frightening material at mild (24/100). Overall it is heavier than 14% of PG-rated films.

Ratings in 8 other countries
  • UKPG
  • AustraliaPG
  • Germany6
  • France10
  • IrelandPG
  • BrazilL
  • Belgium9
  • HungaryKN
Overall
Mild · all five categories
Heavier than 4% of all filmsHeavier than 14% of PG-rated films
Violence & Gore
Mild
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 33%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 25%
Profanity
Mild
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 39%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 31%
Frightening / Intense
Mild
light for a PG-rated film
heavier than 23%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is violence, heavier than 33% of PG-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Zoom have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Zoom?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Tim Allen
as Jack Shepard
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Courteney Cox
as Marsha Holloway
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Chevy Chase
as Dr. Grant
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Spencer Breslin
as Tucker Willams
Kevin Zegers
as Connor Shepard
Kate Mara
as Summer Jones
newcomer then · star now
Michael Cassidy
as Dylan West
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Ryan Whitney
as Cindy Collins
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Rip Torn
as Larraby
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Cornelia Guest
as Cindy's Mom
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Zoom?

Movies like Zoom include Underdog (2007), Ant-Man (2015) and The Borrowers (1997). Of the 12 closest matches, most are family adventures, and most are sci-fi films.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

11 of these 12 share its world: superhero. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Zoom?

552 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: supervillain. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.