Zoom (2006)

  You've seen better superhero movies than this, the Christy pick for May.  That I can assure you. 

This movie would have been better served coming out in 1996, instead of 2006.  Tim Allen was a rising star, the concept would have been fresher, and the oldest kid's hairstyle would have been popular.    In 2006, it looks like everyone involved was trying waaaaay too hard.

Jack Shepard (Tim Allen) used to be a superhero named Zoom before he lost all his powers defeating his brother Concussion (Kevin Zegars) who had been turned evil in a failed government experiment.  What he doesn't know, is that Concussion is trying to make his way back from the dimension he was banished to and there's only 8 days to save the planet.  The government reopens the superhero wing of their super-secret Army base and recruits Jack back to train up the next generation of heroes.  He is surly and uncommunicative because he doesn't want these kids to become like him and his brother.  They're surly and uncommunicative because, well, they're children.  Eventually, little Cindy (Ryan Newman) breaks through his barriers with the sheer power of adorableness and he realizes that if he doesn't care for these kids no one will.

The film tries to shoehorn an entire graphic novel series into a two hour movie.  This is impossible, as you well know.  If they had been slightly more judicious in editing storylines, I think they could have made for a more streamlined, cleaner film.  Instead, they try to squash training montage after training montage to make you believe that, in a week's time, these kids went from Clark Kent to Superman while simultaneously having two romantic angles between Jack and Dr. Marsha Holloway (Courteney Cox) and the two older teenagers (Kate Mara and Michael Cassidy).  Maybe they knew they were never going to get a sequel and just decided to put everything they had into this one.  I don't know.

So, on a completely different note:  Happy Memorial Day.  This weekend has been crazy busy for me, which is unusual.  I've had to hang out with co-workers at a WNBA game (they had a skybox.  I've done more for less.)  Walking down to the Verizon Center in cute flats tore up my feet and I've had to hobble around the last couple of days waiting for them to heal.  Yesterday (Sunday), I went to a birthday party for Rob's friend because he couldn't go himself (work) and when you're a couple you have to step up and represent the team and then last night, he emails me and tells me he accepted an invitation for today to a barbecue and that we're bringing a dessert.

Now I don't do much.  But I do bake.  I like a little more of a head's-up generally but whatever.  I had Christy (I was texting her while I watched the movie) pick a number randomly and made it from my Gourmet Magazine cookbook.  Turned out to be Citrus Chiffon Cake, and it took about three hours to make.  We'll see if it's any good later.  Afterwards, I told Rob we were going to a movie so there will be at least one more post from me today.  Hope all of you celebrating today have an enjoyable and safe (if you die, who will read my blog?) time and stay tuned for my next adventure.