We Bought a Zoo (2011)

Featured Audience Ratings

• ♥˩ƳИИ &

  
  Cast: Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, Patrick Fugit, Colin Ford, Elle Fanning, Maggie Elizabeth Jones, John Michael Higgins, Angus Macfadyen, Peter Riegert, Stephanie Szostak, J.B. Smoove Director: Cameron Crowe Summary: In this adaptation of Benjamin… More
  Cast: Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, Patrick Fugit, Colin Ford, Elle Fanning, Maggie Elizabeth Jones, John Michael Higgins, Angus Macfadyen, Peter Riegert, Stephanie Szostak, J.B. Smoove Director: Cameron Crowe Summary: In this adaptation of Benjamin Mee's memoir about buying and saving a run-down zoo, the locale shifts from Britain to southern California. However, the wacky spirit of the original is retained, complete with escaped tigers and a zoo crew of misfits. My Thoughts: "A sweet movie about a family struggling to move on and heal. The relationship between father and son is strained and tense. But I think the son is acting out for attention. He is upset and grieving, but having difficulty dealing with his feelings. I think the father, Benjamin, turned a blind eye to it. He seemed more focused on his daughter Rosie (who is played by an extremely adorable Maggie Elizabeth Jones) and her happiness more so then his sons. He even metioned to Dylan that he needed his help to make her happy. That was sad to watch when the son, Dylan, is screaming for him to help him be happy. I didn't see why Dylan and Lily needed to have the scene of declared love. Seemed unnecessary for the film and forced. Just cheesy." "You know sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of insane courage."

• Mark W

  
  Director Cameron Crowe is certainly no stranger to maudlin sentimentality. I have found a few of his films rather good though. I enjoyed "Singles" and "Almost Famous" and despite some critical panning, I found "Vanilla Sky" to be a bit of a darker… More
  Director Cameron Crowe is certainly no stranger to maudlin sentimentality. I have found a few of his films rather good though. I enjoyed "Singles" and "Almost Famous" and despite some critical panning, I found "Vanilla Sky" to be a bit of a darker delicacy from him. Even "Jerry Maguire" was decent. However, the abysmal "Elizabethtown" didn't sit too well at all and I thought Crowe couldn't crank up the excessive mushiness any further after that. I was wrong. Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) is a widowed father, bringing up his two children by himself, after losing his wife to cancer. Things aren't going well though as his son gets expelled from school and he feels the need to quit his job on an L.A. newspaper. He decides that a fresh start is needed for them all and takes his two kids off to live in a run-down country house with a run- down zoo attached. It seems like lunacy at first but Benjamin decides to refurbish the place and bring the zoo back to life. There is a question that's asked between two characters at the end of this film... "If you had to choose between people and animals. Who would you pick?" On this evidence, I'd chose the animals. The cheese factor is so high on the people that they may aswell be walking chunks of four week old camembert. I swear I could see the mould on them. The performances aren't bad per se but Crowe's direction is so high on the schmaltz that I was crying out for a Travis Bickle to come and wash this scum out of the park. Someone to just take this zoo "and just... just flush it down the f**kin' toilet." Damon puts in his usual, likeable, everyman job and shows good emotive moments. The rest of the cast are also quite appealing and even Johansson's pout is kept to a minimum. The only glimmer of anything natural here though, is the animals. Everything else is completely manufactured tosh. As mentioned, the problem lies in Crowe's direction. He doesn't let the characters breathe and develop on their own. He forces you to feel for them. He feeds you more shit than it's possible to shovel at a zoo and my emotional state felt violated at his insistence. Subtle, this film is not. Stereotypical and predictable, it is. There's an integral, recurrent piece of fatherly advice that runs throughout..."You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it." Maybe Crowe shouldn't have actually applied this advice to himself. He may have taken that twenty seconds of insane courage but something 'great', certainly, DID NOT come of it. There is one word that's correct about that quote though... 'Embarrassing'. Crowe must be in the midst of mid-life crisis or something. It's the only way you can explain such nauseating cloyingness. Is he compensating for something, or did mommy and daddy not pay him enough attention when he was a child? If you have a sweet tooth, then this will be a real treat but otherwise, stick to something with a bit more zest and sharpness.

• Tired of P

  
  Directed (co-written) by Cameron Crowe, 20th Century Fox, 2011. Starring: Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, Angus Macfadyen, Carla Gallo, Elle Fanning and John Michael Higgins. Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family Question: What would you do if your daughter says… More
  Directed (co-written) by Cameron Crowe, 20th Century Fox, 2011. Starring: Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, Angus Macfadyen, Carla Gallo, Elle Fanning and John Michael Higgins. Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family Question: What would you do if your daughter says to you when looking at a group of people having a good time, "Their happiness is too loud"? First your heart would sink and then you would do anything, even if it was considered crazy, to make sure your kids are happy again. Months ago I posted the preview for We Bought a Zoo and was waiting for it's release. The story looked a little too sweet but every once in a while you need a movie like that - a feel good movie. Plus, it was a Cameron Crowe movie and I have enjoyed many of his movies. On Christmas day I finally saw it. (Side note: it's been my family's tradition for decades to see a movie on Christmas day and this year I wouldn't pass up another opportunity to see a movie.) I usually don't use a quote from movies I have just seen, but the one I used in the first paragraph sort of struck a chord with me and I had to share it. There are actually many great lines in this film although many I feel were forced and trying a little too hard to tug at one's heartstrings. But I was sort of expecting that once I saw the preview. Short summary: Matt Damon plays Benjamin Mee, a widower raising his two children 6 months after his wife passes away. He then tries to change their entire living situation to better his children's mental state (and his) so he buys a home that happens to be in the middle of a zoo that requires major renovation. There is a lot of family turmoil between the father and son; and the man is so lost without his wife that he barely functions with getting over his own grief. The father's intentions to help his children overcome their grief should evoke a lot of strong emotions. If you have children and they are suffering, as a parent, you will do whatever takes to help them. Sacrifices and attempts at trying anything to make them happy is an essential part of being a parent especially when you are the only parent who can help. However, the weight of that is extremely heavy and Matt Damon did a convincing portrayal. Fortunately, there was a lot comic relief throughout the film to counterbalance the drama. Over all I enjoyed this movie but wish it would have toned down the sweetness factor a tad bit. Nonetheless, I believe many will find We Bought a Zoo the perfect family movie. In fact, my children both gave the movie 9 out of 10 -but the animals may have helped swayed their vote a little. They were cute. Based on the book and true story: We Bought a Zoo: The Amazing True Story of a Young Family, a Broken Down Zoo, and the 200 Wild Animals That Change Their Lives Forever by Benjamin Mee My favorite thing: The daughter is simply precious - she stole every scene. My least favorite thing: The film-makers tried a little too hard to force a romantic set-up between two characters. Rating: PG Length: 124 minutes Rating: 5 out of 10

• Randy T

  
  Family friendly feel-good film based (loosely) on the true story of Benjamin Mee and the Dartmoor Zoological Park near Sparkwell, England. The script, sentimental as it is, makes little use of its exquisite cast. I expected more of Cameron Crowe.

• Everett J

  
  You can always tell a Cameron Crowe movie from other movies. "Almost Famous", "Jerry Maguire", "Elizabethtown", are all different movies with similar traits. Some comedy, lots of sentimentality, usually a cute kid, and great music. "We Bought a… More
  You can always tell a Cameron Crowe movie from other movies. "Almost Famous", "Jerry Maguire", "Elizabethtown", are all different movies with similar traits. Some comedy, lots of sentimentality, usually a cute kid, and great music. "We Bought a Zoo" has all of that. Matt Damon stars as a widower who is left with his two children, and looking for a new place to live. So, he decides to buy an abandoned zoo, and works to reopen it. The movie is filled with animal humor, sweet moments with his kids, and Scarlett Johansson being dreamy as ever. His daughter is the cutest kid I've seen in a movie in a long time. Perfect casting overall. It's a great family movie, that people of all ages will enjoy. The movie does drag a little here and there(like most Crowe movies), but overall it's entertaining. Not Crowe's best movie, but worth a watch or two.

• Michael S

  
  "We Bought a Zoo" is two hours of possibly the most enjoyable fluff Cameron Crowe could muster. It's sweet, it's predictable, it's also well written and full of heart. Bolstered by a terrific Matt Damon performance, it's a family film actually worth… More
  "We Bought a Zoo" is two hours of possibly the most enjoyable fluff Cameron Crowe could muster. It's sweet, it's predictable, it's also well written and full of heart. Bolstered by a terrific Matt Damon performance, it's a family film actually worth rounding up the family to watch!

• KJ P

  
  Matt Damon portrays real-life man Benjamin Mee, who's wife has recently passed away. To cope, he moves away with his charming daughter and his expelled son. When he finally find the house wants, he realizes that it is actually a zoo. He is determined, once he meets the workers… More
  Matt Damon portrays real-life man Benjamin Mee, who's wife has recently passed away. To cope, he moves away with his charming daughter and his expelled son. When he finally find the house wants, he realizes that it is actually a zoo. He is determined, once he meets the workers who live there, that this is going to be his new home no matter what. Based on a true story, the filmmakers do an amazing job at capturing the emotions of the characters, and there is not a single time in the film when I hated anyone, and that was a very nice feeling. Some of the dialogue does feel like it has been written for a soap opera television show, but it quickly changes gears before becoming too sappy. The acting is terrific, the story is very touching, the score is very forceful (but still great), and there is not one character that you will not feel for. "We Bought A Zoo" tries a little too hard to be witty, and sometimes tries a little too hard to tug on the heart strings, but when it works, Oh my god does it work. I was crying a lot during my viewing of this film. It made me feel like a changed person, and my love for animals grew significantly! This film is great!

• Directors C

  
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] In the schmultsy, annoying and slightly off putting style of Free Willy, We Bought a Zoo is quite often overly dramatic without being that emotionally involving. Neither does it makes the inspiring true story… More
  [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] In the schmultsy, annoying and slightly off putting style of Free Willy, We Bought a Zoo is quite often overly dramatic without being that emotionally involving. Neither does it makes the inspiring true story believable because of the edginess being removed at the cutting room floor. But Matt Damon is excellent in the lead role, the animals are great to look at and the direction is pretty good. It didn't consistently keep a smile on my face and it is very cheesy. But it's a nice litte warm and innocent family film that's sometimes quite charming and funny.

• Scott G

  
  I suppose there isn't much to comment on, which is seen to be a bad thing, but it is made up through the main characters shining through the screen and bringing a nice, comfortable film to watch with the family.

• Manu G

  
  Set in Southern California, a father moves his young family to the countryside to renovate and re-open a struggling zoo. Very good family film. Everyone acted very well in this film, I thought seeing Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson in these roles really shows there versatility as… More
  Set in Southern California, a father moves his young family to the countryside to renovate and re-open a struggling zoo. Very good family film. Everyone acted very well in this film, I thought seeing Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson in these roles really shows there versatility as actors and human beings. We Bought a Zoo is no action-packed, high suspense adventure movie. What it is is an inspirational family movie that I really enjoyed. A widower (Matt Damon) purchases a zoo in order to bring his family back together in this Twentieth Century Fox adaptation of Benjamin Mee's autobiographical memoir. Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous) writes and directs based on a script by Aline Brosh McKenna.

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it."</i> Set in Southern California, a father moves his young family to the… More
  <i>"You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it."</i> Set in Southern California, a father moves his young family to the countryside to renovate and re-open a struggling zoo. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> Few movies are as genuinely good-natured as We Bought A Zoo, and sometimes it's just fun to watch movies about the human spirit and to realize that life truly is beautiful. In We Bought A Zoo, Matt Damon portrays Benjamin Mee, a widowing father who is now having to care for his fourteen-year-old son and seven-year-old daughter on his own, so what is his solution when his son is expelled from school, to buy and renovate a zoo, of course. What We Bought A Zoo captures so effortlessly is grief and love, how both can often be the same, yearning for lost love, and how one can conquer the other and help a person to carry on with life. Benjamin and his family rediscover love in their newfound home, love with the zoo staff -- from Scarlett Johansson to Elle Fanning -- to the animals themselves, and also rediscover their love for one another. We Bought A Zoo is just honest and true in how it portrays relationships, in how Benjamin tries to figure out his relationship with his distant teenage son, and how he tries to keep his daughter from having to grow up too quickly and help her remain an innocent child. The real winners here are the actors, Damon, Johansson, the kids who portray Benjamin's children -- in particular the too-cute-for-her-own-good Maggie Elizabeth Jones as Rosie -- I especially loved Thomas Haden Church as Benjamin's older brother who lends some of the largest laughs of the movie. Simply what director Cameron Crowe has achieved here is a movie that is funny, touching, and genuinely makes you feel good. Of special note, the music by Sigur Ros' Jonsi accentuates all of the right moments and never misses a beat.

• Jennifer X

  
  So soap it's suffocating.

• Liam G

  
  This has to be one of the most formulaic and predictable films I've ever seen. I mean, seriously, there was not one moment in this film I didn't see coming. The characters seem like they came right from a Disney film, the troubled son, the upbeat and weird daughter, the… More
  This has to be one of the most formulaic and predictable films I've ever seen. I mean, seriously, there was not one moment in this film I didn't see coming. The characters seem like they came right from a Disney film, the troubled son, the upbeat and weird daughter, the struggling father. Cameron Crowe's ''We Bought a Zoo'' is clichà (C)d to the max. However, if it hadn't had been for Matt Damon and Jonsi, this would've been complete garbage. Matt Damon is great in this film, he makes his character much more likeable than he should be. He injects a lot of emotion into very predictable and clichà (C)d scenes that make those scenes almost work. Damon's character is sympathetic for the most part, and if that hadn't been case, there would be no emotional core whatsoever. Jonsi's soundtrack though, OMG! If there's one reason I wanted to see this, it was for Jonsi and I was proven right. Unlike the film itself, his score is memorable, tugs on your heartstrings and is full of energy. I guarantee that I would've cried in some scenes if they weren't so clichà (C)d, because Jonsi's soundtrack was fantastic. The story is so contrived, the film is too long and there are some cringe-worthy moments. However, Crowe's latest just about gets by because of Damon, Jonsi and the fact that it lightened up my mood a bit.

• Bathsheba M

  
  You can't go too wrong with a movie that stars Scarlett Johansson, Matt Damon, that cute little girl (who was she?) and animals for pete's sake! It's a good story about a writer who is forced into the world of action (after a lifetime of observing) when his wife dies… More
  You can't go too wrong with a movie that stars Scarlett Johansson, Matt Damon, that cute little girl (who was she?) and animals for pete's sake! It's a good story about a writer who is forced into the world of action (after a lifetime of observing) when his wife dies at about the same time as the newspaper he works for is downsizing. I liked that he didn't get over his wife as soon as he saw the head zoo keeper (Scarlett) and that he kept talking about her even to Scarlett. I personally like a little more unpredictable action in a movie, it is a story that gets told a lot, but there were always those animals! Oh, yeah, the scene where Damon stares down a bear is some kind of wonderful.

• Tom M

  
  Sappy, obnoxious, annoying, boring, uninteresting and bland. This was a waste of money. It had obnoxious "twists" for the tween audience to gasp. Every time the cute but not exactly wonderful actress received a billion "awe's" and gasps. Give it a rest people.… More
  Sappy, obnoxious, annoying, boring, uninteresting and bland. This was a waste of money. It had obnoxious "twists" for the tween audience to gasp. Every time the cute but not exactly wonderful actress received a billion "awe's" and gasps. Give it a rest people. Just because a cute person is on screen doesn't mean you have to acknowledge it every freakin time. Matt Damon was decent. He wasn't enough to make up for Scarlett. JEEZ. What happened? She's usually so good! This was the worst mistake. I wasn't expecting something super wonderful. But I was expecting mediocrity. It fell short of everything I thought. Period.

• Alice S

  
  Schmaltz-fried schmaltz wrapped in a schmaltzy crust. Many parts of the movie are certainly enjoyable though. Maggie Elizabeth Jones as the daughter is unannoyingly adorable. Scarlett Johansson is slightly spastic in a funny way and seems to know what she's talking about in… More
  Schmaltz-fried schmaltz wrapped in a schmaltzy crust. Many parts of the movie are certainly enjoyable though. Maggie Elizabeth Jones as the daughter is unannoyingly adorable. Scarlett Johansson is slightly spastic in a funny way and seems to know what she's talking about in terms of the zoo-lingo. The flimsy "why not" answer Benjamin gives to Kelly about why he bought the zoo is pleasantly revealed in the end. I'm not a fan of Elle Fanning's face.

• Aaron N

  
  Rosie Mee: We bought a Zoo! We Bought a Zoo is a movie made to make you feel good. There is no other way around that. It features nice performances, a nice score, stakes that are enough to keep you involved, but never to really put you in a tense place, and an overall sweetness… More
  Rosie Mee: We bought a Zoo! We Bought a Zoo is a movie made to make you feel good. There is no other way around that. It features nice performances, a nice score, stakes that are enough to keep you involved, but never to really put you in a tense place, and an overall sweetness that is enough to make your teeth fall out. It is certainly nothing I hold against the film, especially given that it is based on a true story, but the joyful optimism seen in this film can only take one so far, before the level of interest starts to fade. Still, We Bought a Zoo is perfectly acceptable for families to watch together during the holiday season and at least possesses a confidence in the acting and filmmaking to keep it ahead of other, similar family friendly features. read the whole review at thecodeiszeek.com

• danny d

  
  i am overrating this film a bit, but on a subjective level i just really loved it. the movie had a few cliche trappings, but surprisingly avoided many as well. the story had more emotional depth than most family films ever do, the humor was well timed and not too silly, and all of… More
  i am overrating this film a bit, but on a subjective level i just really loved it. the movie had a few cliche trappings, but surprisingly avoided many as well. the story had more emotional depth than most family films ever do, the humor was well timed and not too silly, and all of the characters had a part to play that felt natural and furthered the story. it was just great to watch a clean family film with my family with solid acting and a fun story.

• Bradley W

  
  We Bought A Zoo was a very hard film to review because it has so many positive qualities about it, but sadly it follows a predictable formula that I have seen many times before. I guess one of my small complaints was the language, this claims to be a kidâ(TM)s film and I am hearing… More
  We Bought A Zoo was a very hard film to review because it has so many positive qualities about it, but sadly it follows a predictable formula that I have seen many times before. I guess one of my small complaints was the language, this claims to be a kidâ(TM)s film and I am hearing profanity like shit, dick, and act. I don't like when I want to take a sibling of mine to a children's film and they are cursing, I had a similar problem (ironically) with Zookeeper with Kevin James, and yes I know this has a PG rating, but if that is the case than don't advertise it as a kids film. But I overall enjoyed the film and realized what Cameron was going for was just an enjoyable day at the movies, and even if it had its ups and downs, it was heartfelt and that is the important thing. The story follows Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) who is struggling to take care of his two kids after the death of his wife. When his son gets expelled, he searches for a new home and stumbles onto a house that is the unlikeliest thing possible: a zoo. He decides to buy the zoo and regain some control in his family, hoping that this will get his relationship back with his son and that they can start a new life, and with the help of the zoo's zookeeper Kelly (Scarlett Johansson) he just might be able to do it. This is a heartfelt story written by Crowe and I enjoyed it. The plot of the film follows a formula I have seen many times before, but was still able to succeed in much way. For one, it has some lovable characters and a great premise that will get people interested. However, I felt the film may have been a little too long and since it is a film about a zoo, it could have shown more relationships with the animals instead of the humans I think. The father and son relationship thing touched my heart, as I can see the hurt that is going through their family and Crowe directs this with elegance and even if it had its clichà (C) moments here and there, I was touched. Like I said before, I very much hated the profanity and it was unneeded, but hey whatever floats there boats. It had a few issues, but overall Crowe and McKenna have written a fun film here. The cast consisted of some very good actors such as Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, and Thomas Church Haden and the rest of them form this to be a very nice ensemble. Matt Damon plays Benjamin Mee, and Benjamin is a nice father figure and means well at his heart, and Damon has found a role that is perfect for him here and he did it with such ease. Scarlett Johansson plays Kelly Foster, and even though her character we could see was going to be the love interest from the start (one of those clichà (C) parts of the film), Johansson still managed to pull through a good performance. As for the scenes with Thomas Church Haden, he is not given anything really big here but the time he did had I like his respect and love for his brother and he did it well. The children were very good, and overall a cast the family will remember. We Bought A Zoo is the first big Cameron Crowe film since maybe Vanilla Town or Elizabeth Town, and I am glad to see him back at work with films that he directs nicely. No doubt we all agree his best films were Jerry Maguire and Almost Famous, but here he directs a film that is just trying to be pure heartfelt fun. The profanity sometimes takes away from that and makes it hard to show your kids but hey I guess if I can call Shrek a masterpiece even if it curses once or twice, I can get past this. The clichà (C)s roll in like clockwork here but not enough to ruin the experience for me, and I enjoyed the character mostly who seem to be just down to earth people. If you wish to have a fun afternoon watching a nice movie that may or may not touch your heart, then I recommend you check this out.

• Eric H

  
  Recently widowed Damon moves his family into a zoo, and just in case you miss that plot point, the title is spoken in dialogue about seven times throughout. Where he gets the money for this endeavour is never quite clear. He quits his job impulsively at the start of the movie. Why?… More
  Recently widowed Damon moves his family into a zoo, and just in case you miss that plot point, the title is spoken in dialogue about seven times throughout. Where he gets the money for this endeavour is never quite clear. He quits his job impulsively at the start of the movie. Why? Because he's the lead character in a Cameron Crowe script of course. He even turns down his severance pay. This Paolo Coelho bullshit really rubs me up the wrong way. I'm sick of multi-millionaires telling us all to gamble with life and follow our dreams. At one point Damon saves the Zoo by finding a deposit slip in one of his wife's old sweatshirts. Turns out she was putting away money so he would have something after she passed away. Somehow she managed to save up $84,000 without him noticing. If my spouse was hoarding away that sort of money I'm pretty sure I'd figure it out, or else suspect her of having an affair. The last time the planet experienced a financial crisis this bad we got movies like "Sullivan's Travels", "It's A Wonderful Life" and "The Grapes Of Wrath", but film-makers today treat money with a flippancy few audience members can relate to. In the morally skewed world presented here, Damon doesn't feel obliged to put the money to the sort of use his wife may have approved of, like providing for their kids. Parenting in general is pretty loose here as the kids seem to be forced to shovel camel shit rather than attend school. But I guess this is what Crowe would call "living". It's not just kids who get a rough deal though as the animals don't seem to be a big priority. Rushing to open the Zoo for the summer, Damon finds himself at odds with an animal welfare inspector. Yes, the villain of this movie is someone whose job it is to ensure animals aren't being mistreated for commercial gain. Not exactly Darth Vader is it? Johansson is a feisty zookeeper who helps Damon shake off the memory of his late wife. Seems he wasn't merely grieving all this time, he just had ridiculously high standards. Damon has a fourteen year old son who is "troubled", for reasons he struggles to comprehend. I'm no child psychologist but perhaps it's got something to do with the fact HIS MOTHER JUST DIED! There's a precocious seven year old here too. That's a great tool for a screenwriter as it means they can write cheap and crass expositional dialogue but hey, isn't it cute! Oh there's a Scotsman in this too. Guess what his main character trait is? Yep, he likes a drink. If you fancy watching "Jerry Maguire" remade with more animal dung this is the movie for you. If you gag easily this is one to avoid.

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