This holiday season, acclaimed filmmaker Cameron Crowe (Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous) directs an amazing and true story about a single dad who decides his family needs a fresh start, so he and his two children move to the most unlikely of places: a zoo. With the help of an eclectic staff, and with many misadventures along the way, the family works to return the dilapidated zoo to its former wonder and glory.
There are two types of Cameron Crowes films. One that is pure gold like Almost Famous and one that is like Elizabethtown, aka pure shit. We Bought A Zoo has the look, feel, and dialogue of an Elizabethtown, but by the end of the film I didn’t really care about the bad things because the good things were so cute and charming that they created the illusion that I was watching the Almost Famous Cameron Crowe. It’s not a film I would ever put near the top of my list, but it is one I think I will continue to revisit every few months to put myself in a good mood. We Bought A Zoo is nothing ground breaking, but I can’t help but fall in love with it.
The story doesn’t matter all that much. There is a lot of oversentimental life lessons stuffed in here such as the moving on, letting go, and remembering the past to allow yourself to have a future. Sure, they do manage to sneak in some very good scenes that tug at your emotions but for the most part, that story isn’t what you’re focused on. What you do care about is this zoo they are building and how it brings the people involved together as a family. It isn’t done in a different way than you’d think, but the characters are portrayed in such a likeable manner, you can’t help but root for them to succeed. It’s not all depressing though; the Zoo is a beautiful sight to see. The animals and the world around them come to life and Crowe captures them in a way that makes them shine, as if they are angels. It is one of the more remarkable things the film managed to do.
Matt Damon is the man. He can literally do it all. One movie he is a badass action star fighting to find his identity, another minute he’s a fat dimwitted funnyman taking down a company from the inside out. Here, he plays a father struggling to cope and take responsibility after the death of his wife. His journey to “start over” as he loves calling it in the film, is extremely solid; he is even capable of making you shed a tear for him. He creates such a great “everyday” character, you recognize this guy from the world around you. As for some of the other characters, Scarlet Johansson is so sexed down; you’d have a hard time realizing it was her at moments in the film. It makes you miss the pre-Hollywood days of her movie career. She’s a bit generic here, but that’s not her fault; more the choice of dialogue they gave her. Matt Damons two children are where the film hits and misses. The daughter Rosie adds a lot to the cuteness factor, but his son plays such a clichéd depressing character, you become a bit frustrated with him. He makes up for it in some scenes, but that probably comes from the unexpected reveals that come about throughout the story. Its not the all-world ensemble cast, but We Bought A Zoo works because they are so damn likeable.
Even despite its cheesy, clichéd, and overly depressing tones, We Bought A Zoo is awesome. It’s the exact definition of a family friendly drama where children will enjoy for the actual Zoo, but adults can enjoy the other messages the film manages to spew out. Don’t allow yourself to be scared off by the mixed reviews because there’s a great chance you’ll love it as I did. It was my favorite Christmas viewing yet.
Overall Score: 7/10
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