We Bought A Zoo (2011)

Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) is struggling as a single father. He’s trying to cope with the recent passing of his wife, and he must raise his two children all alone. Benjamin’s young daughter, Rosie Mee (Maggie Elizabeth Jones) is innocent enough, and she doesn’t cause any problems, but Benjamin’s teenage son, Dylan Mee (Colin Ford) is a troubled kid, who’s seeking attention. Dylan is a young and talented artist, who does show some real skills, when it comes to drawing, but he can also be one of the more disruptive forces in Benjamin’s life. Benjamin wants a fresh start. He wants to move on, so he decides to buy a new house. Benjamin’s new home seems perfectly fine at first, but the large zoo in the backyard could cause some problems.

We Bought A Zoo is a highly predictable film. You can see everything coming, the attempted swerves didn’t fool me, and this film just goes through the motions the entire time. Still, We Bought A Zoo can be a very enjoyable film. This film is filled with some genuine heartwarming moments, this one offers plenty of laughs, and We Bought A Zoo features characters, who you can care about. The acting in this film is very solid, and the entire cast really did give a nice effort here. Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, and Colin Ford were able to stand out among the rest, and Angus MacFadyen was just hilarious throughout this film, but Matt Damon really did steal the show. Damon could be witty, charismatic, and humorous, but he could also showcase a serious side here. Damon had his moments of anger, and he was able to show some raw emotions in this film. The rest of the cast did a fine job with the acting, but Matt Damon’s performance was excellent, and he really did look like the star of the cast.

Yeah, We Bought A Zoo is VERY predictable, and this film does go through the motions, but you can still have a fun time with this one. We Bought A Zoo does feature a feel-good story, this film can provide plenty of laughs, and this one does have its moments as a touching drama. We Bought A Zoo does feature all the elements of your typical and formulaic Hollywood comedy/drama, but this film does feature a nice set of entertaining characters, the acting is good, this film does have a very pleasant and cheerful tone most of the time, and this one does feature some real moving moments. We Bought A Zoo is a well made family friendly film, that features some very likeable characters.

Final Rating: 7/10