We Bought a Zoo

We Bought a Zoo

Rating 5 out of 10

I have to start this review with the disclaimer that I saw this movie in California.  While I'm sure it's nothing out of the ordinary for people to see movies in the Golden State.  I hear they even make a few movies there.  The problem is I am a Georgia boy who was still on the Eastern time zone.  So the 7p start time was 10p to me.  Cassie usually goes to bed at 10p!  This movie was on the slow side so the rating may have suffered a bit because of that.

We Bought a Zoo was "based on a true story".  Benjamin (don't call me Ben) Mee played by Matt Damon with the Pert pretty hair and his two kids are still in a depressed state from his wife's death from cancer six months earlier.  The son is doing poorly in school and drawing scary things on paper.  Dad feels the family needs a change.  Time to move to the country.  The problem is when they find the perfect house it has a zoo attached.  Yes, somehow the only way you can buy the house is by agreeing to bring the zoo back to it's lost glory.  I'm sure that happens all the time.

The zoo comes with a five person staff headed by Kelly Foster played by Scarlett Johansson.  Ms Johansson just seems out of place on this part.  The cast of misfits have a short period of time to get the zoo ready to pass inspection or all is lost including Benjamin's life savings.

This is a mostly simple and safe movie.  You probably won't be sorry you saw it, but six months from now you'll be looking at the dvd cover trying to remember if you have seen it or not.