We Bought a Zoo

What I liked:

• Matt Damon was fantastic.  He was funny, cute, serious, emotional, and real.
• Colin Ford nailed the teenage angst and it doesn't hurt that he looks like a young Damon.
• Could Maggie Elizabeth Jones be any cuter?!
• Almost Famous alum, Patrick Fugit!
• Elle Fanning is fabulous in everything that she does.  
• For Curb Your Enthusiasm fans...Leon Black (J.B. Smoove)!
• Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, John Michael Higgins, Stephanie Szostak, and Angus Macfadyen round out the rest of the cast.
• The story is based on a true events.

What I didn't like:

• This could have been a beautiful love story if Kelly had stayed out of it.
• The real zoo is in England, not Southern California.  Why change this for a film?
• It felt like Cameron Crowe filmed way more story and footage than needed therefore making it a challenge to edit into a two hour movie.
• Not enough Fugit!
• It's being marketed as a children's movie but the youngsters will find this slow and boring.  It's not about the animals.  It's about human relationships which is fine for adults but not entertaining for kids.
• Don't be fooled by the PG rating, there are a few swear words in here that make me question why this isn't PG-13.   

http://www.dartmoorzoo.org

Grade: B