Zookeeper (2011)

Fun, heartwarming dramedy with Kevin James, Rosario Dawson and… talking animals

RELEASED IN 2011 and directed by Frank Coraci, "Zookeeper" is a dramedy/fantasy/romance starring Kevin James as a (you guessed it) zookeeper in Boston who enlists the aid of the zoo’s animals in his attempt to win the affections of model Stephanie (Leslie Bibb) or, maybe, fellow zoo-worker Kate (Rosario Dawson).

This amusing and heartwarming movie succeeds where “Doctor Dolittle” (1998) barely gets by. It’s also more relevant to adults in light of the romantic shenanigans, albeit still family friendly. Everything hinges on whether or not the movie can pull off the animals as (talking) characters while keeping you invested in the drama. And it does, incredibly. I actually found myself caring about one of the animals in particular. As always, James makes for a likable every-guy protagonist. And Dawson is winsome.

THE FILM RUNS 1 hour, 42 minutes and was shot in Franklin Park Zoo & Boston, Massachusetts, as well as Central Park, Manhattan (for the bike race). WRITERS: Jay Scherick, David Ronn, Kevin James, etc.

GRADE: B+/A-

Good watch, could watch again, and can recommend.

Kevin James and Rosario Dawson give a good carry, though they have an excellent range of supporting characters and then Adam Sandler as the voice of most of the animals.

While I would prefer him to lose his mind about the animals talking to him, we instead get a "Do Little" approach where Leslie Bibb and Rosario Dawson fight over a middle aged fat guy without big money.

With a certain suspension of disbelief in place, you can really turn your brain off and enjoy this, and the zoo setting add some fun, if ridiculous situations.

A shallow, mediocre film that can't be saved by its fleeting moments of humor.

Zookeeper is about a low-confidence man who is looking for love and manages to keep messing things up. You'll be able to guess the plot within just a few minutes. ...and you'll be right, because it's incredibly predictable.

The flick is filled with crass/lowbrow humor and physical comedy that mostly falls flat, but it does have the occasional bright spot that is genuinely funny. Still, it's overshadowed by many more moments where it's just trying too hard, the gag is too stupid, the character is too cringey, and so on. There are multiple characters that are outright annoying and the longer you watch and the more you encounter these characters the more the entire experience just ends up feeling like a chore.

It doesn't offer much for adults, and there is enough lewd humor, cursing, and religious slurs in it that I wouldn't offer it to children either. This one's going in the rejects pile.