“We Bought a Zoo” is a movie for animal lovers, and it’s based on a true story.
The deeply emotional plot revolves around the Mee family after they purchase a new house, which comes with a zoo to take care of. The dad, Benjamin, buys the house for a change in lifestyle after his wife dies from brain cancer. Rosie, the younger daughter, is another reason Benjamin makes the quirky decision to buy the property: he sees Rosie happily playing with the peacocks. But he faces several issues with the zoo as he grieves for his wife and must raise two children alone.
To add to the drama, his son, Dylan, is an angry teenager who gets in trouble in school a lot. Dylan was suspended three times in one semester at his school, and he drew violent drawings in class. That led him to be expelled, which is another reason for the move to the new house. Dylan is angry at his father, and Benjamin and Dylan fight often.
Yes, (and here’s a non-spoiler spoiler alert) living at the zoo brings them closer in the end.
As an animal lover, “We Bought a Zoo” gave me an inside look at what it would be like to live on a zoo, something I loved to see.
On of my favorite characters in the film is Duncan Mee, Benjamin’s brother, because he brings comedic relief with his sarcastic comments. He also originally thinks buying the zoo is a terrible idea, but then the idea grows on him.
Benjamin Mee struggles with having enough money to take care of the zoo and pay the staff until he finds an investment account that his wife, Katherine, left him. The cash enables him to do the repairs the zoo needs to pass the inspection that will allow it to reopen.
There is a comical relationship between Walter Ferris, the zoo inspector, and Peter MacCready, a staff member. Peter hates Walter so much that when Walter visits the zoo for an unannounced pre-inspection visit, the other staff members have to keep Peter locked in a room until Walter is gone.
There are also romantic relationships that grow throughout the film. One involves Benjamin and Kelly Foster, a staff member. Another romantic relationship is between Dylan and Lily Miska, Kelly’s home-schooled cousin.
One small standout character is Robin Jones because he always appears with a monkey on his shoulder. Who wouldn’t want that?
A comical moment in the movie is when Benjamin falls into a briar patch in order to escape the porcupine that is going after him in its exhibit. Another is when Peter is inside the lion exhibit trying to fix the lock on the door, and Kelly distracts the lion as best she can while he is fixing it. Then there is a moment when Dylan accidentally lets the snakes loose, and they find many snakes all over the yard the next day.
On the flipside, the film has many sad narratives. The most poignant is in the flashbacks with Benjamin’s wife, Katherine. There is also a tiger reaching the end of his life, and, of course, the arguments between Dylan and his dad provoke strong emotions.
The final struggle in the movie is when Benjamin, his family, and staff do not think anyone came to the opening of their zoo. However, the view of the crowd was blocked by a tree that fell across the main road in the storm. Herds of people showed up for the opening, and the staff helped them cross over the tree to get to the zoo.
A heartwarming moment in the film is when Benjamin tells Dylan that he is using Dylan’s drawing of the tiger that passed away as the logo for the zoo posters.
“We Bought a Zoo” is a film that is about more than taking care of a zoo. It is also about the bond and healing of a family that was lost without Katherine, the wife and mother. The zoo and the staff members healed the Mee family in the end.
The cast includes Matt Damon as Benjamin Mee, Scarlett Johansson as Kelly Foster, Maggie Elizabeth Jones as Rosie Mee. Elle Fanning plays Lily Miska and Colin Ford plays Dylan Mee.
“We Bought a Zoo” has a 64% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The Rotten Tomatoes audience rating is 71%. The film has a 7/10 IMDb rating.
I personally believe the ratings shout be higher for this film, especially since it is based on a true story. Overall, I find the movie to be incredibly touching, and I hope this review encourages others to watch it.
“We Bought a Zoo” is a PG-rated family comedy movie. It was released November 26, 2011. It is two hours and four minutes long. The film can be watched on Disney+, Hulu, fuboTV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV. It can also be viewed on YouTube, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home for $3.99. The movie can be seen on Amazon Prime Video and Google Play Movies for $3.59. According to The Numbers, the film made $118.7 million globally.