Review of We Bought a Zoo (2011) by Jared M — 24 Dec 2012

We Bought a Zoo is one of the most enjoyable family films I've seen in a long time. The movie overcomes the usual pitfalls of predictable storytelling with strong performances and a story that is somehow based on true events. Damon and the rest of the cast (especially Maggie Jones who plays the 7-year old Rosie with an incredible amount of light and joy) are compelling enough that I was really impressed with the movie many times. The chemistry Damon has with Jones and Dylan Ford (his other kid in the movie) drives this vehicle well enough to cover flaws and allows the rest of the cast to piggyback and shine.

You can definitely do a lot worse with this genre. We Bought a Zoo is enjoyable family entertainment and it's one of the stars of the genre in recent years.