Review of Zookeeper (2011) by Jonny 9 — 12 Dec 2011

While not a good movie by any stretch of the imagination, Kevin James' "Zookeeper" isn't "Mars Needs Moms"-level dreck. Certainly, there are problems, in particular the fact that you have seen this basic plot in a host of movies and television shows and even the 1950's song "Do You Love Me? (Now That I Can Dance).

" For an $80million (USD) film the production has a surprising number of technical flaws. Nick Nolte's voice work as Bernie the Gorilla could have used subtitles to overcome his slurring and the words lost to his tone dropping to an inaudible rasp.

The CGI gorilla itself suffers from scaling problems alternatively presented as big enough to carry light heavyweight James on its back up the side of a bridge but small enough to fit comfortably in a booth at a certain casual dining establishment.

While product placement to offset production costs is a reasonable practice when it stays out of the spotlight, actually inserting commercial breaks into the proceedings (see also recent James Bond BMW ads and the Ford Mustang commercial in the Will Smith version of "The Omega Man") should prompt theater goers to ask for their cut via lowered ticket prices.

Having producer Adam Sandler bring in big names (Cher, Sylvester Stallone, etc.) to do voice work creates very noticeable problems of timing and unnatural pauses clearly the result of the tracks being recorded at different times.

Sandler's unhelpful influence demonstrates also demonstrates itself with prerequisite scenes of public urination. To Sandler: public + relieving yourself = funny (see also "Big Daddy", "Jack and Jill" and others).

Some elements of the film aren't that bad. While he struggles to be consistently interesting enough to be a leading man, James is likable. Joe Rogan plays a comical bad guy with scene-chewing rubber-faced malice.

Ken Jeong's plays the zoo's disturbed reptile handler (one imagines this is only an exaggerated representation of what someone in this line of work is probably like) and while very underutilized he gets to deliver the film's best line: "Newly weds, huh? If you're looking for a honeymoon destination, Oklahoma has a stupid underground fight club scene.

" In short, by no means a film worth seeing but not the screaming no fly zone others might lead you to believe.