I could give "We bought a Zoo" my "7" rating based just on the performances of actresses Scarlett Johansson, Maggie Elizabeth Jones and Elle Fanning. Until know, I've found the voluptuous Jahansson surprisingly resistible. However, here adorned with unattractive clothing concealing her more notable features, Johannson resorts to facial expressions and real acting to win appeal and it works. Maggie Elizabeth Jones delivers the most memorable performance by a seven year old girl since Drew Barrymore gave us "Gertie" in "E.T.". Director Cameron Crowe must have recognized this, given the "E.T." homage, when he has Jones buried among the stuffed animals. Finally, Elle Fanning's ethereal beauty of both body and spirit is the first to match Elizabeth Taylor's "Velvet Brown" in nearly 70 years.
Given all this, "We Bought a Zoo" walks a tightrope of drama, farce and cloying family fare and frequently does so unsteadily. I could imagine small children squirming at the length and pacing, parents cringing at the profanity and graphic art by the emotionally disturbed son and virtually everyone touched, but puzzled by the ending; which, while the movie's most touching scene, seems somehow out of place, even though it makes a valid point within the context of the film's theme. Given these problems, I cannot give "We Bought a Zoo" either an unqualified recommendation or a higher rating than a strong "7," but that certainly is enough.
Given all this, "We Bought a Zoo" walks a tightrope of drama, farce and cloying family fare and frequently does so unsteadily. I could imagine small children squirming at the length and pacing, parents cringing at the profanity and graphic art by the emotionally disturbed son and virtually everyone touched, but puzzled by the ending; which, while the movie's most touching scene, seems somehow out of place, even though it makes a valid point within the context of the film's theme. Given these problems, I cannot give "We Bought a Zoo" either an unqualified recommendation or a higher rating than a strong "7," but that certainly is enough.