Going solely by the trailer, The Zookeeper could have been freaking unbearable. In a year that has brought us Yogi Bear, Hop, Alvin & The Chipmunks 3 and The Smurfs, yet another talking animal movie seemed like cruel and unusual punishment for global audiences to endure. Fortunately, perhaps because it's produced by Adam Sandler, Zookeeper has a story aimed more at adults than the toddlers making it a tad more bearable.
Sure, it's rigidly playing the universal romantic comedy playbook with Kevin James in the title role obsessed at getting back together with his bombshell ex-girlfriend Leslie Bibb when we all know he ought to be getting together with fellow animal lover Rosario (never lovlier) Dawson. But, that's far more welcoming than squeaky, irritating rodents entering a talent contest or trying to steal picnic baskets.
The gags aren't funny, the slapstick poorly timed and ineffective and the script laborious and mediocre, but it's well made with impressive animal animatronics and has a smirk inducing scene with a gorilla* in a TGI Fridays. Not much to recommend it I know, but at least you don't have to fear it.
* Nick Nolte makes for one fucking terrifying ape.
No comments:
Post a Comment