Isle of Man Movie Review: 'We Bought a Zoo'

Every Christmas, after the turkey has been handily put down, the presents have been unwrapped and thrown into corners and we've had a bit of time to "digest" it all, the Haggerty family hits the town to check out a movie, together. It's a fun tradition that we started a few years ago.

Let me explain why this is a big deal.

I'm the oldest of seven kids. That's right. Seven. Three of us are married. Another of my siblings is close. We live in different places and operate on different schedules.

Getting all of us in the same room is award-worthy. Getting us all to, then, agree on a movie, get there together and actually make it all the way through? Well that's just a Christmas miracle.

We weren't all able to make it, but most of my family went to see Cameron Crowe's "We Bought a Zoo" this Christmas.

Here's what I thought of it:

Let me be real with you. I didn't wanna see this movie. I thought the previews made it look cheesy, formulaic and predictable.

If you're unfamiliar with the concept, here's the trailer:

I'm not always great with emotion. I've never been a big crier or someone who talks about how I feel.

That stuff is for girls.

I had to toss all that out the window for this movie. For the majority of the 124 minutes, running time, I was slouched to the side, trying to hide the fact that I was getting worked up.

I admit it. Happy?

The movie is based on a true story. Though they took some liberties with the actual story itself, I believe they stayed true to the main points. 

It was a great story of overcoming tremendous obstacles and life circumstances, coming together as a family and moving on towards a brighter future.

Finer points

-- Dakota Fanning's little sister, Elle, was really good in this movie as the quirky young cousin of the main zookeeper (played by Scarlett Johansson). Her character was supposed to be a bit "off," but in a loveable way. She nailed it.

 -- Though he wasn't in it a ton, John Michael Higgins made a cameo. He's one of my favorite comedic actors and I was pleased to see him in this movie.

-- Matt Damon is always solid. Whether you like him or not as a person, it's hard to argue with his ability on the screen. He was the glue that held this movie together.

Axes to grind

-- A very minor grievance (and probably trivial) would be in relation to the "license" that was taken. There were clear points in the film when instances are "amped up" for dramatic effect. They didn't happen. They couldn't have happened. But it makes for good cinema.

-- Some of the dialogue was cheesy. Hey. I'm picky.

Summary

Overall, this was a really good movie. It's safe for all ages. I strongly recommend it. Bring a box of tissues.

Have you seen this movie yet? Planning on it?