Review: Zookeeper

THE ZOOKEEPER

reviewer Dexter Kong
Rated: PG(UK)
Release Date: July 29th, 2011(UK)
Director: Frank Coraci
Cast: Kevin James, Rosario Dawson , Leslie Bibb , Ken Jeong,

Zookeeper is about an animal caretaker, Griffin Keyes (Kevin James), who tries to get his ex-girlfriend Stephanie (Leslie Bibb) back by essentially taking dating advice from talking animals at the zoo. They talk because you didn’t realise they can, but just not around humans, at least until they become afraid that Griffin is going to leave them. But really, lets reflect on Leslie Bibb and Kevin James as a realistic couple (nope). At the same time he finds a repertoire with zoo veterinarian Kate (Rosario Dawson), who in typical movie fashion is only attractive when the movie calls for it (read as attractive throughout).

This film seems as if it were a script from the 90s. The plot is tired and predictable from the outset, whilst the cast can only make do with what they’re given. A special mention must go out to Joe Rogan, who manages to find himself out acted and with worse comedic delivery than the trained animals. Every joke from him fell flat, to the awkward point of forced near silence, in a theatre of mostly kids; as if to say, “No Rogan, you’re getting nothing.” I’d like to think that this unspoken code was established pretty early on.

The animal voices seemed incredibly miscast, like they were all trying to out do each other on who could do the most over the top voice. In a celebrity voice cast including the likes of Cher, Sylvester Stallone, Nick Nolte, Judd Apatow..etc, Adam Sandler wins hands down on annoyance as the monkey. The accents are just all over the place.

The moral of the tale seems to be about accepting life at face value. But at the same time Griffin’s meteoric change in lifestyle, copying the traits of the zoo animals, leads him to earn more, get people to like him and get the girl he wants? Apparently to excel in life you need arrogance and inflated sense of self worth. Conversely in a classic happy ending oxymoron, if you actually want to be happy you can just be average, uninspired and realise the hot colleague who works with you all the time is actually kind of hot. that’s OK guys!

True moral of the story: Don’t take life advice from animals albeit talking ones.