We Bought a Zoo

This movie tells the true story of a single dad who moves with his two kids to an old zoo that will be destroyed unless he can revive it as a successful business.  It is an odd little film that has a lot going for it, but ultimately doesn’t succeed enough as an entertainment.  Crowe and his talented cast sincerely tried to make a good family film--but I would have to describe this a film with something to bore every member of the family.  Even though I saw it on the giant screen, this feels like a movie made to be watched on an airplane.  It is unfortunate how pleasant, predictable and by-the-numbers Cameron Crowe’s later films have become.  It’s like he’s trying to follow the exact career path of his idol Billy Wilder.  But it’s too soon for this talent to dry up and blow away.