The Zookeeper 2011

Tom Long, Detroit News: Will most audiences mind this? Probably not. Should they? Of course. They deserve better and frankly, so does Kevin James. Read more

David Germain, Associated Press: James hurls himself into this sad scenario with energy and teddy-bear charm that makes him impossible to hate. But it's easy to hate "Zookeeper." If we could talk to the animals, they'd probably hate it, too. Read more

Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: If a worse movie is released this year, I hope I don't have to see it. Read more

Rachel Saltz, New York Times: Coraci doesn't impose much discipline, letting some scenes run wild and others peter out, their punch lines dangling. Read more

Scott Bowles, USA Today: It's hard to think of a human finding much to laugh about in this wounded beast. Read more

John Hartl, Seattle Times: The team of five writers, including James, simply fails to provide a narrative that would make us care about what happens next. Read more

Keith Phipps, AV Club: As a study in insanity, Zookeeper is mildly interesting. But as a kiddie comedy, it's something to watch only once the little ones have worn out their Dr. Doolittle DVD (maybe even their Dr. Doolittle 2 DVD, for that matter). Read more

Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: It's stupid, then it veers toward the absurd, but with James at its center it remains sort of sweet throughout. You can't hate James or the movie; both are just sort of dopey but well-meaning. Read more

Mark Feeney, Boston Globe: The talking animals are wildly child-pleasing, except that much of their talk concerns matters of animal husbandry. Is there such a thing as a hard PG? Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: I think there should be a subdivision of the ASPCA -- American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Audiences. Read more

Gary Dowell, Dallas Morning News: There's little to recommend about Zookeeper, a movie that's flat, lacking in surprises and very dull. Read more

Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: Did we mention that things just go better with Kevin James? Well-trodden comedy hooks become strangely more amusing. Goofball physical shtick elicits broader smiles. The bumblingly stupid is made endearing. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: It's all very ho-hum, though James, who's like Jason Alexander with a touch of Jeremy Piven, is still a schmo you can't help rooting for. Read more

Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: Beastly comedy for the lowest of brow. Read more

Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: There's no "The" in the title of the Kevin James comedy "Zookeeper," and that lack of a definitive article pretty well encapsulates the generic fat man follies on display here. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: A children's comedy about talking animals that feels as if it were written by children or, perhaps, by talking animals. Read more

Lou Lumenick, New York Post: This one is strictly for James' hard-core fans and anyone wishing to witness the sole appearance of the once-mighty MGM lion on a new feature this year. Read more

David Hiltbrand, Philadelphia Inquirer: If you've been waiting for Hollywood to produce a romantic comedy with a supporting cast made up of talking animals . . . well, no, even then, Zookeeper will let you down. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: James can be a funny guy, but the lack of laugh-worthy material in Zookeeper stretches his comedic abilities past the breaking point. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Look, a great movie this is not. A pleasant summer entertainment it is. Read more

Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: As far as complete wastes of time go, "Zookeeper" is not especially offensive. Read more

Jennie Punter, Globe and Mail: Unfortunately, nobody had the good sense to call the comedy authorities and shut this Zookeeper down. Read more

Alonso Duralde, TheWrap: Zookeeper is arguably one of the better products of the Adam Sandler Death of Cinema Fun Factory -- but that's an accomplishment somewhere on par with "Least Smelly Turd." Read more

Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine: It's probably time to stop fretting about Kevin James's movies, and to stop hoping they'll get better. Read more

Derek Adams, Time Out: Funniest moments? The outtakes during the closing credits. I rest my case. Read more

Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: Little kids - hence the G rating - and those who think poop-tossing is funny will be amused by Zookeeper. The rest of us are better off not feeding the animals. Read more

Brian Lowry, Variety: Ultimately, it's a marketing pitch in search of a movie that proves punishingly flat, with even the slapstick so sparsely delivered as to replicate a long slog through the zoo, surrounded by fidgety kids, on a suffocating summer's day. Read more

Nick Schager, Village Voice: A comedy whose cliche-embracing stupidity borders on the surrealistic. Read more

Sean O'Connell, Washington Post: Casting carries "Zookeeper" over its roughest patches. The vocal guest stars are inspired. Read more