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Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes
Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine: There's a word for the strenuous, shameless plucking of an audience's emotions that this movie traffics in: cornography. Read more
Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: ...where We Bought A Zoo earns its stripes is in the process of getting all of its characters to relate to and accept each other. Read more
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: The creaks, groans and cliches of the screenplay ... are ... finally outstripped by the attractiveness of the performers, those with two legs and more, and especially by the tenderness that Mr. Damon brings to his role. Read more
Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out: Too much of the movie feels predestined---down to the rainstorm on opening day---and subplots involving budding romance end up forcing what's implicit. Read more
David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture: Damon and Colin Ford as his teen son have an affecting hesitancy, their hearts hovering between the living and the dead. Read more
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: "We Bought a Zoo" is a movie you want to like, and a movie you can enjoy if you cut its slackness some slack. Read more
Tom Keogh, Seattle Times: It's about taking a complete leap of faith toward life-altering changes, a running theme in all the director's movies. Read more
Keith Phipps, AV Club: Moves from mopey drama one moment to a reaction shot of a monkey smacking his forehead in exasperation the next. By the end of the film, viewers might understand the monkey's feelings all too well. Read more
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: Proves again that Damon can elevate just about anything in which he appears. Read more
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: This is the first feature from Crowe since the heavy-handed, overly quirky "Elizabethtown," and while it's not a complete return to form, it's close enough. Read more
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: "We Bought a Zoo'' is a sweet-natured, terribly unthreatening drama about redemption and renewal, and it may matter more to the man who made it than the audiences who see it. Read more
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: The movie is quite enjoyable, though, redeemed by Crowe's trademark sincerity and assured handling of oddball character actors. Read more
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: Damon, thank the family-friendly-movie gods, really knows how to hold his head above the corn. Read more
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: A sweet and genial comedy with a relatively low cloy factor. Read more
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: Consider it a fine sign of emotional discipline that the movie doesn't overplay Kelly and Ben's romantic possibilites. Read more
Tom Long, Detroit News: We Bought a Zoo is so filled with artificial sweetener that it may cause cancer. Read more
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: From the high-concept title to the family-friendly story line, it's basically a Tim Allen movie, only made with taste and feeling. Read more
Eric D. Snider, Film.com: When we do feel a warm fuzzy in the heart or a lump in the throat, we also see everything Crowe did to put it there. Read more
David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter: It doesn't dodge the potholes of earnest sentimentality and at times overplays the whimsy. But the uplifting tale has heart, humanity and a warmly empathetic central performance from Matt Damon. Read more
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: While not quite Crowe at his absolute best, it carries his humanistic imprint and benefits from a strong acting ensemble that keep emotions in check. Read more
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: The picture annoys you, but it also wrings happy tears, because Crowe pulls at your heartstrings in crafty ways. Read more
Rafer Guzman, Newsday: The movie has animals, kids and fine acting from Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson, but it lacks the emotional honesty and unpredictability that made Crowe's early films so irresistible. Read more
David Denby, New Yorker: Nothing that happens in this movie is in the least surprising, but it's all quite pleasant and even, at times, moving. Read more
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: These are ideas from old movies, and presented without any of the conviction those pictures used to give them. Read more
Bob Mondello, NPR: Damon proves amiable and appealing in a part that's not asking him to stretch much. Read more
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: The moment in any family film when dignity goes out the window is an animal reaction shot. Read more
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: Heartwarming holiday fare that even jaded adults can share with the kids. Read more
Rex Reed, New York Observer: The performances are sincere and Mr. Damon actually seems to be having a ball, giving one of the best and most mature performances of his career. Read more
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: The filmmakers insufficiently stir the lumpy metaphors, chief among them that for animals, as for humans, there is a difference between cages and enclosures. Read more
James Berardinelli, ReelViews: The general sense of blandness and predictability that marks the story's progression does not damage its emotional strengths. We feel for these characters and, because we care about them, we yearn for the highs the film ultimately delivers. Read more
Richard Roeper, Richard Roeper.com: This is a sweet, funny, unapologetically sentimental film. Read more
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: The result is too much formula and not enough human interest. Read more
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: There's a lot of fun waiting at We Bought a Zoo, but it's the feelings that run through every scene that'll make you glad you came. Read more
Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: The film is sweet. Its observations of life in the aftermath of death ring true, especially for anyone who's traveled the contours of mourning. Read more
Dan Kois, Slate: Watching the overlong, overfeeling, overdirected We Bought a Zoo made me glad to return from Cameron Crowe's world to the real world, where things aren't quite so simple. Read more
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: "We Bought a Zoo" is as phony as a Kardashian marriage. Read more
Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Crowe seems to be making baby steps into new territory, both stylistically and emotionally. Read more
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail: A professional actor in the best sense, always credibly grounded, Damon is much better than the material, and so is Colin Ford who plays the troubled son. Read more
Alonso Duralde, TheWrap: The results feel artificial and sappy, with only a few too-little-too-late moments where the tragedy of losing a mother or a wife is handled with anything resembling grace. Read more
Cath Clarke, Time Out: Crowe, to his credit, is more concerned with insights about family than romance - and some of these are heart-on-sleeve touching if you've got a sweet tooth for the stickier stuff. Read more
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: An average movie that's clearly been crafted to bring holiday families together over the popcorn machine. Read more
Robert Wilonsky, Village Voice: Crowe is back to what he's good at: small stories populated by everyday people. Read more
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: "We Bought a Zoo" provides a welcome seasonal dash of wholesomeness and humor, but it's also a heartening celebration of second acts, even at their most unwelcome. Read more