We Bought A Zoo

"We Bought a Zoo is an odd bird, warm-blooded but largely lifeless."

"This menagerie of genres doesn't mesh."

"As human-interest stories go, this one’s a beaut."

"There's a lot of fun waiting at We Bought a Zoo, but it's the feelings that run through every scene scene that'll make you glad you came."

"Too much formula and not enough human interest."

"Genuinely charming, treacle-free family films are tough to find these days, so I’m happy to heartily recommend “We Bought a Zoo’’ as heartwarming holiday fare that even jaded adults can share with the kids."

"Sentimental without being mushy."

"If, however, you like heartwarming—not cloying—stories about decent people, and hope to leave the theater feeling better than you did when you walked in, We Bought a Zoo will be a welcome cup of holiday cheer."

"Arguably the director's least typical film, 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."

"Formula, however, is the enemy of sincerity, and in We Bought A Zoo, the two engage in a film-long struggle."