--- title: "We Bought a Zoo: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/we-bought-a-zoo/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/we-bought-a-zoo" critics_score: 57 critics_reviews: 21 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # We Bought a Zoo (2011): what the critics said Critics' score 57 from 21 reviews: 9 positive, 6 mixed, 6 negative. Most critics take We Bought a Zoo for what it is: a sincere, sweet-natured family film about a widower and his children, and on those terms a fair number find it likeable. The praise clusters on Matt Damon, whose grounded, sympathetic lead performance is singled out even by reviewers who care little for the film around him. Scarlett Johansson and the young cast get warm mentions, and several reviews credit Cameron Crowe with treating grief and hope in earnest rather than by rote. The reservations are all about sugar. Even the approving reviews call the film sentimental; the disagreement is over how much is bearable. The mixed notices complain of a predictable, overlong story, an over-used soundtrack and a third act of overwrought speeches. The negative ones go further: Slant Magazine and The Independent find it cloying and manipulative, with uplift the film has not earned. The spread is wide, from warm approval to outright dismissal. ## Evening Standard Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 16 March 2012. This is a ruthlessly heartwarming, family-friendly adaptation perfectly suited to an Easter outing, with appealing turns from Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson and plenty of cute animals and kids. The relocation from the UK source material to California is noted as a minor drawback. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/we-bought-a-zoo-review-7574860.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 27 November 2011. Cameron Crowe’s film has some rough edges, but it ultimately delivers thanks to Matt Damon’s moving performance. The uplifting tale has heart, humanity and a warmly empathetic central performance from Matt Damon. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/we-bought-a-zoo-film-266494/) ## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 22 December 2011. The critic finds Cameron Crowe still a Hollywood romantic whose film offers a likable story of a widower rebuilding his life by reopening a zoo with his family. It praises the blend of family drama, animals, and romance drawn from a true story. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/23/movies/we-bought-a-zoo-review.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 15 March 2012. This is a traditional, sweet-natured family film in which Matt Damon plays a widower who buys a dilapidated zoo in California to help his grieving children. It is a bit sugary but ultimately an easy-going, likable picture that tugs on the heartstrings. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/mar/15/we-bought-a-zoo-review) ## The New Yorker — David Denby Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 9 January 2012. The critic calls it a genial family entertainment about a widower buying a dilapidated zoo, noting Cameron Crowe has regained his commercial touch. Nothing surprises but the film is likable and touching with strong supporting work from Scarlett Johansson. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/we-bought-a-zoo-2) ## The Times — Kate Muir Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 March 2012. Loosely based on the real story, the California-set film features a fine cast of creatures and locals. It offers something for the whole family with animal encounters and strong performances, especially from the young cast. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/we-bought-a-zoo-mpbl0qhbsfm) ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 23 February 2012. The film is a sincere but overlong and somewhat bland family drama that sits between good and bad sentimentality, lacking the emotional punch of Crowe's best work. It earns praise for its warm atmosphere, strong ensemble performances led by Matt Damon, and flashes of Crowe's signature voice in the family dynamics. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/bought-zoo-review/) ## Little White Lies — Dan Stewart Rating 2/3/3. 15 March 2012. The critic finds the film a low-key, sun-filled family drama about bonding and dreams that is cheesy but enjoyable for those who like that sort of thing. They single out the mawkish moments with the cute daughter as a potential complaint while noting the lack of silly animal antics. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/we-bought-a-zoo) ## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf Rating 3/5. The review describes a feelgood family comedy about healing through nature and wonder, anchored by Matt Damon's performance, but notes it feels too predestined with forced subplots and excessive soundtrack use. The critic singles out the symbolic bear and the natural setting for praise while complaining about the predestined plotting. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/we-bought-a-zoo) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 2 December 2011. The critic calls it a well-meaning and sentimental but lumbering family drama that never quite connects, existing in a wan emotional middle-ground. They single out Matt Damon’s sympathetic lead performance for praise while noting the underutilised animals and lack of strong emotional connective tissue as complaints. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/we-bought-a-zoo/5035309.article) ## The AV Club — Keith Phipps Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 22 December 2011. The film struggles between sincerity and formula in an unsatisfying mix of mopey drama and broad comedy. The characters feel clichéd, the zoo underdeveloped, and Crowe’s efforts fail to give the story depth. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/we-bought-a-zoo-1798170945) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 26 July 2012. This is a cloying, soppy and manipulative true tale that fails to engage despite Matt Damon's dignity in the lead and a decent soundtrack. Scarlett Johansson fares better as the zookeeper but cannot salvage the overall sentimentality. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/dvd-bluray-we-bought-a-zoo-pg-7979410.html) ## Slant Magazine — Nick Schager Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 11 December 2011. Crowe dives headfirst into schmaltzy territory with formulaic plotting, contrivances, and unearned uplift. The film is caged by clichés, lacks nuance or humor, and prioritizes animal pratfalls over complex moments. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/we-bought-a-zoo/) ## The Playlist — The Playlist Staff Rating B. 27 November 2011. The film succeeds thanks to its sincere, heart-on-its-sleeve approach to grief and hope despite occasional saccharine sentimentality. Crowe nails emotional monologues and character details but the story is broadly drawn and the final act overly manipulative. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-feel-good-earnest-we-bought-a-zoo-hits-all-the-heartwarming-notes-20111127/) ## Den of Geek — Simon Brew Rating 3 out of 5. 15 March 2012. The critic finds it a gentle, warming piece about grief and family, surprisingly charming and human, though it overstays its welcome with some missteps like a pantomime villain. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/we-bought-a-zoo-review-2/) ## /Film — Angie Han Rating 7.0/10. 24 December 2011. Crowe's sincere and genuine feeling makes the sappy holiday tale likable and warm despite occasional saccharine moments. It falters by lacking real emotional weight or darkness around the central theme of grief, resulting in a lightweight but wholesome entertainment. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/519100/we-bought-zoo-review/) ## Digital Spy — Stella Papamichael Rating 3/5. 12 March 2012. It's a fluffy true-life tale with harmless fun, strong performances especially from the son, but predictable and family-friendly without much peril or surprise. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a370064/we-bought-a-zoo-review/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating C. 22 December 2011. The film is amiable for much of its runtime as a family story about restoring a zoo but becomes overly earnest and predictable with overwrought emotional speeches in the third act; Matt Damon's grounded performance is the main highlight holding it together. [Read the review](https://collider.com/we-bought-a-zoo-review/) ## NME — Owen Nicholls Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 16 March 2012. The film is tiresome and overly autobiographical, maudlin with poor musical choices and underwritten romance; tolerable for fans but not reaching broad audiences. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/blogs/the-movies-blog/we-bought-a-zoo-film-review-775380) ## Paste — Dan Kaufman Rating 6.7. 21 December 2011. Crowe's direction is ham-fisted and the script features too many inorganic, overly broad moments and tidy resolutions that feel stale; some effective emotional beats stand out but the film lacks contemporary edge. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/we-bought-a-zoo) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2011. The critic finds Cameron Crowe's film artificial and sappy, with forced emotional content that fails to land despite its true-story basis. Thomas Haden Church's performance and one tiger's scenes stand out as the few elements that linger positively amid the mopey tearjerker tendencies. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/we-bought-zoo-tries-make-you-boo-hoo-33799/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/we-bought-a-zoo.md