Benjamin has lost his wife and, in a bid to start his life over, purchases a large house that has a zoo – welcome news for his daughter, but his son is not happy about it. The zoo is in need of renovation and Benjamin sets about the work with the head keeper and the rest of the staff, but, the zoo soon runs into financial trouble.
The picture annoys you, but it also wrings happy tears, because Crowe pulls at your heartstrings in crafty ways.
– Rene Rodriguez,
Miami Herald,
28 Dec 2011
fresh:
Damon and Colin Ford as his teen son have an affecting hesitancy, their hearts hovering between the living and the dead.
– David Edelstein,
New York Magazine/Vulture,
30 Dec 2011
rotten:
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.
– Rafer Guzman,
Newsday,
5 Jan 2012
fresh:
Nothing that happens in this movie is in the least surprising, but it's all quite pleasant and even, at times, moving.
– David Denby,
New Yorker,
9 Jan 2012
fresh:
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.