Zookeeper (2011)

Welcome to his jungle.

The Zookeeper is something new for people to wait for. Other than it being a comedy film, perhaps it also reminds us of our childhood years and the fun we have at the zoo. Although nowadays, zoo is just for kids, it does not stop the grownups to reminisce about their past. Somehow a zoo can be quite symbolic of more freedom and lesser limitations for kids and yes, people as a whole. It is more than just seeing a lot of rare animals in that place. It is no different from a cotton candy being offered to a kid; which cause his amazement and happiness.

It is rare to know anyone who has not had any experience visiting a zoo because most schools would require students in their elementary years to visit at least once a zoo near their area. It is a field trip most often which brings kid to enjoy and have fun inside the zoo. This is the reason why the movie Zookeeper is a seemingly natural and fun story which can make us all go back to the memory of the zoo. Perhaps this is the way of MGM to get us all back to thinking that a zoo is not just a field trip thing or place. Many things do happen inside it and yes, zookeepers also have lives just like us.

It is amazing how the story moves on. Although we already have inkling on what will happen to the story, it is still worth waiting for the whole of it because as of now, it is only the movie trailer which we can all wait for. The story is about a zookeeper who did not have luck in love and could not get the girl he likes. It is then that he decided to get out or quit doing his job at the zoo in order for him to have a life and get the girl he wanted. Since he’s a good zookeeper, the animals tried to break their silence because they wanted to keep the zookeeper in the place since they cared for him dearly. In such case, they helped him to get the girl he loved in manners which are really both funny and a bit hilarious.

Well, we all have the idea that it is going to be a happy and funny ending but definitely, we all cannot wait to see that movie. The good thing here is that the movie is like start-studded and there are of course different voices of some famous stars such as Sylvestre Stallone and Rosario Dawson. Other than this star-filled movie, of course there is a big expectation that the humor will be amazing and yes worth waiting for.

I remember that it is often the kind of humor that makes up comedy films. More than the slapstick, it is the smart conversation that can put people to eternal laughter and the likes. In this kind of film, I am practically waiting for something really amazing more than the animals talking. In today’s films especially the comedy ones, it is amazing how they slowly evolve from plain slapstick to smart comedy moves. When we say smart, we often refer to those stories which make the obvious become more absurdly obvious and this is quite funny. Well, it depends still with the writer and the producer of the film. But still, the Zookeeper is expected to be more than just the slapstick.

Other than it being a comedy film, it is also something which has a heart. This means that it is not a plain story of losing and winning in love. It is a story which penetrates to the reality like what or how zookeepers live their everyday lives. It is amazing how the movie can actually portray the ups and downs of real-life zookeepers. It somehow questions their existence other than mere support in the cleaning and caring for the animals. It is in some sense telling us that they also have life other than the zoo. They experience love and failure and the likes.

The Zookeeper is a good example on looking at our lives as well. It does not just refer to the life of the carer for animals but it also reflects on our lives as we do our own business and or jobs. If I am an employee for example, it tells me to look at the job that I am doing and how I value it that much that sometimes, the more important aspect of living is already forgotten. The movie simply tells us that we are all zookeepers in our own lives and perhaps we need to temporarily get out getting the real sense of life out there without getting out of our jobs.


Cast: Kevin James, Rosario Dawson, Leslie Bibb, Ken Jeong

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