TMG Scale 8.0 – Joy Lynn was not as amused as TMG P Factor 1.0
Starring Kevin James, Donnie Wahlberg
It is so hard to find a funny and enjoyable family movie. This one foots the bill. Sure, the 14 to 28 crowd will not rave on this one. But if you are under 13 and over 30 and you did not genuine enjoy this film, you need to cut your diet of Jersey Shore, Desparate Housewives, the Kardashians and crystal meth. And no, I am not providing hot links to any of these depraved , God forsaken examples of man’s inhumanity to man….er uh, or woman. It might also be nice if I could see one film this month without someone peeing in public. It is just not funny for humans or animals. But don’t be afraid to enjoy a simple, silly little movie about a Zookeeper (Kevin James as “Griffin”) trying to find his true love with the help of some wisecracking zoo animals. Donnie Wahlberg just needed a paycheck and added little. It is what it is though and I really relaxed, laughed and enjoyed it!
Joy Lynn: I liked the story line a lot! But, not so fond of the animals talking, but that’s just me. The animals made it a kid friendly movie and the romance brings in the adults. This is generally the recipe for a successful, family friendly movie. But I agree with TMG, this will appeal to young kids who will enjoy the animal talk. I think older teens will think it is stupid.
In my mind, Griffin could have made friends with some zoo staff that would have given him the same bad advice with the exception of peeing on a tree. However, in reality, men and women emit endorphins from their body oder, which has the same effect as animal’s urine. Even cute animals can give bad advice that may temporarily get a girl—-like be a hero at all cost, show up with another chick to make her jealous, give mixed signals and do whatever it takes to make her happy, even if that means losing yourself.
Fortunately, a better message shines through: Be yourself, not what someone else wants you to be. This a good message for children and adults alike. But young kids who would like this movie may not truly get the message. The adults will. And for them there are other good messages like don’t disregard dating those around you who have your same interests rather than always trying to find your “dream” mate. You are wasting time and energy. Beauty isn’t everything — look for your “soulmate” rather than your “sex-mate”. Another good message from this film is to avoid living in the past – your future may be right in front of you.
Kevin James was perfect in the role as Griffin. The voices of the animals were at times hard to understand and I did not find myself necessarily liking the movie for any of the animal voiceovers. Never realized it was Cher, Sylvester Stallone, Nick Nolte, or Adam Sandler speaking. I am not as fond of slapstick stunts as many men are. So, therefore, I was not laughing out loud, but was pretty amused for the duration. Don’t expect too much. Just enjoy the silly ride. So, my rating would be 6. Had value, but could have been better.