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Zookeeper

6/10

Stars: Kevin James, Rosario Dawson, Leslie Bibb, Donnie Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, Joe Rogan, Steffiana de la Cruz, Nick Turturro. Voices: Nick Nolte, Sylvester Stallone, Maya Rudolph, Cher, Adam Sandler, Don Rickles, Judd Apatow, Faizon Love, Jon Favreau

Director: Frank Coraci

Kids will enjoy this colourful romp, although adults might find it contains too few real laughs for comfort. Bulky James is the zookeeper, Griffin, who loves model blonde Stephanie (Bibb) and is devastated when she rejects his proposal, despite an elaborate preamble of riding a horse along a beach, finding a message in a bottle and being serenaded by mariachi musicians - all previously planned.

Back at the zoo, five years pass and Griffin finds that, like Doctor Dolittle, he can talk to the animals - although, much to his initial horror, they talk to him first. When Stephanie comes back into his his life, the animals resolve to help him win her back - though we all know, of course, that he should really be chasing his smashing co-keeper Kate (Dawson).

Even though it's a tad undernourished in the smile department, the movie, like its star, is good-natured and no pain to be with; some famous names vocalise the animals, but the best sequence is when Griffin takes Bern the grouchy gorilla (the gravel tones of Nolte) for a night out on the town. 'Shut up,' cries the giant ape, as they pull up outside the venue of his dreams: TGI Friday's.

David Quinlan

USA 2011. UK Distributor: Sony (Columbia). Colour by deluxe.
101 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: PG.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 0, Drugs 0, Swearing 1.

Review date: 24 Jul 2011