It was apparent from the trailers that “Zookeeper” was going to be canon fodder for critics worldwide. Talking animal movies can either go really right (animated films like “The Lion King”) or really wrong (live-action films like “Dr. Doolittle”), so for this film to go really right was a shot in the dark.

The critics had a field day, giving this a collective 14% on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences were a mite kinder, giving the film a 55%. Here’s what the critics had to say:

“Will most audiences mind this? Probably not. Should they? Of course. They deserve better and frankly, so does Kevin James.”–Tom Long, Detroit News

“Did we mention that things just go better with Kevin James? Well-trodden comedy hooks become strangely more amusing. Goofball physical shtick elicits broader smiles. The bumblingly stupid is made endearing.”–Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

“When I committed to seeing every movie in wide release this summer I knew that I would have to sit through the bad with the good and Zookeeper is bad with a capital B. In fact, bad doesn’t even begin to do it justice. This movie is a steaming pile of excrement without any redeeming features.”–Scott Nash, Three Movie Buffs

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