Zookeeper

This one is scoring a meager—actually, quite pathetic—14 percent on the rottentomatoes.com Tomato-Meter as of press time, but I assure you that not only is it not that bad, it’s actually quite good. Kevin James plays a zookeeper giving serious thought to leaving his job in pursuit of a woman (Leslie Bibb). The zoo animals love him, so they talk to him in an effort to help him get the girl and possibly keep him on the job. James is a decent enough leading man this time out, alternately funny and sweet, but the main reason to see the film is for the perfectly cast talking animals. I especially liked Adam Sandler as a mischievous monkey, Sylvester Stallone and Cher as a couple of lions, and Nick Nolte as a lonely gorilla who wants to spend a night out at T.G.I. Friday’s. The film loses its way a bit in the middle, and could’ve used more talking animals and less of the romantic plot nonsense. Still, the kids will laugh at the talking monkey, and you might too.