We Bought a Zoo film review

I went to see this excellent family film earlier this month and I loved it so much I pre-ordered it for it's release (Monday 16th July) on triple play blu-ray.  When I went to see it at the cinema I took plenty of tissues as my children had warned me it was a weepie, but I hadn't expected to cry so much it almost gave me dehydration.  This movie is inspired by a true story and the main character's back story really talked to me personally, so I was already over-emotional before he even bought the zoo.  But the brilliant story and fantastic acting had me running the full gamut of emotions before the film was over.  Matt Damon (best known for Bourne) plays Benjamin Mee, a widowed father with a young daughter (the indescribably cute Maggie Elizabeth Jones who is an even better actress in this than in her brilliant turn in the Footloose remake) and rebellious teenage son (another excellent performance from Colin Ford who I recognised as playing the young Sam Winchester in the scarily awesome Supernatural) who tries to make a new start following advice from his brother (a spot-on, as always, performance by Thomas Hayden Church of Sideways and Spiderman) by moving house to a property that has just one drawback (that's right, you guessed it, it's a zoo).  Here he meets his new staff, who include the feisty Kelly (Scarlet Johansson), even feistier MacCready (a hilarious Angus Macfadyen who I recognised as the baddie from Chuck), untrusting Rhonda (Carla Gallo from TVs Bones) and sweet Lily (a goofball Elle Fanning best known for Super8) who has eyes for his son Dylan.  Much hilarity follows as they try to get the zoo ready for inspection by hated Walter Ferris (played to a T by John Michael Higgins of Bad Teacher and The Ugly Truth).  This movie is fantastic family entertainment and I give it a resounding 10/10 and recommend you buy it as soon as possible.