Zookeeper

"Don't talk to the animals...unless they talk to you first."

2011 1h 42m EN

😐

5.4

MID

★5.4TMDB · 1,828

ComedyRomanceFamily

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Kindhearted Griffin Keyes is one of the best-loved caretakers at the Franklin Park Zoo, but he's more comfortable with the animals than with females of his own species as proven by his failed marriage proposal to the self-absorbed Stephanie several years ago. The animals have listened to Griffin pine over her for years and, after she reappears in his life, they decide to help Griffin rekindle the relationship and become the alpha male she wants him to be. They inadvertently reveal their secret ability to talk and, after Griffin's initial shock, teach him the rules of courtship, animal-style. Surprisingly, the animals' advice really works and Griffin is about to get everything he's ever dreamed of--or is he?

“Don't talk to the animals...unless they talk to you first.”

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Cast

Kevin James
Griffin Keyes
Rosario Dawson
Kate
Leslie Bibb
Stephanie
Joe Rogan
Gale
Nat Faxon
Dave
Ken Jeong
Venom
Steffiana De La Cruz
Robin
Thomas Gottschalk
Jurgen

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Frank Coraci
Writers: Nick Bakay, Kevin James, Pete von Sholly
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Mid-budget at $80M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 15 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CAST

Did you know

214+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Frank Coraci, shot by Michael Barrett. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Rupert Gregson-Williams. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Scott Hill shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Kevin James and Rosario Dawson and Leslie Bibb carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Don't talk to the animals...unless they talk to you first.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Frank Coraci directs. Michael Barrett behind the camera. Rupert Gregson-Williams scores. Scott Hill cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Mid-budget at $80M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
2Released 15 years ago.
3214+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
4Directed by Frank Coraci, shot by Michael Barrett. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Rupert Gregson-Williams. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Scott Hill shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Kevin James and Rosario Dawson and Leslie Bibb carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Don't talk to the animals...unless they talk to you first.".
9IMDB entry: tt1222817 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 21 themes, including "depression", "marriage proposal", "wedding reception", "gorilla".

The technical file

Cinematography: Michael Barrett
Original score: Rupert Gregson-Williams
Editing: Scott Hill
Production design: Kirk M. Petruccelli
Costume design: Mona May
Makeup / hair: Ann Pala
VFX supervisor: Peter G. Travers
Sound: Tateum Kohut
Stunt coordinator: Jeffrey Lee Gibson
Runtime: 102 min · 1h 42m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $80,000,000
Box office: $169,900,000
Return: 212% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Zookeeper (2011)

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Frank Coraci

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Wuchak2018-06-18
★ 8/10
Fun, heartwarming dramedy with Kevin James, Rosario Dawson and… talking animals RELEASED IN 2011 and directed by Frank Coraci, "Zookeeper" is a dramedy/fantasy/romance starring Kevin James as a (you guessed it) zookeeper in Boston who enlists the aid of the zoo’s animals in his attempt to win the affections of model Stephanie (Leslie Bibb) or, maybe, fellow zoo-worker Kate (Rosario Dawson). This amusing and heartwarming movie succeeds where “Doctor Dolittle” (1998) barely gets by. It’s also more relevant to adults in light of the romantic shenanigans, albeit still family friendly. Everything hinges on whether or not the movie can pull off the animals as (talking) characters while keeping you invested in the drama. And it does, incredibly. I actually found myself caring about one of the animals in particular. As always, James makes for a likable every-guy protagonist. And Dawson is winsome. THE FILM RUNS 1 hour, 42 minutes and was shot in Franklin Park Zoo & Boston, Massachusetts, as well as Central Park, Manhattan (for the bike race). WRITERS: Jay Scherick, David Ronn, Kevin James, etc. GRADE: B+/A-
Kamurai2020-10-03
★ 6/10
Good watch, could watch again, and can recommend. Kevin James and Rosario Dawson give a good carry, though they have an excellent range of supporting characters and then Adam Sandler as the voice of most of the animals. While I would prefer him to lose his mind about the animals talking to him, we instead get a "Do Little" approach where Leslie Bibb and Rosario Dawson fight over a middle aged fat guy without big money. With a certain suspension of disbelief in place, you can really turn your brain off and enjoy this, and the zoo setting add some fun, if ridiculous situations.
FleshWound2024-03-17
★ 4/10
A shallow, mediocre film that can't be saved by its fleeting moments of humor. Zookeeper is about a low-confidence man who is looking for love and manages to keep messing things up. You'll be able to guess the plot within just a few minutes. ...and you'll be right, because it's incredibly predictable. The flick is filled with crass/lowbrow humor and physical comedy that mostly falls flat, but it does have the occasional bright spot that is genuinely funny. Still, it's overshadowed by many more moments where it's just trying too hard, the gag is too stupid, the character is too cringey, and so on. There are multiple characters that are outright annoying and the longer you watch and the more you encounter these characters the more the entire experience just ends up feeling like a chore. It doesn't offer much for adults, and there is enough lewd humor, cursing, and religious slurs in it that I wouldn't offer it to children either. This one's going in the rejects pile.