A whole heap of A-list actors in underwhelming, middling fare. But at least you know what the movies are about—the title says it all. The Zookeeper is about, yes, a zookeeper, and Horrible Bosses is about… well, you get the idea.
THE ZOOKEEPER: It seems like every Kevin James movie is the same but with a slightly altered premise. He’s a dorky, but lovable guy who can’t seem to get the girl, who is invariably way out of his league. But this being Hollywood, James wins them over in the end. In The Zookeeper, James can’t seem to get the girl because zookeeping isn’t seen as super sexy by ladies like Rosario Dawson and Leslie Bibb. As soon as he says he’s gotta leave the zoo, the animals (who, can talk—bad CGI alert!) stage an intervention.
Perfect for: People who like talking animals and think Kevin James is just adorable.
What the Critics Say: The Arizona Republic called it “dopey, but well-meaning,” and the Orlando Sentinel wrote: “Director Frank Coraci, a veteran of Adam Sandler's comic style, is more at home with the slapstick than the would-be romance or the movie's darker subtext.”
Our take: Something to watch while nodding off on the plane.
HORRIBLE BOSSES: Horrible Bosses should be funny. Super handsome actor Colin Farrell uglied up for his role as the bigoted, unfeeling boss aiming to “trim the fat” by firing the actual fat people on staff. Jennifer Aniston plays up her hot cougar image to the hilt, as a sexually harassing dentist. (How horrible is it to be molested by Jennifer Aniston? Really?) Kevin Spacey plays a passive aggressive manipulative psycho boss. The three victims, played by Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis concoct a plan to off their bosses, which, of course, goes awry. Hilarity is supposed to ensue.
Perfect for: People wishing they had a Judd Apatow movie but with the gross-out humor dialed down three notches.
What the Critics Say: A subpar movie is saved by its stars: Variety writes, “this foul-mouthed effort instead coasts on its leads' strong three-way chemistry and crack timing,” while MSN’s Glenn Kenny warns, “you won't entirely hate it ... but you may hate yourself in the morning.”
Our take: Given the competition of Bad Teacher, Mr. Popper’s Penguins and the 400th Transformers fiasco, one might settle for Horrible Bosses.
