Roku Review: We Bought a Zoo

Hi! I’m Eric Lachter, Director of Marketing and Guy that Streams Great Movies on Roku.  Last night I watched We Bought a Zoo on Amazon Instant Video with my kids. It fits right into the “movies adults and kids can both enjoy without anyone feeling they just wasted two hours” category.

The premise of We Bought a Zoo is that Matt Damon’s wife has passed away and his family needs a fresh start. Matt Damon plays a frumpy yet likable Dad who is doing his best to keep his angsty teenage son and cute 7-year-old daughter from coming unglued.  He searches for a new home with his realtor, JB Smoove (who I love as Leon on Curb your Enthusiasm) and they find the perfect house – but it comes with a zoo.

The zoo staff is led by a slightly-less-glamorous-than-usual but still naturally beautiful Scarlett Johanssen, who shines as the animal-loving conscience of the film. Damon and Johanssen have decent on-screen chemistry – had this been a Bourne movie, we might have gotten more out of the romance.

I won’t ruin the end, but We Bought a Zoo entertains and delivers a great light-hearted message about life being an adventure, which is certainly true. I’d recommend the flick and so would my kids.

What’s your favorite adult-friendly kid movie? Let us know in the comments below.

Happy streaming!