Went to see Zookeeper last night at a charity screening for the Franklin Park Zoo and I actually had high hopes. I knew Kevin James would provide the usual frenetic, bumbling, stammering but well-intentioned physical comedy, the romantic component would be something only a Hollywood movie could conjure, and the talking/emoting animals would probably get old quick, but I hoped the combination of elements would result in a winning story. Alas, I was only partially rewarded. The animals far outshine the humans in this movie, and the TGI Friday's scene is where the animal/human connection is at its best (I never had a night like that at TGIF!), but the human story is all too familiar and the characters can only try to raise a script that fails to add anything new to the cinematic landscape. Overall a decent effort, a few chuckles, but nothing new. And two people near me commented that Ken Jeong's typically icky character was totally unnecessary for this film.
Reviews
2 Reviews
Weather Girl
(2009)
Start with...a Seaweed reference and you got me...so good I had to watch it twice!
15 February 2010
OK, romantic comedies usually turn me off, but I really liked this movie.
It's loaded with guest appearances that come fast and furious; like Jane Lynch as a hysterically contemptuous restaurant manager; Jon Cryer as as creepy accountant set-up date; Blair Underwood as the frantic Producer; Alex Kapp Hunter and Marin Hinkle as devoted but misguided friends, but the real magic to this indie film is the performances of the title character, "sassy weather girl" Sylvia (the stunning Tricia O'Kelley), her perpetually dismayed but faithful brother Walt (Ryan Devlin), and his semi-slacker house mate Byron (Patrick J. Davis).
Writer/director Blayne Weaver (how could Jon "Duckie" Cryer keep a straight face throughout his scenes?) actually makes a romantic comedy believable and thoroughly watchable, which is quite a feat.
I loved the set design, in particular Walt's apartment, which resembles a theme park for yet-to-be-developed young adults (I can relate)...but someone was totally on by including a Seaweed poster, a totally cool Seattle band, who I'm sure were delighted to be in the prop! Tricia O'Kelley was totally lovable and played her character well. Her character straddled two worlds that were quite separate and totally different, and her involvement with her brother Walt and his buddy Byron were very believable and not too over-the-top.
My favorite scene is the one in which Sylvia comes home to her brother's apartment after a particularly distressing day, and upon seeing Walt and Byron involved in a video game, simply takes her waitresses' uniform off and waltzes over to Byron's apartment across the hall in her underwear and boots. Byron, being a 29-year-old guy, immediately follows.
It's loaded with guest appearances that come fast and furious; like Jane Lynch as a hysterically contemptuous restaurant manager; Jon Cryer as as creepy accountant set-up date; Blair Underwood as the frantic Producer; Alex Kapp Hunter and Marin Hinkle as devoted but misguided friends, but the real magic to this indie film is the performances of the title character, "sassy weather girl" Sylvia (the stunning Tricia O'Kelley), her perpetually dismayed but faithful brother Walt (Ryan Devlin), and his semi-slacker house mate Byron (Patrick J. Davis).
Writer/director Blayne Weaver (how could Jon "Duckie" Cryer keep a straight face throughout his scenes?) actually makes a romantic comedy believable and thoroughly watchable, which is quite a feat.
I loved the set design, in particular Walt's apartment, which resembles a theme park for yet-to-be-developed young adults (I can relate)...but someone was totally on by including a Seaweed poster, a totally cool Seattle band, who I'm sure were delighted to be in the prop! Tricia O'Kelley was totally lovable and played her character well. Her character straddled two worlds that were quite separate and totally different, and her involvement with her brother Walt and his buddy Byron were very believable and not too over-the-top.
My favorite scene is the one in which Sylvia comes home to her brother's apartment after a particularly distressing day, and upon seeing Walt and Byron involved in a video game, simply takes her waitresses' uniform off and waltzes over to Byron's apartment across the hall in her underwear and boots. Byron, being a 29-year-old guy, immediately follows.
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