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    • BLU-RAY REVIEW

    We Bought A Zoo

    Featured In Issue 167, May/June 2012

    Picture5
    Sound4.5
    WSR Score4.5
    Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
    (Studio/Distributor):
    20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
    (Catalog Number):
    2275178
    (MPAA Rating):
    PG
    (Rating Reason):
    Language and some thematic elements
    (Retail Price):
    $39.99
    (Disc Type):
    Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
    (Widescreen Edition):
    Yes
    (Full Screen Edition):
    No
    (Running Time In Minutes):
    124
    (Color Type):
    Color
    (Chaptered/Scene Access):
    Yes
    (Closed Captioned):
    Yes
    (Regional Coding):
    Not Indicated
    (Theatrical Year):
    2011
    (Theatrical Release):
    Yes
    (Direct-To-Video Release):
    No
    (Disc Release Date):
    04/03/12
    (THX® Digitally Mastered):
    No
    (Director):
    Cameron Crowe
    (Screenplay/Written By):
    (Story):
    (Music):
    (Director Of Photography):
    (Production Designer):
    (Visual Effects):
    (Costume Designer):
    (Editor):
    (Supervising Sound Editors):
    (Re-Recording Mixers):
    (Executive Producers):
    (Co-Producers):
    (Producers):
    (Academy Awards):
    (Principal Photography):
    (Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
    (Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
    (Disc Soundtrack):
    Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS HD Lossless 5.1
    (Theatrical Sound):
    (Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
    (DTS Bit Rate):
    (Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
    (Additional Languages):
    (French Language):
    (Spanish Language):
    (Chinese Language):
    (Subtitles):
    (Cantonese Language):
    (Mandarin Language):
    (Japanese Language):
    (Italian Language):
    (German Language):
    (Portuguese Language):

    In We Bought A Zoo, Benjamin Mee (Damon) is a Los Angeles newspaper columnist and adventure writer who, as a single father, faces the challenges of raising his two young children. Hoping that a fresh start and a new life will restore their family spirit, Mee quits his job and buys an old rural house outside the city with a unique bonus feature: a zoo named the Rosemoor Animal Park, where dozens of animals reside under the care of head zookeeper Kelly Foster (Johansson) and her dedicated team. With no experience, limited time, and a shoestring budget, Mee sets out with the support of his family and the local community to reopen the zoo. Now, Benjamin is no longer reporting an adventure story; he's living it in his own backyard. Based on the book by Benjamin Mee. (Gary Reber)

    Special features include commentary with Director Cameron Crowe, Actor JB Smoove, and Editor Mark Livolsi; 20 deleted and extended scenes (HD 37:27); a gag reel (HD 06:57); three featurettes: We Shot A Zoo in five segments (HD 75:52), Their Happy Is Too Loud (HD 17:29), and The Real Zoo (HD 28:35); a photo gallery; up-front previews; the theatrical trailer; BD-Live functionality; and a digital copy.

    The 1.85:1 1080p AVC picture is enchanting, with a perfectly natural appearance. Rodrigo Prieto's warm cinematography beautifully captures the California landscape with a finely grained texture that is cinematic throughout. The color palette exhibits rich and balanced hues with natural fleshtones. Contrast is well balanced with deep, solid blacks and revealing shadow delineation. Resolution is excellent with finely detailed imagery, especially during fleshtones, hair, clothing, and object texture. This is a gorgeous visual experience that radiates with natural beauty. (Gary Reber)

    The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is nicely executed, with an overall frontal focus with subtle surround envelopment. The sonics are dynamic, with convincing atmospherics and sound effects. The music score is vibrant and varied, with a robust surround extension. The .1 LFE channel is limited, but the overall fidelity has a solid low-frequency foundation. Dialogue is intelligible and realistic in presence, but at times wanting in spatial integration. A Dove.org-approved Dolby® Digital 5.1-channel family-friendly audio mix is available, sans the few swear words in the theatrical mix. Overall, this is a delightful soundtrack that nicely supports the family adventure storytelling. (Gary Reber)

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