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source: Zoo

This is an enjoyable family adventure which always seems to have the threat of war in the background. All the leading actors do a good job and even the one bully has a softer side, while the other bully remains just that. We even get to laugh every now and then. Penelope Wilton makes a remarkable transformation from what seems like an evil witch to a kind and caring person. Emily Flain is kind but tough as a possible romantic interest who is mainly just a good and helpful friend. Toby Jones stands out as an obnoxious security guard at the zoo, but even he has a kind side he just won't let show. James Stockdale is a little person with an attitude, who lets people know he's just has capable as anyone else. His role is ... short, but he makes us notice him. I don't know why a family film like this would get a TV-14 V-chip rating. I do know some words didn't make it to broadcast TV, but there isn't really anything here to justify such a stern warning. Little kids probably shouldn't see some scenes because this is war, people are frightened, and there is damage. Not everyone survives to the end, but no one is shown dying. People grieve, but life goes on. And of course not all animals survive because certain people are overly cautious with the threat of bombing, but again, you don't see what happens. In the U. S., we don't have prayer in the public schools but we might have back then. It's not clear whether the kids attend a Catholic school but the teacher does pray. Pauline Hutton, I believe it is, does such a good job in that scene. There is nice scenery, mainly at the zoo, but we don't really get to see just how beautiful Northern Ireland is. Other scenes show a working class neighborhood which is not really attractive, but that's just how it is. It's a fine effort.

Very few people know that, both Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland were bombed during WWII accidently or intentionally. This story shows the Belfast bombings, and all bombings, from an angle that isn't normally shown. Something we never think of is, normal life we're used to, being destroyed, which doesn't relate to human life. We know of homes, pubs cinemas, theatres and factories being destroyed. We never think of Zoos, Forests, Heritage Sites also being bombed. I won't delve into the movie, it speaks for itself. A lovely, heartbreaking movie about an event, very few know about. On a personal level, an Uncle of mine was a volunteer Fireman in Dundalk in the South of Ireland. When Belfast was bombed, he formed a group of volunteers, who drove to Belfast, to fight the fires after the bombings. As he is long passed I'll never be able to ask if he was anywhere near the Zoo. I am an animal lover, so was he. I would like to think he did the best he could, for both human and animal.

The movie has a decent quality with lots of sweet, humanitarian, kind, generous characters. This seems to be an exaggerated fiction of an extremely banal plot but, overall, it is funny and quite exciting if only for the presence of the animals.

Without making it the movie of the year, this pretty movie is a sweet story for the family in the broadest sense of the term, parents, children, and also for animal lovers. The story is beautiful and moreover taken from a true story. The action takes place in Belfast (Ireland), when the Germans bomb Belfast during World War II. The children play a superb role in it and the movie is free from profanity, rare become family films without vulgar acts or other gratuitous violent action. Here a beautiful and good little movie for all audiences. 1:30 am of relaxation.

Zoo is a fictionalised representation of true events. Belfast Zoo had to shoot some of its animals during World War 2. The city had to withstand German air raids in 1941. Some schoolkids led by Tom Hall rescue the baby elephant Buster from the zoo and hide it in the house of a reclusive, eccentric elderly lady. Her house is a menagerie. Director Colin McIvor has made the most of the low budget. It really looks good on the screen. It is an old fashioned family film, there is even a school bully who is a fly in the ointment and a grumpy zoo gatekeeper. Several characters reveal a heart of gold. However there is also tragedy, those German bombs leave lasting damage behind. Kids would enjoy this film, it is a light story with some sweetness and some darkness as well.

Based upon a true story, as you will find come the final sequences, this is a bit short (in terms of its length), but wonderfully entertaining with little or no foul language and a group of kids who take it upon themselves during wartime Belfast to help a Baby elephant at the Zoo. The adults play their parts very well, the kids provide great entertainment, not to mention the animals and of course "Nellie" who plays the part of the Elephant-who is the centre of the piece. Watch this one, really good