Kill Buster? Not on this kid’s watch
If the 1941 Blitz of Belfast, Northern Ireland, doesn’t seem the likeliest setting for a heartwarming, familyfriendly film, think again.
Writer-director Colin McIvor’s “Zoo” is a lovely, truelife memory piece about 12year-old animal lover Tom (Art Parkinson), whose dad (Damian O’Hare), a veterinarian at the city zoo, goes off to war. At the same time, the government directs the military to kill the zoo’s riskier animals, including a young elephant named Buster, fearing the creatures might escape and cause destruction during the German bombings of the city.
Amid air raids, curfews, gas mask drills and rationing, Tom, who’s become friends with Buster, hatches a plan to save the beast from death. Aided by classmates Jane (Emily Flain) and Pete (Ian O’Reilly) — and Pete’s goofball brother, Mickey (James Stockdale) — Tom springs Buster from the zoo under the nose of an erratic security guard (Toby Jones).
But when Tom must ask an eccentric neighborhood animal collector (Penelope Wilton, excellent) to hide the placid pachyderm in her barnyard of a backyard, complications ensue — as does much good will and emotional healing.
It all plays out more convincingly than it may sound, with McIvor layering in depth, dimension and grace. Period re-creation is first rate and, for animal fans, there’s eye candy aplenty in the form of giraffes, lions, chimps, flamingos and, of course, one soulful elephant.
“Zoo.” Rated: PG, for thematic elements, some war action and language. Running time: 1 hour, 37 minutes. Playing: Laemmle Playhouse 7, Pasadena; also on VOD.