| | |  | MADAGASCAR | Home » » Madagascar | | | | | | | Description: | | The penguins steal the show. In the sprightly Madagascar, a mid-life crisis inspires Marty the Zebra (voiced by Chris Rock) to escape from his lifelong home, a New York zoo. His equally pampered friends--Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), and Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer)--then escape to bring him back. Unfortunately, their attempt at damage control persuades zoo officials that the animals are unhappy, so all four get shipped to an animal preserve in Kenya...only a squad of maniacal penguins change the destination to Antarctica. The quartet end up on an island where, in addition to meeting some hedonistic lemurs, they learn about the food chain--and that Alex is a different link on the chain from the other three. Madagascar doesn't achieve the snappy perfection of a Pixar movie, but it tops most other computer-animated efforts; the collision of friendship and predator instincts makes for an unusually gripping conflict. The vocal performances of the central characters is serviceable, but Sacha Baron Cohen (Da Ali G Show) provides topnotch lunacy as the lemur king, and the penguins--voiced mostly by the animators themselves--are the best thing in the movie. --Bret Fetzer | | | Product Details: | | | Actors:
| Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen | | Director:
| Tom McGrath | | Format:
| NTSC | | Language:
| English | | Number of Discs:
| 1 | | Run Time:
| 86 minutes | | Average Customer Rating:
|  based on 406 reviews |
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190 of 204 found the following review helpful:
 Laugh Out Loud FunnyMay 31, 2005
By Graboidz
I have to admit I was underwhelmed by the ads for "Madagascar", it just didn't look that good. But my kids were anxious to see it so I dragged myself into the theater on Saturday ready to see another kiddie movie along the lines of "Shark Tale" or "Home on the Range". I did not expect to enjoy the movie as much as my seven year old....if not more. "Madagascar" is not only a great animated film and packs as many laughs into it's hour and half as either "Shrek" movie did, "Madagascar" is just a great comedy. There were several times in the movie that were just laugh out loud funny, the scene with the Penguins in Antarctica was worth the price of admission for me! There are plenty of jokes aimed at an older audience, like the reference to "The Twilight Zone" episode "How to Serve Man". The story is great and the characters are really fun. The visuals are stunning and the animation is top-notch. Add all that together with a great soundtrack, and I think "Madagascar" is a great way to kick off the summer movie season. This one ranks right up there with "The Incredibles" and "Shrek".
12 of 12 found the following review helpful:
Great for the family...May 28, 2005
By cassidrm
Madagascar is a cute and funny movie. Parents and kids were laughing through most of the movie. (there was an little while where the story gets boring.) But, I love the penguins and the fact that they are always so sneaky; they really steal the show from the main characters. If you have kids this is a definite must see, we had kids laughing the whole time and most loved the bright colors, music and especially dancing. You saw a lot of little kids dancing in their chairs. People without kids or older kids will also enjoy the movie as it has a lot of jokes for adults to keep us entertained and laughing; the bright colors are also great for us as well as the dancing and music. I felt this cartoon lived up to its previews and the way it was perceived. My only hope is if they do a 2nd one that they include more of those sneaky penguins.
22 of 28 found the following review helpful:
Amusing Fun for Young and OldMay 31, 2005
By thornhillatthemovies.com
Recent animated efforts have tried to create 3-D characters and environments, but the filmmakers have wisely chosen another course for "Madagascar". Adopting a stylized form of animation, the film looks like a living picture book. Everything is cartoonier than we are used to. Alex, Marty and Melman are still rendered in 3-D, but they are not lifelike and appear to be adapted from a children's book, actually adding to the humor. These characters look like stuffed animals and its funny to watch little kids carrying a small toy of Alex home after their visit to the zoo. They seem more believable as zoo animals and they are certainly cute as the dickens.
In all animated films today, a certain level of irreverence, of zaniness is expected. "Madagascar" doesn't reach the heights of the "Shrek" films, but it comes darn close. Everything from Tom Wolfe to "The Twilight Zone", "American Beauty" to "The Planet of the Apes" is parodied in the film. Most of the kids won't get these jokes and the filmmakers know that. They are included for the adults, to keep them interested in the story. The mark of a great animated film is if both adults and children enjoy the experience. For instance, "The Incredibles" was a fantastic blend of story, action, character and humor which will continue to delight people of all ages. "Madagascar" has a very funny story, great characters, and a lot of humor. On a couple of occasions, the story was a little slow, but I think all of the other areas more than compensate for any shortcomings. And adults will laugh at many of the jokes, probably more so than the kids in the audience.
Ben Stiller and Chris Rock are very good. David Schwimmer seems to be injecting a lot of Ross from "Friends" into the role of Melman, not very original but it works. The real standouts are Tom McGrath and Sacha Baron Cohen.
There are a couple of brilliant additions to the film, which help it rise above. Marty's ideas of visiting the wild are originally fed by Skipper the Penguin (Tom McGrath). Skipper and his sidekicks, two other penguins, are determined to break out of the zoo and return to Antarctica. They skulk around corners like CIA operatives, act in clandestine ways, and manage to accomplish most of their goals. The penguins are a brilliant addition to the story and really liven up the proceedings. I laughed out loud during most of their appearances. For a while, their story takes them in a different direction from the rest of the gang and we lose track of them. Because they are so funny, you long for their return.
When the animals land in Madagascar, they meet King Julian the lemur (Sacha Baron Cohen, TV's "Ali G") and Maurice, his right hand lemur (Cedric the Entertainer) and their entire kingdom of lemurs. Cohen seemed to be channeling the spirit of Peter Sellers, because his voice was an uncanny reproduction of some of Seller's characters. He is very funny as the King, always working on an angle as he tries to figure things out. The Lemurs add a level of frenetic activity and zaniness to the film, ratcheting the humor up a few notches.
The least interesting voice actor is Jada Pinkett Smith. She simply doesn't add anything to the character. IMDb.com lists a handful of other people who were considered for the role and I have to say that I don't think any of them would have made a significant contribution either. A comedian would have been a nice touch. Instead, Gloria seems to be the lone voice of reason among the group, dragging everything down.
"Madagascar" is a really good, very funny film suitable for the entire family. But it is also a great choice if you are with a date or simply alone and want to watch a funny film. You'll enjoy it.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
 Big names doesn't necessarily create a successful cartoonMar 26, 2007
By Z. Freeman
"Zach"
Madagascar is the story of 4 zoo animals in Central Park (a lion, a giraffe, a hippo, and a zebra) that find themselves, through various twists of fate, on an island in the middle of the ocean. No more cages, no more zoo. But also no more free food or people to take care of them. (Neither of those ideas is really examined all that much in the film, just briefly mentioned).
The animation is a bit blocky and the plot is a bit thin, but I'm sure it will entertain kids. The problem is that in this day and age we expect our animated films to do more than mindlessly entertain our children, we expect to be entertained as well. Unfortunately, Madagascar does not meet those expectations.
Despite the big names this animated film boasts (Chris Rock, Ben Stiller, Jada Pinkett Smith, David Schwimmer, Cedric the Entertainer, Sacha Baron Cohen) the film feels a bit lackluster. That's partly due to the fact that none of these actors (Baron Cohen aside) know how to create a feasible character voice. These are name actors paid to sound like themselves. But a zebra with Chris Rock's voice is not entertaining, it's actually kind of annoying. The same goes for a giraffe with David Schwimmer's voice and a hippo with Smith's voice. Ben Stiller doesn't put forth much effort, but his lion, Alex, at least has a bit of character mixed in there. Sacha Baron Cohen definitely steals the film with his lemur-king Julien, but unfortunately he doesn't show up until halfway through the film.
The roll of the credits featuring Baron Cohen's Julien chanting "I like to move it move it!" is probably the most exciting and inspired part of the entire film. Although it's not a bad film, with all the other animation being made today, it's not particularly special.
5 of 5 found the following review helpful:
A genuinely enjoyable and colourful watchJul 11, 2006
By Frodo
Over recent years, Dreamworks have produced a string of films aimed to entertain young children. However with the exception of "Shrek," to the older audience, their films are somewhat lame and bland. But after watching "Madagascar," for which I had low expectations, even I had to admit that Dreamworks did a mighty good job. I sat down with my younger sister (who I'll add ADORES this film) and I chuckled and smiled my way through this surprisingly charming Dreamworks success.
Marty (voiced by Chris Rock) is an ambitious zebra who has spent the past decade cramped in Central Park's New York City zoo. Unlike his best friend Alex, who, ironically, is a lion (Ben Stiller), Marty dreams to live in the wide open spaces of "the wild." In the film's introduction we also meet Melmen, a giraffe who is a hyperchondriac ("Friends"' David Schwimmer) and Gloria, a self-assured hippopotamus (Jada Pinkett Smith). In an amusing twist of events, the four friends manage to escape the confinds of the zoo. To Marty's delight and Alex's sheer horror, they consequently land themselves on ship to a game reserve in Africa. In ANOTHER twist of events, they then become stranded on the island of Madagascar. The film then takes an interesting turn when Alex's carivorous instinct soon threatens his friendship with Marty, thus encouraging Marty to make the ultimate decision between his dream and his friendship.
I actually thought the storyline of "Madagascar," was quite well-shaped and original. All animals, even those demosticated always carry with them those instincts and abilities that help them survive in the unforgiving wilderness. I want to really commend the film for their interesting exploration of this concept.
The film's story is accentuated and brightened by its child-friendly, yet pleasant humor. Stiller, Rock and Schwimmer are all renowned for their experience in comedy, which is evident through many of the film's amusing scenes. However, I didn't feel that the characters of Melmen and Gloria were given enough limelight. The film focussed a little too much on Alex and Marty's characters, and didn't explore the other two nearly as much. David Schwimmer's Melmen, I think, was the funniest character of the four, and so it would have been great if the audience saw more of him.
Unlike Pixar films, which are aimed to appeal across the ages, "Madagascar" is predominantly aimed at younger children, so naturally the gags were somewhat repetative. But this is hardly a bad thing. As I mentioned before, my nine-year-old sister simply loves this film, and she was in barrels of laughter throughout. For older viewers, although not to the same extent, there is certainly a charm that I found endearing.
Another aspect I must comment on is the film's abundant colour. I personally, am more of a Disney animation fan, however I am at awe at the vibrance and brightness of computer-animation, making it wholly appealling to its target audience of young children.
In conclusion, "Madagascar," is not quite "Finding Nemo," but I really did enjoy and chuckle my way through. With a surprisingly interesting and original story accompanied nicely with the comedic flair of its lovable characters, "Madagascar" is a film that with have the young ones laughing outloud and the older ones enjoying the colourful ride.
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