Another so-so computer animated flick

Rating: 7/10 (14 June 2005)

Seems they can make them look like Pixar... taste like Pixar... but do they FEEL like Pixar??? Sadly, no. This film is cute, but lacking a lot. Four animal friends in a city zoo get transported to "the wild" through a very thin plot. If it weren't for the penguins and a little old lady in Grand Central Station I wouldn't have laughed out loud. It's a tribute to Disney that I can believe a Fairy Godmother can turn a pumpkin into a beautiful carriage to carry Cinderella to the ball.. but some of the things Madagascar expect you to believe is WAY too much.
Serious animation fans will have a problem with the sudden ending... left me feeling cheated. I'm sure young kids will like this a lot.. so buy it for them when it comes out on DVD.. but save your $10 and skip it in the theater. My hope is someday these sub par computer animated films they crank out at such a fast pace, which seems to make the storyline suffer.. will cause an outcry for the return of classic, hand-drawn animation!