Nice and simple

Rating: 7/10 (11 July 2005)

I actually missed the first couple of minutes of this but picked up the story well enough anyway. Animals from New York zoo, due to a zebra wishing to broaden his horizons, end up on the island of Madagascar. They're obviously new to the wild and must discover themselves and find out who and what they are, which is also what the native lemurs are wondering as they regard the new arrivals with an eye to their own problems. Needless to say, adventure ensues and the audience is taken for a good ride. The use of colour is excellent with bright and vibrant primary colours to the fore. This bold presentation grabs even children's attentions. All the animals are well voiced and there are no truly scary scenes like, say, The Lion King. While the main characters bring the story along the surprise stars of the show are, for me, the barely-used penguins who get all the best lines. Not as good as Shrek or Toy Story (1 & 2), but I enjoyed it more than say The Incredibles or Finding Nemo. Great all round family movie with plenty for the grown-ups as well as the kids.