Madagascar more like celluloid massacre !

Rating: 6/10 (18 July 2005)

I went to see this on the preview weekend. Having been a big fan of classic Disney films The Lion King, and the Disney Pixar ones Toy Story, Finding Nemo I wasn't expecting much from the DreamWorks stable that churn out the other animation films we are bombarded with (Shrek, Monster's Inc, shark's Tale). Madagascar is from the aforementioned DreamWorks studio, and unlike the Disney classics it lacks that quality storyline that is so crucial to these animated films. More & more so these days we find Hollywood create these movies with two audiences in mind, kids, and adults (usually the ones taking the kids!). The Incredibles did this really well, and it that sense Madagascar does it too, with many in-jokes placed spoofing various movies which would go over many kids heads but a lot of us older lot will appreciate, to name a few "The Planet of The Apes", "American Beauty", "Cast Away", "Zoolander" & "the Twilight Zone". These provide good humour, but the key essence of the movie is supposed to be humour and lovable characters, and though both the main characters Alex(the Lion voiced by Ben Stiller) and Marty (the Zebra voiced by Chris Rock) are enjoyable to watch and their relationship strong comedic dramatisation, the audience I feel get more viewing pleasure from seeing the secondary characters. My favourites include David Schwimmer's hypochondriac giraffe, the crazy Lemur posse led by Ali G's neurotic voice and he has one of the best scenes when he leads his group in a sing along to "I like to move it, move it, I like to move it, move it". But the best of the characters have to be the cool and calculated penguin foursome who provide the much necessary light relief. The story is quite well structured (though for a primarily kids movie it doesn't need to be) centring around 4 Zoo animals (Zebra, Lion, Hippo & Giraffe) who end up being set free from the Zoo to a national park in Kenya due to their Zebra friend who desires to be let free in the wild. But they never get to Kenya and end up deserted on an island, namely Madagascar where they experience all aspects of the wild the Zebra craved but the others don't fancy so much. In the end this is going to sound so cliché, but it is ultimately a fun family movie, more enjoyable for the kids and not so pleasing to u & me as say Finding Nemo. For light entertainment with absolutely no seriousness this might be your tonic !