Madagascar
Starring Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer
Written by Mark Burton & Billy Frolick
Directed by Eric Darnell & Tom McGrath


I absolutely loved Madagascar. I admit that I am not the biggest fan of animation films, especially ones featuring talking animals -- but Madagascar won my heart over. The animation style is unique to itself and the synergy between the animators and voice talent is immaculate. The comedy is biting for adults and the appearance and sight gags are appealing to kids.

The story begins in Central Park Zoo, where we meet a gang of lovable “show-biz” animals consisting of: Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer), Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), and a band of mercenary penguins that give the Dirty Dozen a run for their money. After they celebrate Marty’s tenth birthday, Marty has a mid-life crisis (10 years is a long time for a zebra) and wishes for a life filled with more than the bright lights and cushy lifestyle of the Central Park Zoo. Thus begins the journey and adventure that lands them in a land called Madagascar where their friendship with each other is tested and they discover that being in the wild has its advantages and disadvantages.

Being the wild-at-heart kind of guy that I am, I really connected with the obvious subtext of the film: People are born to be free of walls and must experience “the Wild” to truly feel alive. Alex the Lion disagrees with this notion, as the wild life doesn’t always guarantee him meat at the end of the day and soon enough he starts to blame Marty for his problems and literally wants to make him his dinner. David Schwimmer and Jada Pinkett Smith are a great supporting team to Chris Rock and Ben Stiller. Schwimmer was born to play a neurotic and timid giraffe that makes Woody Allen seem normal and Jada can be one hell of a feisty/sexy hippo. Like many animations trying to appeal to a wide demographic, Madagascar is filled pop culture references like the “Born Free” song reference in the opening sequence and scenes that reference other films like American Beauty and Cast Away. Again, lots of sight gags for the kids, but definitely an equal amount of adult humour to keep the parents from falling asleep.

Madagascar is not a brilliant piece of animation like Toy Story and it is not as well written as say, Shrek -- but it will make you laugh and smile at the end of the day. Great jokes, a unique look, fun story with a little meaning, a great cast -- what more can you ask for?


THE RUNDOWN:

The Good: A fun show for the whole family.

The Bad: Contains a lot of references to things that only adults will get.

The Law: Visit Madagascar and laugh wildly and freely.