pleasantly funny and not too hyperextended in trying to cram in pop-culture references, but it loses narrative drive in the second half
Madagascar (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:179
Fresh:98
Rotten:81
Average Rating:6/10
Consensus: A solid if unspectacular CGI flick.
Rated: U [See Full Rating] for mild language, crude humor and some thematic elements.
Runtime: 86 mins
Genre: Childrens
Theatrical Release:15-07-2005
Synopsis: The friendship between a New York City lion and zebra is tested when fate brings them out to the unforgiving wilderness in this computer-animated DreamWorks feature. Chris Rock does the voice of... The friendship between a New York City lion and zebra is tested when fate brings them out to the unforgiving wilderness in this computer-animated DreamWorks feature. Chris Rock does the voice of Marty the Zebra, whose longing to explore beyond his cushy Central Park Zoo boundaries is the impetus that ultimately strands him and his pals on the shores of savage Madagascar. Marty loves the new, edible scenery, but his best friend Alex (voiced by Ben Stiller) the Lion begins to starve since his diet of thick steaks has been cut off, and the rump of his friend starts to look mighty tasty. Their other friends, a hypochondriac giraffe (David Schwimmer) and a sassy hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), try their best to think of a solution as the call of the wild slowly turns the starving Alex into Marty's worst nightmare. Meanwhile the hilariously self-aggrandizing King of the Ocelots (Sacha Cohen) has a plan to use Marty to repel their own carnivore problem. This kid-oriented comedy stays adult-friendly every step of the way thanks to a clever script that mixes New Yorker humor and even some existentialism in with the pratfalls and spit-takes. Jolts of comedic brilliance are supplied by some Arctic-bound escaped con penguins, and a couple of literary apes. It's not a musical, but classic songs from the likes of Louis Armstrong and Sammy Davis Jr. keep the montages flowing loose and sassy. [More]
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Cedric the Entertainer, Andy Richter
Director: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath
Director: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath
Screenwriter: Mark Burton, Tom McGrath, Billy Frolick, Eric Darnell
Producer: Mireille Soria
Composer: Hans Zimmer
Studio: DreamWorks Distribution LLC
Reviews for Madagascar
Just enjoyable and inoffensive enough to be a pleasant experience that can just as easily be forgotten.
Like its jailbreak protagonists, the film grows more ambitious outside the confines of the zoo and truly takes off when the four best friends accidentally wash up on the shores of Madagascar.
Silly and funny and just right for the doldrums I've been in with the film offerings so far this year.
An unfunny movie with a depressing premise and an unsolvable conflict
Unfortunately, Alex's instincts kick in, and the whole thing turns to crap. We've got about two thirds of a brilliant movie here.
My hat's off to the directors. They've given us a funny screen romp the family can enjoy together.
This animated gem takes a classic fish-out-of-water premise and combines it with a commentary on the power of friendship, life’s natural order and plain goofy fun.
Forget Jeff Corwin. Forget the Crocodile Hunter. Animal Planet needs to develop a show for Alex, the lion, and his four-legged monochromatic friends.
Lacking any meat on its bones, ['Madagascar'] is a cartoon about nothing. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
It paints itself into a very bizarre corner because at first, they are all friends and then all of a sudden they revert to being more like real animals. How do you do that and make it funny? Well, you don’t.
Madagascar is solid family entertainment - not the best or most groundbreaking of the genre, but certainly an enjoyable movie that is worth catching.
Latest News for Madagascar
December 05, 2008:
UK Critics Consensus: Writers Warm to Madagascar 2; UK Critics Liked Lakeview Terrace
With thirteen new releases in the UK cinemas this weekend, let Rotten Tomatoes help you sort the tinsel from the turkeys. We have animals on the loose in Madagascar: Escape 2... More...
August 15, 2008:
Weekly Ketchup: Kung Fu Panda 2, Wheel of Time and more
This week's Ketchup bottle brings news about Kung Fu Panda 2, Madagascar 3, development news about the Wheel of Time series, and casting news about Mike Myers and Billy Bob... More...
June 07, 2007:
Release Dates Set for "Shrek 4" and "Shrek 5"
Well, release years anyway, according to Jeffrey Katzenberg. More...
March 08, 2007:
Chris Rock Hangs with Zebra Pack in "Madagascar 2"
"Madagascar" had Marty the zebra searching for his wild home in the jungles of Africa. Since the movie made so much money, all the zoo animals are back in the wild for... More...
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