The Wild roars back from a rocky opening act to a storming last reel, just managing to claw its way above comparisons with Madagascar.
Comment
05/26/06
The Wild (2006)
18
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:109
Fresh:20
Rotten:89
Average Rating:4.5/10
Consensus: With a rehashed plot and unimpressive animation, there’s nothing wild about The Wild.
Theatrical Release:26-05-2006
Synopsis: Ryan, a lion cub, worships his father, Sampson (Kiefer Sutherland), the brawny, brave, uncontested king of a New York City zoo. The film opens as Ryan listens adoringly as Sampson recounts yet... [More]
Starring: Kiefer Sutherland, Jim Belushi, Eddie Izzard, Janeane Garofalo
Director: Steve "the Spaz" Williams
Reviews for The Wild
Top CriticWatchable animated adventure with one eye on the cuddly toy market, though you've got to love a film that casts William Shatner as a wildebeest.
05/25/06
The animation here impresses more than in the equally defunct Madagascar, but everything else smacks of an easy money-making exercise of such dimwitted inanity even the youngest kids will see through it.
06/24/06
Top CriticThe film is ultimately noise and its story is so overdone at this point that far from being swept up in it, we're only hoping that the next plot point isn't as predictable as the last. But things never do work out that way.
06/03/06
What's so aggravating here is the grievous lack of wit, imagination and plain old story.
05/23/06
Top CriticPerfectly enjoyable but nothing special
05/09/06
Ending with a sputter, "Wild" still remains an engaging creation, and successful against incredible odds. Here's a note to Disney and Dreamworks: You can stop making the same movies now.
04/13/06
The Wild pops out of the pack with its animation. Its visuals are fluid and detailed, and its backgrounds are better than those of recent rivals.
04/14/06
Obvious plot similarities to Dreamworks animated kid's movie "Madagascar" haunts this superior Disney produced CG animated story about a group of New York Zoo animals that go for an unexpected boat trip to an African jungle.
04/11/06
It's a funny, compassionate, emotionally engaging movie that prompts both laughs and a lump in the throat.
04/13/06
Spaz Williams, no spaz, has the current prevailing formula nailed. Which is: Keep it moving constantly; heaps of bold color and diagonally extreme action; snappy quips and snarks for everyone; traumas immediately pacified by cute and/or musical moments.
04/14/06
On it's own terms, it's pretty good.
04/13/06
For all the rest of the film's unoriginality, The Wild moves along with solidly crafted wit.
03/01/07
The Wild offers consistent laughs, with fresh characters and writing -- and features a much stronger second act. (Madagascar ran noticeably out of steam at the half-way point, when the animals hit the wild).
04/14/06
The Wild isn't stuffed with pop references for bored parents, as Madagascar was, but its juvenile spirit is truly infectious.
04/14/06
The Wild follows Samson the lion (voiced by Kiefer Sutherland) as he escapes from the zoo to rescue his cub who has stowed away on a ship bound for Africa.
04/13/06
Top CriticYounger children will enjoy The Wild. For them, this is a three-star outing or better.
04/14/06
There are a lot of wisecracks in The Wild, but the script is less vital than the visual virtuosity.
04/13/06
don't be mistaking this for a Madagascar rip-off, when it was that sloppy DreamWorks turd that only managed to make it to theatres first because of corporate espionage
04/24/06
Most important, the story, even without the been-there-with-penguins feeling, is not very strong, leaving us wishing it was all a bit more...wild.
04/13/06
Latest News for The Wild
April 19, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: "Vacancy" Hopes for Full Occupancy
Another week, another horror film. That's the mantra in Hollywood at the moment. Among the four new films going into wide release this weekend are Sony's terror tale... More...
April 12, 2007:
Box Office Guru Preview: "Perfect Stranger" Heads A Crowded Field
This weekend Hollywood just doesn't know its limits. Six new releases will jam into an already crowded marketplace on Friday trying to connect with spring moviegoers. More...
July 12, 2006:
Disney Hits Jackpot, Announces a Bunch of Layoffs
So you come in to work at Disney on Monday morning, expecting everyone to be all smiles and excited about the "pirate booty" that was made over the weekend. Or maybe... More...
June 11, 2006:
Box Office Wrapup: "Cars" Parks Itself at #1
The Disney/Pixar animated film Cars raced past the competition to finish in first place at the North American box office. Though it did not open as strong as some of its... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube 
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds