Madagascar (www.the-usher.com)

"AHHHHH, we're in the Wild!!"

Living the highlife in New York's Central Park Zoo, Alex the lion (Stiller), Melman the giraffe (Schwimmer) and Gloria the hippopotamus (Pinkett Smith) loved been the main attractions but Marty the Zebra (Rock) wanted more. Even though he had been in captivity all his life, he longed for the open space of the wild and on his 10th birthday this is what he wished for. While friends thought he was crazy, Marty decides to escape the confides of the zoo and discover some freedom, much to the distress of Alex, Melman and Gloria who desperately try to find him but when they all captured they ended up fulfilling Marty's dream. They are all shipped back to the wild.

DreamWorks Animation brings us another new computer generated piece of family entertainment but does 'Madagascar' have what it takes to be noticed in this now very competitive genre?

Taking captive animals out of the zoo and into the wild is a premise that has lots of comic potential. When throw in the vocal talents of comedic actors Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Andy Richter, Cedric the Entertainer and Sacha Baron Cohen the prospects for hilarity grow tenfold. It is a shame then that the movie only delivers slightly on that promise.

'Madagascar' is filled with fun moments but very few laugh-out-loud ones that will have you in stitches. Where Pixar and the 'Shrek' movies know how to create a blend of adult humour and childish fun, the latest effort by DreamWorks doesn't quite get the mixture exactly right. The film has too many extended sequences revolving around the same theme, making you think that the writers formulated the premise and them tried to spread it out across the 86 minutes but they do this far too thinly.

What saves the movie and makes it an enjoyable experience, even with the plot shortcomings, are the characters. An animated movie is nothing without characters that you have to connect with straight away and 'Madagascar' has some really good ones. Alex the lion and Marty the Zebra are the leading pair and get most of the best moments and lines. Both are voices excellently by Ben Stiller and Chris Rock (in his most appealing role in years), who both bring a sense of character to the animals and not just making them cartoon versions of themselves. On the supporting side, Andy Richter is excellent as Mort, the leader of the Penguins who are always planning an escape. Cedric the Entertainer is funny as Lemur Maurice but it is Sacha Baron Cohen who steals the show as Julien, the King of the Lemurs. He has all the best lines and even a song and dance moment. Letting the side down are Jada Pinkett Smith and David Schwimmer as Gloria and Melman. Gloria is an underdeveloped character but Pinkett Smith doesn't have the vocal talent to make her memorable and Melman is just 'Ross' from 'Friends'.

'Madagascar' is a fun family picture that just doesn't push the comic potential of the premise far enough. Some of the characters make up for this short coming however, making this a film you will enjoy but it might not become an animation favourite.

BONUS FEATURES

Commentary from directors Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath
Unfortunately this option was missing on the review copy received. (Updated on DVD release)

Mad Mishaps (1.30 mins)
Watch CG mishaps such as lazy eyes, elastic reality, bad hair day and impossible spaces.

Meet the Wild Cast (7.46 mins)
Writers/Directors Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath, head of character animation Rex Grignon, character supervisor Rob Voght, production designer Kendal Cronkhite, producer Mireille Soria and vocal stars Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, David Schwimmer, Andy Richter, Cedric the Entertainer and Chris Miller talk about Alex, Marty, Melman, Gloria and the rest of the characters from 'Madagascar'.

Behind the Crates (23.15 mins)
Writers/Directors Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath, producer Jeffrey Katzenberg, head of character animation Rex Grignon, character designer Craig Kellman, art designer Shannon Jeffries, character supervisor Rob Voght, production designer Kendal Cronkhite, producer Mireille Soria and vocal stars Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith and David Schwimmer take you behind the scenes of the making of 'Madagascar'. Looking at the characters and the story, the cast and crew talk about their involvement in the movie. The featurette takes you through the various production stages of the film, with looks at vocal recordings, character design and development and the animation process.

The Tech of Madagascar (4.58 mins)
Writers/Directors Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath, head of character animation Rex Grignon, visual effects supervisor Philippe Gluckman, head of visual effects Scott Singer, director of research and development Jim Mainard and head of Global FX Nick Foster talk about the technical aspects of 'Madagascar'. Here we see how the Zoo, Jungle and water effects were created as well as animation of the characters.

Enchanted Island (7.50 mins)
President of Conservation International Dr Russell A. Mittermeier is joined by director Eric Darnell, producer Mireille Soria, executive producer Jeffrey Katzenberg and star Ben Stiller take a look at the island that inspired the movie, Madagascar. The featurette looks at the mini continent and the creatures and plant life that live there.

Galleries
View painting, props, models and character designers for the New York, Ship and Madagascar sections of the movie.

Trailers
Watch previews of 'Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit', 'Shark Tale', 'Shrek 2' and a special extended preview of 'Over the Hedge' with Bruce Willis and Steve Carell.

OVERALL

DreamWorks Animation has provided some good extra features for the DVD release of 'Madagascar'. While it might not go into as much detail as some fans may have wished for, this is still a good package for everyone who enjoyed the movie.

DVD

Shark Tale

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2005