Production Year: 2005 - Family - Director: Tom McGrath, Eric Darnell - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Andy Richter, Cedric The Entertainer, Jada Pinkett-Smith, David Schwimmer, Chris Rock, Ben Stiller more
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 feature. Chris Rock provides the... more
Madagascar [DVD] [2005]
The penguins steal the show. In the sprightlyMadagascar, a mid-life crisis inspires Marty ... more
the Zebra (voiced by Chris Rock) to escape from his lifelong home, a New York zoo. His equally pampered friends--Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), Gloria the Hippo (Ja...
Madagascar [DVD] [2005]
The penguins steal the show. In the sprightlyMadagascar, a mid-life crisis inspires Marty ... more
the Zebra (voiced by Chris Rock) to escape from his lifelong home, a New York zoo. His equally pampered friends--Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), Gloria the Hippo (Ja...
Madagascar DVD
At New York's Central Park Zoo a lion (Stiller) a zebra (Rock) a giraffe (Schwimmer) ... more
and a hippo (Pinkett Smith) are best friends and stars of the show. But when one of the animals goes missing from their cage the other three break free to look fo...
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inspires Marty the Zebra (voiced by Chris Rock) to escape from his lifelong home, a New York zoo.His equally pampered friends--Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), and Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer)--then escape to bring him back. Unfortunately, their attempt at damage control persuades zoo officials that the animals are unhappy, so all four get shipped to an animal preserve in Kenya...only a squad of maniacal penguins change the destination to Antarctica. The quartet end up on an island where, in addition to meeting some hedonistic lemurs, they learn about the food chain--and that Alex is a different link on the chain from the other three.Madagascardoesn't achieve the snappy perfection of a Pixar movie, but it tops most other computer-animated efforts; the collision of friendship and predator instincts makes for an unusually gripping conflict. The vocal performances of the central characters is serviceable, but Sacha Baron Cohen (Da Ali G Show) provides topnotch lunacy as the lemur king, and the penguins--voiced mostly by the animators themselves--are the best thing in the movie.--Bret FetzerMadagascar: Escape 2 AfricaThe sequel to the animated movieMadagascargives more of everything audiences loved in the first movie: More of the penguins; more of Julian, king of the lemurs; more musical bits of classic rock; and many, many more lions, zebras, hippos, and giraffes. In the first film, a quartet of coddled zoo animals found themselves shipwrecked on the island of Madagascar in a misguided effort to return them to the wild. InMadagascar: Escape 2 Africa, a failed attempt to fly back to New York maroons Alex the lion (voiced by Ben Stiller), Marty the zebra (Chris Rock), Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), and Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer) in an animal preserve on the African continent, accompanied by the four deranged penguins and the lunatic lemur king (deliriously voiced by Sacha Baron Cohen,Borat). By wild coincidence, this is where Alex was born--and where his father is still the alpha lion, and where his malevolent uncle seeks to take over (let's call this an homage toThe Lion King). The other beasts have their own story arcs, but really it's all an excuse for daffy comic bits. Though the result is disposable, it's also entirely entertaining. The action sequences pop with dizzying spectacle; though some jokes are mainstream fodder, more often they're surprisingly quirky and engagingly oddball. This is the best kind of cotton candy filmmaking--it dissolves into nothing, but it's oh-so-sweet to the taste.--Bret Fetzer
A review by ally2kc on Madagascar (DVD) June 20th, 2007
Author's product rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Liked it
Story
Satisfactory
Characters / Performances
Good
Special Effects
Good
How does it compare to similar films?
Satisfactory
Advantages:
Great animation
Disadvantages:
Humour is occassionally to grown up for kids
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
DVD Release Date: June 2006 Genre: Animation/Family/Comedy Classification: U Run Time: 86 minutes Production Team: DreamWorks Actors: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett, David Schwimmer, Sash Baron Cohen RRP: £14.99 Amazon Price: £6.97 - I bought mine at WHSmith as part of 4 for £20 deal
>>>What’s the Film about<<< Marty, a zebra at Central Park Zoo decides to see what lies outside the park gates one night after growing bored by the same routine day in and day out. When Marty’s friends, Melman the Giraffe, Alex the Lion and Gloria the Hippo discover their friend missing they agree to break out to find him before any more harm can come to their friend. They are all reunited and captured again but the zoo decides they can no longer house the animals. It is during their journey by sea when they find themselves marooned on an African jungle island that their adventure really begins. Having previously only known captivity, the four friends are now faced with coping with life in the wild.
Will they adapt to their natural habitat? Will they make it back to their beloved Central Park? Will the natives they meet become new friends or a force to be reckoned with…
>>>Who are DreamWorks<<< DreamWorks is the animation production and distribution powerhouse behind a string of box office hits including its biggest success the Shrek series as well as computer games and television programmes.
Originally, the project of Steven Spielberg, Jeff Katzenberg and David Geffen in 1994, DreamWorks was sold to Viacom at the end of 2005. DreamWorks is now the strong competitor of Pixar the before undisputed champion of all things animated.
>>>Acting/Voice-overs<<< The first thing I noticed about this film was the overly familiar voice of Ben Stiller as Alex the lion. Unfortunately, along with the familiar voice came the neediness that I often find with Stiller. In all his performances he appears desperate to be the funniest. Luckily, Stiller’s character Alex the lion and king of Central Park Zoo is also a bit needy for attention so he managers to pull it off – just.
Chris Rock’s voice, also familiar but not quite as irksome as Stiller’s played Marty with the enthusiasm of a toddler an his fast-talking humour came across much better and he shone as the films’ star. The hypochondriac giraffe played by David Schwimmer of Friends was one of my favourite characters. Again, Schwimmer is one of those actors that is easily recognizable simply by voice but his weary, overly cautious almost geeky nature as we saw in friends was perfectly suited to the part of Melman. Gloria (Mrs. Will Smith), the most normal of the lot was likeable but for the most part relatively unnecessary. As is frequently the case in Stiller films, the woman was more of a prop for the other guys to bounce off of and not necessarily meant to shine on her own.
I mentioned Melman was one of my favourite characters but my ultimate and surprising favourite was Julien the King Lemur played superbly by Sasha Baron Cohen. I am not a big fan of Cohen as a rule, but found his eccentric style and over the top campness truly brought this film to life. I would have loved to have seen more of his character. The three escaped Penguins were also a great source of humour and general entertainment as they turned every situation into an SAS style operation.
>>>Story/Script<<< I really liked the story. It was a wonderful idea of reversing the usual born wild then put into captivity theme. The possibilities to explore so many absurd places and meet equally absurd characters along the way were endless. The great thing about animated films is that to a certain extent, consistency and certainly reality is not overly important.
The script is funny although occasionally it feels a bit contrived and much of the humour (references to films like American Beauty, Planet of the Apes and Cast Away) will pass over the children’s heads. I appreciate parents fork over the money to see these films, but it is still the kids they should be aimed at.
It felt that the film never really took off in the way it should have considering the action, varied scene changes, abundance of characters and perhaps that business is in fact the reason it never really succeeded to be a film at the top of his game. With a better script that concentrated on the story first and the gags later I think this could have been a fantastic film.
>>>Animation<<< DreamWorks can’t really be faulted as they are at the top of their industry and have consistently proven themselves as animators to be reckoned with. Madagascar is in no way an exception to this rule. With every detail of Central Park and New York City considered and the bright vibrant colours of the jungle island in Africa, the scene is beautifully set for viewers.
What impressed me the most, as it always does is the attention paid to creating facial impressions and gestures, which are individual to each character. To look into the eyes of a cartoon zebra and empathise with its desires and ambitions is quite dis-heartening at first but without a doubt, DreamWorks should be commended for their ability to create characters that we can identify with.
>>>My thoughts<<< There is serious competition these days to create good animated films. In many ways, Toy Story set the bar high and any films released since then have to be consistently witty and technologically more advanced to compete. Madagascar is a good film but I am not convinced it has the spark that is necessary when up against films like Shrek and Ice Age. I found the familiarity of the characters distracting and although funny, it felt like many of the jokes were based on emulating other films or people which although enough to raise a chuckle can be a bit shallow. There is enough to entertain the kids in this film (although my 3 year old got bored half way through) but some parents might find the films attempts to identify with the grown-ups tedious and unnecessary. My advice is if you see it in the sales; pick it up, otherwise save your pennies for an other DreamWorks production – it just so happens I have reviewed a few of these lately if you need a point in the right direction…
>>>Did you know<<< > Madonna, Jennifer Lopez and Gwen Stefani were each considered for the voice of Gloria the Hippo before Jada Pinkett Smith signed on. > In the beginning, the film centred on a group of activists liberating the animals from their cages.
Madagascar was one of those films that I really wanted to go and see at the cinema but nobody would come with me and my sister had already been to see it so I had to wait for the video. My sister bought it me for Christmas so I couldn't wait to watch it and it was great and then I watched it again last night and loved it again and here is why.
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What is the film about?
(Reading from the back of the box)
When four pampered animals from New ... ...and when they are in Madagascar and seeing what it is like the story actually plays out well and you get very drawn into it.
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Things to know:
Price - £7.97 on Amazon.
Certificate - Universal.
1 Disc DVD.
From Dreamworks Studio.
Runtime - 70 minutes.
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Cast:
Ben Stiller - Alex the Lion.
David Schwimmer - Melmin the Giraffe.
Jada Pinkett Smith - Flo the Hippo.
Chris Rock - Marty the zebra.
Sacha Baron Cohen - King Julien.
Verdict ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Madagascar is an animated comedy film released in 2005 and made by Dreamworks. ~What's it about?~
The animals in the New York Central Park zoo - Alex the lion (voiced by Ben Stiller), Marty the Zebra (voiced by Chris Rock), Melman the Giraffe (voiced by David Schwimmer) and Gloria the hippo (voiced by Jada Pinkett Smith - live a happy and pampered life - they are fed regularly and enjoy putting on shows for the hoards of daily visitors. On Marty ... ...section showing video footage from Madagascar and telling you facts about the country.
*Galleries - Still pictures from the movie.
~Price and Availability~
This DVD currently costs £3.99 from Play.com
~Other info~
Certificate :U
Running time: 1hr 22min If the review looks familiar it's because it has also been posted on the 'green side'! ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Entertaining and Humourous Disadvantages: Doesn't work on a second level for grown-up
Madagascar is the latest adventure to some our way from DreamWorks Animation; a studio that has created such works as Shrek and Shark Tale. DreamWorks’ latest outing did not fail to disappoint but didn‘t quite manage to be great. Madagascar tells the tale of Marty the Zebra, Alex the lion, Gloria the hippo and Melman the giraffe, inhabitants of New York's Central Park Zoo. The story is set in motion when Marty decides to go on a trip ... ...big-headed, delusional, King Julian.
Madagascar presents a relatively uncommon argument in relation to what animals want. The last thing the zoo animals (particularly Alex) want, is to be in the wild. Fresh air? Living off the land? Why would they want that? Especially when they have steaks and medical care at the zoo. Madagascar is most certainly an original story; it’s a splash of “the grass is always greener” a dash of “be ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Better than A Shark's Tale Disadvantages: Not as good as Shrek
The animals at the Central Park Zoo have it all; living in the life of luxury where their every whim is catered for. But zebra Marty feels restless, longing for life in the wild. So on his birthday he heads off for a night on the town. Worried about him, his friends go after him, only to be caught by the police, crated up and shipped off to a Kenyan wildlife reserve. But thanks to a bunch of Machiavellian penguins, they end up off course and washed ... ...and cold running water and crawling with bizarre animals our heroes have never seen the like of before. Can the stars of the urban jungle survive in the real jungle?
Great things have been expected of Dreamworks' animation studio ever since "Shrek". Sadly they have been unable to live up to their debut and have disappointed with "Spirit; Stallion of the Cimmaron" and "A Shark's Tale". They almost did it with "Shrek 2" but lost marks for being drunk ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: great family entertainment Disadvantages: none
Directors: Eric Darnell and Tom McGarth
Producers: Mireille Soria and Teresa Cheng
Writers: Mark Burton, Eric Frolick, Tom McGarth and Eric Darnell.
Stars: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Andy Richter and Cedric the entertainer.
Released in 2005 the animation masterpiece centres around the lives of some pampered wild animals in New York's Central park Zoo. **CHARACTORS**
*Alex the lion, (voiced ... ...loving his pampered up bringing, he is a show off when appearing for the visitors to the zoo. Unfortunately, he has no idea about living in the wild and is confused when his natural instincts sometimes kick in.
*Marty the Zebra, (voiced by Chris Rock) is not entirely happy living in the zoo and is always dreaming about a life outside the zoo gates. His quest for adventure is the reason will always get him into trouble.
*Melman the Giraffe, (voiced ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Soooo funny! Disadvantages: Soooo funny it makes you ache!
...Sitting there this morning giggling my head, laughing with hysterics as a ten tonne hippo gets jiggy with Mojo Mojo. (So good they named him twice!) OMG I'm dying of Witchdoctor's Disease and how on earth do you pick out Marty from a herd of 100 Zebra's? Penguin?s flying a battered old WW2 fighter plane and a crazy old kung fu fighting granny whooping a, supposedly, strong and fierce lion's butt...
What a funny film. I'm 34 years young, and loved it. My daughter,11, loved it and I daresay, my 80 year old nanny would love it too...
As the follow on from Madagascar 1, Alex the Lion (voiceover, Ben Stiller) and his bunch of thrill seekers, feel that it is time to return home to New York. Up high in the canopy, the Penguins have pieced together the plane and have it teetering at the edge ready to catapult it into the air....The crowd...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Enjoyable, funny, great characters, the penguins Disadvantages: None, unless you dont like animated films
...of the lemurs (played by Sacha Baron) who again brings a lot of laughs and of course his trademark theme song "I like to move it!"
I really enjoyed the film, it's a nice story, some very funny moments. It's a humour that will appeal to both children and adults. Its probably best if you watch the first film before seeing this however its not essential as at the beginning they do a little recap to let you know how the animals got to Madagascar in the first place. If you want a nice funny animation and you enjoyed the first film I would recommend you give this one a try too, I enjoyed it.
The DVD has lots of special features too which are good to watch. These include interviews with all the cast members, interesting to find out that some of the cast brought in their children to play the voices of the young Gloria and young Alex. It also includes...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
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 feature. Chris Rock provides 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 aggrandising 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 humour 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.
Technical information
Aspect Ratio: 1.85 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Special Features: I Like To Move It Move It Music Video, Behind The Crates Mad Mishaps, Meet The Wild Cast, See The Tech Of Madagascar, Interactive Activities, DVDROM Downloads
Animated: Animated
Professional reviews
Review: A delightfully wacked new digitally animated comedy....Untamed fun (Entertainment Weekly, )
MADAGASCAR offers plenty of amusement (Sight and Sound, )
The animation is visually stunning, and the animals' stylized rendering and friendly look is in keeping with the energetic mood of the movie. (USA Today, )
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