Hi, I am going to come back to Ciao after a long time away so it will be fun meeting you all again a...
Hi, I am going to come back to Ciao after a long time away so it will be fun meeting you all again and now i have more time available to me i can get back into it. xxx
Member since:20.06.2005
Reviews:93
Members who trust:55
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 York's Central Park Zoo accidently find themselves shipwrecked on the exotic island of Madagascar, they discover it really is a jungle out there.
Verdict on the story:
I think it is an excellent idea for a story because lets face it whenever I visit a zoo all of the animals look like they would rather be out of there anyway. The fact that the one animal wants to get out of the zoo so much and go to 'The Wild' is a brilliant concept because it seems a bit real. The way the story plays out 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 on the cast and characters:
The cast is very well chosen because for an animated film you really need actors who can show a lot of expression in their voices and this is exactly what they have found with everybody. I always think that I will be thinking about the actual actors when I hear their voices but I didn't too much in this film. the funny thing is that when I do think about the actors, they actually do suit the characters and you can imagine them having the same character traits in real life.
The characters in this show are fantastic and I think my favourite has to be the penguins because I find them hilarious and for some reason me and my sister think penguins are going to overrule the world (don't ask) and they play up to this in the film. Seriously though the characters are very memorable due to the script writers making them so unique. They are like humans in the way they think and they actually do act like animals in this film as I always think how a lion would be friends with other animals without wanting to eat them but this film actually realises that fact and entertains it making it even more enjoyable.
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Verdict on the special features:
The first is called Mad Mishaps which is basically a look at where some of the animation went wrong such as eyes of the animals coming out too far and things like that. It took me a while to realise what was going on but it is just basically some of the niamtion before it got finished and it is quite funny and at only a couple of minutes long give it a go.
In meet the wild cast you get to see a bit about the actors who play the animal voices. It is funny to see what the actors think about their characters and it is great to see the enthusiasm and effort they put into their parts. I enjoyed this as I understand a bit more about how much work goes into these characters from the actors. It lasts around eight minutes.
Behind the crates is a great feature as it shows you what happens behind the scenes in order to bring you the film. It gives you some more interviews with the cast but what I enjoyed the most was the insight into the animation itself as I find it amazing how such simple drawings to start can be turned into moving animation. A really fantastic feature for the DVD and it lasts for twenty three minutes.
The tech of Madagascar takes you even further into how they use modern technology to create the characters and scenes in full. This was extremely interesting for me as it gives you interviews with the director and the people who actually bought the film to life. The only downside is that it only lasted for five minutes and I would have liked longer.
There is a commentary for the film tat you can watch which I have only watched a few minutes of to be honest and it is with the director and a few of the cast. It does look funny though and I will update this little bit when I have watched it all.
Enchanted Island is interesting because it shows you the actual island of Madagascar in the Indian ocean and it looks beautiful and you can see why the film looks like it does. I enjoyed this because you can see how much research has been done and then how much detail they have put in the film because of what they have seen in real life. It takes about seven minutes to Watch and I would recommend it.
There is a preview section which gives you a look into Shrek 2 and a Shark Tale which were made by the same company as Madagascar. Interesting but not if you already have watched the films like I have.
The galleries is really good as you have three choices which are the ship, NewYork and Madagascar. When you pick one lets say the ship for example you can see some of the work that went in to create the scenes. With the ship you can see paintings and the ship props, with New York you can see paintings, Zoo animals, Grand central props, city props and subway props and then with Madagascar you can look at paintings, Lemur life, plane props, fruit and foliage and Marty's pad. I enjoyed looking through these but it does take a while.
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Overall Verdict:
I think this film is a great animated movie and although it is not as good as Shrek and I think it would take a lot to live up to Shrek, I loved it and it is extremely funny and above all entertaining. The actual DVD case is very bright and fun looking with all of the animals smiling on the cover.
What makes me laugh is when you first put in the DVD in your player, you immediately get taken to a little preview of a new film coming out called Over The Hedge. It is hosted by the wonderful Steve Carrell and only lasts around five minutes so it is worth watching as I found it very strange but funny.
The one thing that is a tiny bit annoying is the animation itself. What I mean by this is that the animals look a bit like cardboard cut-outs and you do sometimes think about it during the film. It didn't bother me too much but I do think that it would have been better if they had made the animals look real and I am not sure why they haven't because they have done so with other animations. Like I said though it only annoyed me a little bit and I soon forgot about it so only a tiny complaint.
This DVD is a great buy and at the moment you can get it pretty cheap so I would definitely recommend it. The film is funny and there are enough special features to keep me entertained so five stars from me.
Thanks for reading.
xxx
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How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
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...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
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...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
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...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
The friendship between a New York City lion and zebra is tested when fate brings them out ... more
to the unforgiving wilderness in this computer-animated feature. Chris Rock does the voice of Marty the Zebra, whose longing to explore beyond his cushy Central P...
![Madagascar [DVD] [2005]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/78493523.jpg "Madagascar [DVD] [2005]")
![Madagascar [2005]-DVD](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/106081111.jpg "Madagascar [2005]-DVD")
Feb 6th, 2006
exceptional by (2%):
very helpful by (98%):
