Madagascar / Penguin Christmas Caper (Animated) (DVD)

...years away, they bring us Madagascar hoping to take a lucrative chunk of the summer box office.

In the world of Madagascar people don't find it at all strange that animals can get up, perform and talk to them. Marty the zebra (Chris Rock) is one such animal but he yearns for something else and that something else is the Wild. His three other friends the self-obsessed lion Alex (Ben Stiller), hippo Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith) and hypochondriac ...
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Madagascar may start off quite well, you are instantly thrown into the main meat of the story and everything is set at a rather quick pace but it doesn't seem to last. The main problem with the film is that it doesn't really seem to go anywhere. By the time the foursome get landed in the real jungle and it deals with them trying to come to terms with the harsh reality of life and Alex combating his primal instincts, the film loses ... more

The days when a CGI movie could guarantee a studio a shed-load of cash are gone. Sure, they are still very profitable, but the fact is that people have seen enough of fancy animation and now look for a good story as well as eye candy. Pixar are still the current leaders in both fields and they haven't dropped the bat yet (even if Nemo was verging on an old-stlye Disney friend flick) but other studios are having to rethink some of their ideas. Dreamworks last foray into CGI was Shark Tale which still grossed $160m but could have easily surpassed $200m if the story and appeal to both adults and kids had been better. So, with Shrek 3 still a few years away, they bring us Madagascar hoping to take a lucrative chunk of the summer box office.

In the world of Madagascar people don't find it at all strange that animals can get up, perform and talk to them. Marty the zebra (Chris Rock) is one such animal but he yearns for something else and that something else is the Wild. His three other friends the self-obsessed lion Alex (Ben Stiller), hippo Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith) and hypochondriac giraffe Melman (David Schwimmer) don't seem too bothered about wanting more because they have a pretty cushy life at the zoo. However spurred on by some psychotic penguins Marty decides to carry out his actions and they lead him and a selection of his animal buddies stranded on a remote island and into the real wild he dreamed about. Soon the animals crack under the stress of having to fend for themselves and the truth about their primal instincts come out.

Madagascar may start off quite well, you are instantly thrown into the main meat of the story and everything is set at a rather quick pace but it doesn't seem to last. The main problem with the film is that it doesn't really seem to go anywhere. By the time the foursome get landed in the real jungle and it deals with them trying to come to terms with the harsh reality of life and Alex combating his primal instincts, the film loses steam and seems to chug from one scene to the next with little baring on where its supposed to he headed. Repetition seems to feature heavily in the film, the animals will argue, have a fight then make up and then do it all over again and again just to get the minutes of the film topped up. In doing so its follows a 'buddy film' formula we've all seen before, breakdown of the group, the going of separate ways, some dangerous scene to bring them back together and a happy end. There's nothing wrong with sticking to a well-known formula but the film doesn't really try anything too different or special while doing so.

The humour, while good in certain places, isn't as subtle or clever in similar films. In an age where films for 'kids' have grown up and given children some respect for actually having brain cells it seems a shame that Madagascar seems to take a step back and moves into slapstick territory. Slapstick can be funny so long as it isn't stretched too far and unfortunately the film does seem to overplay the 'wackyness' of seeing the animals fight, fall over and generally go from one mishap to another. Of course maybe children won't really mind as much but maybe parents will. Madagascar shoves in some obligatory references to pop culture that adults will be able to appreciate but even they can miss the mark. The American Beauty one is well placed but probably a few years too late but at least it's recognisable, which is more than can be said for the Twilight Zone reference that won't hit everyone's radar despite it being quite funny. As stated, though, some parts of the film are still amusing. Sometimes when it doesn't try so hard to be in your face the film can shine (the travelling on the subway is one of those moments) and some of the dialogue between the characters is also worthy of a chuckle or two.

But let's not get too downbeat about the film because it does a few things well enough. The characters could make or break a film like this and luckily the foursome manages to keep the movie afloat…just about. They mesh together quite well and they may not all be loveable as characters in Pixar films normally are but they are likeable. Ben Stiller as a lion may not seem well suited on paper but actually hearing him makes things slightly more believable but not quite perfect enough. Chris Rock is someone you are either going to love or loathe because as he is accustomed for his portrayal as Marty is loud and proud and this can grate and amuse in equal measures. Jada-Pinkett Smith delivers the usually sassy lines for the group but is woefully underused. David Schwimmer seems entirely suited to play a giraffe, though at times feeling like a spare tire he also provides some of the best moments of the foursome. However, it is actually the characters we see less of that give a lot of the best scenes. The psychotic penguins steal the screen whenever they happen to be on and it's just a shame that they disappear for a good chunk of the movie, it would have been interesting to see how they lived on the island. Midway we get introduced to the Lemur tribe headed by Sacha Baron Cohen, while he will split people just like Rock will he adds some much needed spirit and fun into the plodding middle of the film. However it's his wry sidekick that gets the best lines out of it.

The film also looks pretty good too. It doesn't seem to go out of its way to be the next best looking CGI film, now that people have grown accustomed to the art there seems less need to show what can be done. It looks more like a traditional cartoon than an ultra-modern CGI film and it's a style that suits the film well. Characters have that angular but bold and stylish look that gives them a slightly retro look. The tropical paradise looks just like you'd think one to be, bright, colourful and vibrant. This is in contrast to the views of Central Park Zoo which is still quite colourful and a lot more clean looking than the original one but still enclosed and a whole lot less 'wild'. The night time exploration and previous scenes in the twilight, however, are beautifully done and also slow down the pace to allow for the characters to breathe a bit more which provides a welcome breather after such an action packed opening. Madagascar may not wow you in terms of technique but it has a style that suits it well.

Madagascar is no Shrek but it's also not as brash as Shark Tale. Kids will love this film but the film lacks the crossover appeal from the young to the old that many movies of its kind seems to have so adults may find the rather slow pace in the middle and the endless squabbling of the animals lacking substance. This is not too surprising as the film doesn't really have any deep, meaningful message to push across. This is your typical live-action, easily watchable summer flick but in CGI form. Good enough for a few popcorn munching hours but, unfortunately, unmemorable and uninspiring when it comes down to the end of it all.

MADAGASCAR IS

Light-hearted fun
Lovely and stylish
Pretty standard

MADAGASCAR IS NOT

Trying anything new
As funny as it tries to be
Going to impress adults as much
 

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