Madagascar

2005 • 85 minutes
4.4
1.92K reviews
PG
Rating
Eligible
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About this movie

Move it! Move it! 4 pampered animals from New York’s Central Park Zoo find themselves shipwrecked on the exotic island of Madagascar, and discover it really IS a jungle out there! Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer and Jada Pinkett Smith lead an all-star cast of hilarious animals, including four mischievous penguins and legions of lemurs. Its a film that you’ll go wild for again and again!
Rating
PG

Ratings and reviews

4.4
1.92K reviews
Kyle Vansteelandt
December 23, 2021
Madagascar is a really simple animated film from Dreamworks, and it may not be a truly entertaining movie, and it may not be as hilarious and compelling as Shrek, but this is definitely a perky, colorful, energetic diversion. I have laughed several times at the sharp, clever humor, in terms of the comical tone, the colorful voice acting, and sometimes even the animation; in terms of the traditional feel, Madagascar is a throwback to Loony Tunes (mostly the Roadrunner and Wile E Coyote), But there are some moments of humor that are disposable, and a few of these moments of comedy is rude humor that I actually felt bad for laughing. Not to mention that the filmmakers have tried too hard to be funny. The animation is bright, colorful, detailed, and has a wacky sense of humor, and the character designs are exactly what the expectations of cute cartoony animals would look like (if not amazing or captivating). The characters here are an exact replica of humans (having both ups and downs and how showing how friends in real life are portrayed), but in a wacky cartoony format, but the problem is that, because that this is an animal movie, the characters are way too humanized and are portrayed as stereotypical humans at some times, these animal characters eat human food, they are bipedal (using two legs to walk), they hate spiders, they hate getting wet, they know nothing about different civilizations/different creatures (calling Lemurs squirrels), and they hate nature. and speaking of nature, my big issue with this film is that this film is stereotypically against predator and prey (specifically, Alex when he hallucinates, and the fossas: an apex predator that is related to the mongoose). Predators are not evil monsters, they are very important to our planet; they play a vital role in keeping ecosystems healthy, The disastrous changes for the animals that share it's habitat. So, a predator has to eat, because that is just how nature works. Anyway, The speed of the animation is very much in the tradition of the good old days of classic cartoons. But the thing is that the movie almost never settles down, the nature and mood of the entire enterprise is like it's in a sugar rush or it's hyped up on caffeine and never ever stops and takes a slow breath, so it can be pretty tiring. The material that was delivered by the voice performances from the cast, is a lightweight, energetic, colorful, and amusing experience for the ears of it's audience. To conclude: Madagascar is clearly defined as an escapist comedy cartoon that truly has the strength to amuse and entertain it's audience, especially the kids. However, kids need to know about the accuracy of predator and prey, as well as wildlife and nature. So if your kids do see this film, definetly check in with them about what predators are on this planet for, and tell them about the portrayal of friendship in this film. On the side note, 2005 has Dreamworks Madagascar, 2006 has Disney's The Wild. I'll be honest, Even though it is unoriginal, I actually like The Wild a little better, because it has more pure entertainment value, has captivating imagination, has a more realistic approach, and I actually had a good time watching The Wild.
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Quest Phillips Phillips
November 6, 2017
This Is Best Movie Ever! Alex The Lion, Marty The Zebra Is Alex's Best Friend, Melman The Giraffe, And Gloria The Sweet Fat Hippo In Madagascar 4 Animals Get Back Central Park Zoo To New York! Only Four Boys Wacky Penguins Can Help It!
22 people found this review helpful
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Christine Ma
August 2, 2015
I love this film especially the part where Marty tried to escape. Plus my other favourite bit was where Alex and his friends met King Julien. Also I don't have this film on my phone and I watch when it's on TV.
50 people found this review helpful
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