Andy Richter, Ben Stiller, Cedric the Entertainer

Four zoo animals are shipped back to their homeland by an animal rights group that feels they belong in the wild. When the ship capsizes, the animals find themselves stranded in Madagascar. Having had...( read more  read more... ) humans care for them their entire life, they know nothing about survival and must work together with the locals to help them fit in.

Flixster Users

70% liked it

906,963 ratings

Critics

55% liked it

179 critics

PG, 1 hr. 20 min.

Directed by: Conrad Vernon, Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath

Release Date: May 27, 2005

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DVD Release Date: November 15, 2005

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Stats: 48,043 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (48,043)


  • August 1, 2009
    Pretty funny movie. I love the lemurs! :p
  • May 25, 2009
    Ah so adorable.
  • March 16, 2009
    "The penguins are going, so why can't I?
    - Because the penguins are psychotic!"

    I've never really liked Madagascar that much. I know, that's a bad way to start a review, of a very succesful movie, without any further explanation.

    "Madagascar's" biggest fault is that the lead ch...( read more)aracters, the not-so-fantastic four, are without that extra factor that has for example made almost every Pixar movie a success. They're just four different animals who have grown up in the NYC zoo and find themselves suddenly in the wild.

    The most hilarious aspect of this movie is the Special Forces type of penguins who seem to be related to MacGyver. They have got almost every funny scene to themselves so that isn't a good thing for the four leads.

    The animation is kinda angular and was some sort of a problem for me. The backgrounds etc are very beautiful but the animals seem to lack something. I could again write something about Pixar but I woun't...

    The voice acting is decent, featuring a lot of comedic talent. Ben Stiller, Sacha Baron Cohen, Chris Rock... But everytime David Schwimmer opens his mouth, all I see is Ross Geller as a giraffe!

    "Madagascar" will surely entertain the whole family. It's got a lot of hyperactive action, music and dance scenes. The story is easy to follow even for the youngest ones. But for me, "Madagascar" just doesn't have the It factor. But in overall a decent effort by Dreamworks.
  • December 29, 2008
    Pretty cute, but all of the good stuff comes from the secondary characters. Not a good sign.
  • December 26, 2008
    This is an ok animation film, bright and colourful with a strong voice cast. It's fairly funny for all ages but in terms of story and detail of more recent animations, it falls a tad short. Perfect for younger viewers.
  • November 17, 2009
    it was a better movie then the second one i guess it was funnier and much more mature
  • November 17, 2009
    hmmm... lovable...=)
  • November 14, 2009
    Fun movie for family!
  • November 14, 2009
    HAHAHA! Fresh story and incredibly funny! I love Gloria!
  • November 14, 2009
    The original is always better than the sequal!

Critic Reviews


May 27, 2005
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

What makes it good is that the story is a kind of parable that suggests some seriousness beneath the surface, even sadness. full review

May 27, 2005
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

It'll be fun for the smaller kids, but there's not much crossover appeal for their parents. full review

May 26, 2005
Claudia Puig, USA Today

The animation is visually stunning, and the animals' stylized rendering and friendly look is in keeping with the energetic mood of the movie. full review

May 26, 2005
A.O. Scott, The New York Times

Like many computer-animated features, this one, about four animals exiled from the Central Park Zoo, expends most of its imaginative resources on clever visuals. full review

May 26, 2005
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

While teens and adults can do worse than Madagascar (anyone for Kingdom of Heaven?), this slight and amusing 'toon is mostly a trip designed for the kiddie crowd to take in. full review

May 26, 2005
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

The movie sadly runs aground on old gags that no amount of eye-popping color and frenzied action can spin into gold. full review

May 24, 2005
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine

Modestly improving upon the wretched DreamWorks animation template, Madagascar still fails to approximate Pixar's trademark mix of hilarity and poignancy. full review

View more Madagascar reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • nolaearthman
    July 20, 2009
    You should see the movie i liked it give your comment of the movie
  • jopzzee
    April 22, 2009
    Madagascar is one of the greatest movies... I Love Animals..
  • jopzzee
    April 22, 2009
    In the Old testament in the books of Numbers. God allowed the animals to talk and speak to the human... So God is the greatest Artist among us.....
  • shortybrooklyn
    October 17, 2008
    Madagascar was so funny i am waiting for the second one
  • MovieLover57
    June 12, 2008
    Great Movie.
  • shortybrooklyn
    March 21, 2008
    Madagascar was so good and hilarious
  • AreYouOnTheList07
    March 15, 2008
    not funny AT ALL. I cant believe i was excited to see this. evryone said it was hilarious but it wasnt even CLOSE to funny. definetly the worst movie i eva saw really regret seein it. it SUCKED SOOOOOOOO BADDDD
  • sportboy
    October 25, 2007
    good movie I liked the animals in it and it was saw funny
  • rossett556
    August 2, 2007
    i love these film they create too good i love the scenery
  • marcolio95
    June 24, 2007
    I've made a quiz about it plzz take it!

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Madagascar Trivia


  • Who provided the voice for Alex the Lion in "Madagascar"  Answer »
  • IN the movie madagascar what was the lions name  Answer »
  • in what movie did 4 animated animals get stranded on an island?  Answer »
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