Featured Audience Ratings

• Phil H

  
  'Dreamworks' hit back with an animated tale about lovable zoo animals trying to escape to the wild. Always one step behind the mighty 'Pixar' this feature seemed to be an attempt to try and combat the ever increasing list of 'Pixar' classics that just… More
  'Dreamworks' hit back with an animated tale about lovable zoo animals trying to escape to the wild. Always one step behind the mighty 'Pixar' this feature seemed to be an attempt to try and combat the ever increasing list of 'Pixar' classics that just kept on coming. A curious blend of ideas really, the whole film is made to look quite sensible in terms of how things should look in reality. But there is a kind of Tex Avery/Chuck Jones feel to the main characters that is quite nice but also someone childish compared to the backgrounds and vista's we see. You then have the set up that the animals can all talk to each but not to humans, yet they can perform human acts without question. The film slides from slightly emotional to sensible to most of the time outright off the wall. The plot is childishly simple naturally but it works OK, it actually gets a little twisted once 'Alex' the lion goes savage when his animal instinct kicks in. Problem is once the animals break out from New York the film becomes very average very quickly. Seeing how the animals live within their city dwelling was pretty good and made for some good clever laughs, nothing hilarious I might add but it worked. The animals using the subway and at one point getting kicked in the nuts by an old lady does push the boundaries of even this fantasy. Unfortunately even that can't top the dreadful Lemurs they encounter on Madagascar, their leader for some reason given an Indian accent which is hideously unfunny. The penguins were by far the best of the bunch for me as a small squad of military types led by 'Skipper' who sounds remarkably like 'Zap Brannigan' from 'futurama'. I can see why they got their own spin off. The rest of the animals are voiced well by a good team of big names but they aren't overly interesting really. Rock is plain annoying and that's the end of it, whilst Schwimmer is surprisingly well matched as the hypochondriac giraffe. Stiller does what he does in pretty much everything he's in, its fine. Overall a very bright start but it just fades into a bland generic mess that includes a god awful hip hop sequence. The animation is fair, some smart visual gags here and there and the penguins are a great success but apart from that its all very meh. The impression I got was no one was sure which way they wanted to go with this film, so many alternative ideas colliding, bit of a mess.

• Eric S

  
  I tell ya, those penguins sure are funny. This film is alright. Don't really understand the character arc with Alex, but they do the best with what they got. A silly film to say the least. Not the biggest fan of this franchise.

• Everett J

  
  Odd animation, good music, great voice cast, and a decent story make for a good modern animated classic. "Madagascar" may not be a "Shrek" or "Lion King" but it is great fluffy entertainment, that holds up nice. Alex the lion(Ben Stiller), Marty the… More
  Odd animation, good music, great voice cast, and a decent story make for a good modern animated classic. "Madagascar" may not be a "Shrek" or "Lion King" but it is great fluffy entertainment, that holds up nice. Alex the lion(Ben Stiller), Marty the zebra(Chris Rock"), Melman the giraffe(David Schwimmer), and Gloria the Hippo(Jada Pinkett Smith) are happy friends in Central Park Zoo. At least they all thought they were happy until Marty comes out and tells them he is tired of the zoo life and wants to go to the wild. Following in the footsteps of some psychotic penguins, he plans his escape. Things go wrong, as Marty's three friends try to stop him, but end up getting themselves deported to the wild. While on the boat they get into a fight and end up stranded on Madagascar, an island inhabited by crazy lemurs and other animals. Now, they gotta stick together and find a way off the island and back to New York. Pretty funny, and all voices are perfect. The best characters by far are the penguins. They have the best lines, the creepiest voices, and are just so darn entertaining! My nephews love these movies, and I gotta say, I love em too. If you enjoy smiling, you'll like it. If your a stiff prude who doesn't enjoy laughter or rainbows, then you'll probably hate it.

• Emil K

  
  Once again animation that aims for being fast paced, funny and good looking, but ends up being none of those. Madagascar is a film that desperately tries to impress audience with the voice talent included and not with the story. That is what seems to be the problem these days with… More
  Once again animation that aims for being fast paced, funny and good looking, but ends up being none of those. Madagascar is a film that desperately tries to impress audience with the voice talent included and not with the story. That is what seems to be the problem these days with most of animation that comes from Hollywood. They are all made with the same mold. There is almost nothing that separates them from each other. They often are more concerned to use stars as voices and feel like coming from same factory. In Madagascar's case we are supposed to laugh for moments where some old granny is kicking and hitting these animals. For me that is more creepy than funny. I have often said that this kind humour is stupid and pointless. I once again state that there is nothing funny about animated animals screaming with voices like Chris Rock or Ben Stiller. It is possible that some kids find more to appreciate here, but let me tell you that there is really animated films out there that has story, good acting and soul. This is not one of those films.

• Candy R

  
  Funny animation about zoo animals who escape and get shipwrecked on a desert island. I love the penguins.

• Sophie B

  
  Brilliantly formed characters with a narrative that's family safe yet has a good few adult aimed jokes to keep the parents happy!

• Directors C

  
  This i a beautifully animated and colourful film visually but the comedic side depends on your sense of humour. Potentially, the film made me laugh because I enjoyed its humour and i've always loved the penguins. It is certain to entertain children though thats for sure.

• Unknown H

  
  I have to admit I wasn't too psyched about this movie when it first came out but it is without a doubt a movie that grew on me. At first it seemed like a poor mans interpretation of a thousand other movies but once I was subjected to it a couple of times (courtesy of my daughter… More
  I have to admit I wasn't too psyched about this movie when it first came out but it is without a doubt a movie that grew on me. At first it seemed like a poor mans interpretation of a thousand other movies but once I was subjected to it a couple of times (courtesy of my daughter who loves it) I count it as one of my faves now with the sequel and spin offs equally as hilarious and entertaining. Two words. King Julian. Nuff said.

• Matt G

  
  It has it's moments... very few though. This film had enough charm to give it a passing grade.

• Bethany M

  
  A really great animated film!

• Alexander D

  
  Meh.

• Chris W

  
  This is fun, and entertaining, and all of that, but there's really not a whole lot to it. I'm trying not to bring up the debate about Disney/Pixar versus Dreamworks, but the Dreamwortks films just don't do for me like Disney/Pixar. These films (this included) go more… More
  This is fun, and entertaining, and all of that, but there's really not a whole lot to it. I'm trying not to bring up the debate about Disney/Pixar versus Dreamworks, but the Dreamwortks films just don't do for me like Disney/Pixar. These films (this included) go more for jokes and fun instead of also trying to aspire to something greater. I love pop culture references, and movies that feature them out the wazoo (I am a huge Tarantino fan), but it helps if there's somehting else along with it instead of just jokes and witty references to entertain the adults. Some of the jokes here fall flat for me, and, while I liked that they referenced The Mission, the specific reference is a bit too heavy and ill-suited for the vibe of things. I did like the cast, and the film has decent animation, but overall, it is perhaps a bit too manic and rapid-cut edited. I say that, and I have ADHD. Hell, I must be getting really old or something. I dunno. This isn't a bad film (a tad above average), but I guess I just want (or was expecting) more.

• Jim C

  
  A flop, this movie may have some comedy but it doesn't take away from the boring story and bad animation.

• Michael E

  
  Again not one of dreamworks best movies but its till a great movie

• Dean M

  
  Good DreamWorks animation movie that is equal to <i>Shrek</i> as it's lots of fun. There was quite a few humorous scenes in Madagascar, but my favorite has to be the "distinguished" chimps who get offended that the thought of looking or smelling like a… More
  Good DreamWorks animation movie that is equal to <i>Shrek</i> as it's lots of fun. There was quite a few humorous scenes in Madagascar, but my favorite has to be the "distinguished" chimps who get offended that the thought of looking or smelling like a monkey is bad. An honorable mention is the penguins who also got more than they bargained for in Antarctica. While some of the graphics are sub-par to other movies I've mentioned, like Alex the Lion (voiced by Ben Stiller) for instance. At times they look sort of like clay-motion or something, and other they look positively life-like. The scenery and the lemurs stand out as the most beautifully rendered parts of the movie. The voices are done well and they really match with the characters, but that's mostly it. There is not a lot of character development. I give it an average at best. It is watchable bot that is it for me. The story was handled too weakly. This movie really had potential.

• Richard C

  
  I saw this when it first came out and i was 8 and I liked it but seeing it now at 13 it wasnt as good but still wasn't horrible. C

• Jeremy S

  
  Forgettable, Madagascar 2 is only moments away. The story develops as the varied characters get lost on an island, but the real thing that gets lost is the plot.

• Film C

  
  Absolutely love the madagasca movies!! and the mini series!! Madagasca is a brillaint childrens animated movie, that is hilarious, entertaining and just the most fantastic character there is! The penguins and king julian are probably the funniest animated animals in the history of… More
  Absolutely love the madagasca movies!! and the mini series!! Madagasca is a brillaint childrens animated movie, that is hilarious, entertaining and just the most fantastic character there is! The penguins and king julian are probably the funniest animated animals in the history of animated movies, its really an enjoyable light hearted movie thats just fun to watch!!

• KJ P

  
  It was funny! That's about it! It was a very average story!

• Jennifer D

  
  Pretty damn funny, not gonna lie.

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