Pretty bog standard Dreamworks 'kooky anthropomorphic animals have a wacky adventure' fare. The animation is mixed - some beautiful moments, but some rather basic looking character design. Good enough to get by, but doesn't win any prizes, especially watched now. The fast pace means one doesn't get bored, but it means the conflicts and adversities which are supposed to add depth to the plot are left at a rather playground level. The film depends on the reasonably slick interplay between the four main characters for its impetus, but it doesn't have much more than that going for it, other than an enjoyable cameo from Sacha Baron Cohen as King Julien. Probably one of those kids films which really is more for the kids. Overall, some memorable lines, a few smiles, but not much more than that. Not one you'd regret watching, but not worth a return visit.

Hard to believe this is a decade old already, as old as Marty the Zebra was at the time (he would now be twenty), and I'm just getting around to it. Well I'm late to the party on a lot of things. I thought this was a fun flick and have finally learned the origin of my granddaughter's favorite schtick when she starts in with 'I like to move it, move it...'. With a nod to my favorite TV show of all time, The Twilight Zone, the picture had me with it's reference 'To Serve Lemur'. All you need to know is that it was a cook book. I probably got the biggest kick out of those goofy penguins, I guess I'll have to look up their movie next. As for this one, I thought it was crackalacking.

A group of lifelong zoo captives, buddies despite their hunter-vs-hunted natural relationship, arrange a prison break and try to find themselves, for better or worse, in the wild. Madagascar is a rough early effort from DreamWorks animation and, for the most part, it's a waste of vocal talent. Ben Stiller, Chris Rock and Sacha Baron Cohen all chip in on a ho-hum plot that fails to hit either heartstrings or funnybones. The characters themselves are strong, a well-developed mix of distinct shapes and colorful personalities that would go on to blossom in later installments, but here they're mere saplings at the mercy of a flat, played-out storyline. Even the animation has aged poorly, playing more like a student's demo reel than a multi-million dollar major studio production. It's tempting to give that a pass, given how far technology has come in the ten years since, but Pixar had already released Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo and The Incredibles by this time, and those all hold up wonderfully. An also-ran in all respects, it's got missed potential by the boatloads, but not much more.

This is a very good animation film, the characters, the voices and actors behind them do a great job, they feel very real and alive.This is really all about the characters, where they go and what they do doesn't mean as much as them and their interactions. David Schwimmer does a great job as this overprotective Giraf, he is the hypochondriac in the crowd and he really has some great outburst. Actually all the characters have their own special blend, I will let you experience it on your own, but I will say that it is all the side characters that is really the most fun. And who could see Chris Rock as this very loud mouth Zebra, the voices just really works for this character.