Madagascar
Rent & Buy
Four animal friends get a taste of the wild life when they break out of captivity at the Central Park Zoo and wash ashore on the island of Madagascar.
What critics thought
Critics in 2005 landed in mixed territory, broadly agreeing the film is visually polished and reliably entertaining for children while disagreeing sharply on whether it deserves a place alongside the Pixar films it was inevitably measured against. The central fault line was ambition: supporters found it a cheerfully unpretentious crowd-pleaser, while detractors felt its thin story and formulaic construction wasted considerable technical talent.
“in a world where the stakes have been raised by Finding Nemo, Shrek and The Incredibles, it's a throwback to a more conventional kind of animated entertainment.”
Roger Ebert·RogerEbert.com
“Madagascar, despite some break-out moments of silliness, seems defined by a formula that can't fail to please, at a basic level, but never feels imaginatively inspired.”
Philippa Hawker·The Sydney Morning Herald
“how so much talent, technical skill and money could add up to so little.”
A. O. Scott·The New York Times
“It's also a pleasure to see a cartoon so determinedly devoid of sentiment, a stance confirmed by the hilarious demise of an angelic little duckling. Highly recommended for kids and adults.”
Paul Arendt·BBC
“a good-humored, pleasant confection that has all kinds of relaxed fun bringing computer-animated savvy to the old-fashioned world of Looney Tunes cartoons.”
Kenneth Turan·Los Angeles Times
Parents guide
- Violence
- mild
- Sex
- none
- Profanity
- mild
- Substances
- none
- Intensity
- mild
Genres
Adventure, Animation, Comedy
Cast & Crew
Eric DarnellDirector
Tom McGrathDirector
Ben StillerAlex (voice)
Chris RockMarty (voice)
David SchwimmerMelman (voice)
Jada Pinkett SmithGloria (voice)
Sacha Baron CohenKing Julien (voice)
Cedric the EntertainerMaurice (voice)
Andy RichterMort (voice)Tom McGrathSkipper / Fossa / Panicky Man on Subway (voice)
Christopher KnightsPrivate (voice)
Chris MillerKowalski (voice)
Conrad VernonMason (voice)Eric DarnellZoo Announcer / Lemur #1 / Fossa / Subway Car Announcer (voice)
Hans ZimmerComposer
Mark BurtonWriterFrom the studio
Madagascar
Four animal friends get a taste of the wild life when they break out of captivity at the Central Park Zoo and wash ashore on the island of Madagascar.
What critics thought
Critics in 2005 landed in mixed territory, broadly agreeing the film is visually polished and reliably entertaining for children while disagreeing sharply on whether it deserves a place alongside the Pixar films it was inevitably measured against. The central fault line was ambition: supporters found it a cheerfully unpretentious crowd-pleaser, while detractors felt its thin story and formulaic construction wasted considerable technical talent.
“in a world where the stakes have been raised by Finding Nemo, Shrek and The Incredibles, it's a throwback to a more conventional kind of animated entertainment.”
Roger Ebert·RogerEbert.com
“Madagascar, despite some break-out moments of silliness, seems defined by a formula that can't fail to please, at a basic level, but never feels imaginatively inspired.”
Philippa Hawker·The Sydney Morning Herald
“how so much talent, technical skill and money could add up to so little.”
A. O. Scott·The New York Times
“It's also a pleasure to see a cartoon so determinedly devoid of sentiment, a stance confirmed by the hilarious demise of an angelic little duckling. Highly recommended for kids and adults.”
Paul Arendt·BBC
“a good-humored, pleasant confection that has all kinds of relaxed fun bringing computer-animated savvy to the old-fashioned world of Looney Tunes cartoons.”
Kenneth Turan·Los Angeles Times
Parents guide
- Violence
- mild
- Sex
- none
- Profanity
- mild
- Substances
- none
- Intensity
- mild
Genres
Adventure, Animation, Comedy
Cast & Crew
Eric DarnellDirectorTom McGrathDirectorBen StillerAlex (voice)Chris RockMarty (voice)David SchwimmerMelman (voice)Jada Pinkett SmithGloria (voice)Sacha Baron CohenKing Julien (voice)Cedric the EntertainerMaurice (voice)Andy RichterMort (voice)Tom McGrathSkipper / Fossa / Panicky Man on Subway (voice)Christopher KnightsPrivate (voice)Chris MillerKowalski (voice)Conrad VernonMason (voice)Eric DarnellZoo Announcer / Lemur #1 / Fossa / Subway Car Announcer (voice)Hans ZimmerComposerMark BurtonWriterFrom the studio
Rent & Buy