From 6 years
At the Central Park Zoo in the heart of Manhattan, visitors flock to the gates every day to cheer on the site’s four star animals: Melman the giraffe, March the zebra, Gloria the hippopotamus, and especially Alex the lion, a superstar in his own right. The Daily Show.
Delighted with their condition, ignorant of their natural habitat, they would not leave their glory and their little home in the world for anything. Until the evening when Marty the Zebra celebrates his birthday and makes an important announcement to his three sidekicks: The call of the wild has been making his hooves itch for some time now. He even made a wish elsewhere at the zoo to four penguins who agreed to help him escape.
Marty’s plans are far from appealing to his friends, who prefer to stay in the cage. But while trying to stop the zebra, they accidentally end up on a catapulted liner… Madagascar!
In the mid-2000s, Dreamworks studios were not yet 10 years old, but already carved out the lion’s share of the global animation scene. A year after hitting the billion dollar mark with Shrek 2 (which remains the biggest hit of their career to this day), they returned to Madagascar and its 542 million worldwide.
Even if the zoo animals are far from occupying the throne occupied by the green ogre, they easily occupy the second place on the podium. And their adventures, approved by the public, will also offer two sequels.
After reviving several epic and majestic murals in traditional animation (Prince of Egypt or Soul, late 90s), the artists of Dreamworks studios seem to want to fully use their new vein: humor, satire. and self-deprecation.
Shrek’s gags – an unabashed parody of Disney’s fairy tales – paved the way. With their playful designs, strong personalities and New York temperaments, the animals of Madagascar can captivate. In terms of original vocal casting, the desire to make the crowd laugh is clearly assumed, as we find Ben Stiller, Chris Rock and Sacha Baron Cohen at the helm.
If Madagascar’s main characters put on a great show, the film’s main comedic assets come primarily from the secondary characters: the little grandma who hits Alex with her bag on the subway, the inexplicable runaway penguins (who will have their own movie elsewhere) and, of course, the lemurs. Led by the lovable Morty (with eyes even bigger than Puss in Boots) and King Julian.
If Madagascar sticks in your head for a long time, it’s mainly because of him and his favorite song, which he keeps singing throughout the film: I like to move, from Reel 2 Real. Just reading these lines, you probably have it in your head.
What will you like…
Penguins Commander, Rico, Soldier and Kowalski, who are undoubtedly among the funniest characters of Dreamworks.
- Catchy music from the movie. I like To Move It, therefore, but also other hits like Boogie Wonderland or stay alive.
- A change of scenery is provided by the forced travel of our animal friends, who leave the concrete of New York for fine sand beaches and coconut trees. Ideal if you need to clear your family head.
What could be bothering them…
- Absolutely nothing! Except perhaps (for the kids), Alex’s change in behavior at the end of the movie. Intoxicated with wild life, he remembers that he is a lion, he must eat meat, and begins to desire the legs of his friend March the zebra. But rest assured that everyone is doing very well!
(Re)discover our top 5 animals trying to regain their freedom…
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
