DreamWorks' new film is targeted at the kiddie population and manages to ensure that the kids will enjoy the film wholeheartedly. The tale focuses on the lives of four animals in captivity in the Central Park Zoo, in glitzy Manhattan.
Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer) and Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) are four animals in the zoo who are content in their lives as the zoo's main exhibits. Alex is proud of the fact that he is the lord of the jungle and shows off his proud ancestry to visitors. The four friends live a life of relative luxury in their concrete jungle.
They are well fed and generally speaking happy with themselves and their surroundings. But one day, Marty the Zebra yearns to return to the savanna, his natural habitat. He wants to find out if he could be happier in his natural surroundings.
Alex, Melman and Gloria loyally follow Marty when he breaks out of the zoo and rushes to a train station. The four animals are captured after scenes of chaos engulf New York's commuters. They are then sealed in four crates aboard a ship. The animals are then accidentally spilled into rough seas off the coast of Madagascar.
Then begins the real adventure, Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria have to learn all about gathering food; seeking shelter; co-existing with lemurs, hyenas and other creatures, whom they have never seen. And then there is the dilemma as Alex finds that he has an irresistible desire to eat other animals, especially his friend Marty.
Co-directors Tom McGrath and Eric Darnell manage to hold attention throughout the film. They are aided by splendid vocal performances by Schwimmer and Stiller. There is also a funny subplot involving four penguins who head to Antarctica on a hijacked ship. And when they do arrive there they conclude, "Well, this sucks." The animals have to deal with the pesky lemurs and once this happens there is a lack of depth in the film.
But Madagascar comes as a cool summer shower in all the heat and dust generated by the revenge of the Sith. Its simple storyline ids bound to touch not only kids but also adults. So what happens finally? Does Alex devour Martin? To find out watch the film, it's worth every minute of your time.
