We've now reached the point in the CG cycle where we no longer ask "Is it as good as Pixar?" The new question regarding computer animation movies is "Is it better than Shark Tale?" And considering that "Madagascar" is the next CG family comedy from DreamWorks, after the aggressively unpleasant "Shark Tale," the question takes on a little more relevance. Two "Shark Tale"s in a row would be a sign of even worse things to come. So it's with much relief and a mild thumbs-up that I assure you: "Madagascar" is, indeed, better than "Shark Tale."
Since every single CGI family flick is practically guaranteed 150 million bucks at the box office, and this review is therefore entirely unnecessary and actually kind of pointless, I'll keep the review brief.
If you've got a kid under the age of 12, you'll want to take them to see Madagascar, because they'll probably have a darn good time with it. OK, I know that's not all that lofty of an endorsement; kids are notorious for loving just about any ol' cartoon that's laden with pratfalls, animals, and kooky sound effects. But Madagascar proves to be just charming and witty enough to keep the grown-ups entertained while the rugrats fall into the aisles in peals of hysterical laughter.
That's not to imply that Madagascar comes close to achieving that seemingly patented brand of Pixar Magic. No, the Pixar movies are clearly in a class by themselves. While something like The Incredibles offers layer upon layer of stunningly satisfying cinematic goodness, a movie like Madagascar is all about high-end animation, amiable silliness, and a whole lot of physical schtick.
Madagascar is about four goofy animals who (unwittingly) escape from their Central Park zoo, travel across the ocean, and ultimately end up stranded in a deep, dark jungle. Our heroes are a lion (Ben Stiller), a zebra (Chris Rock, a hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), and a giraffe (David Schwimmer). There are a few rather aimless plot threads about finding one's roots, being loyal to friends, and learning how to deal with the fact that you just might be hungry enough to eat your best friend -- but Madagascar is less about plot than it is about silly animals doing goofy things.
Aside from Schwimmer, the voice-actors seem content to just play themselves, which makes an ironic point: these rather expensive leading men are among the movie's biggest detriments. Say what you will about Mike Myers' Shrek, but at least that guy's using a different voice to help create an animated character. So not for even a second are you "getting to know" this lion and that zebra. You're just listening to Ben Stiller and Chris Rock as their words spill out of animated mammals. Tough gig, eh fellas?
I'm sorry but "voice acting" and "speaking into a microphone" are not exactly the same thing. And it's irritating that a guy like Ben Stiller can just monotone his way through a performance and earn a huge paycheck while someone like, say, Billy West could have done something truly hilarious with this role.
But there's some good news on the other side of the coin: Andy Richter gets a lot of solid laughs as a devious penguin, and Sacha Cohen absolutely steals the entire movie as a lunatic lemur. Toss in a few hilarious gags from a pair of wise-guy monkeys, and you're looking at a supporting cast that upstages the stars with no effort whatsoever. OK, fair's fair: David Schwimmer really does have a great voice for animated comedies, but I still stand by this opinion: Nearly all of Madagascar's laughs come from the supporting characters, and from a movie that stars Ben Stiller and Chris Rock, that's a pretty telling statement.
Parents, you already know if your kids are going to be dragging you into "Madagascar," so I'll save you some stress by telling you that the flick made me laugh with a fairly surprising consistency. Many of the film's best chuckles come courtesy of the fast-paced animation style -- and the rest come from the background penguins, monkeys, and lemurs. My humble advice to the DreamWorks Animation Bureau would simply be this: skip the A-list voice-actors the next time out. The kids are going to line up around the block either way, and without all that excess salary and ego, you're inevitably bound to make a better movie.
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