Madagascar
is the latest computer animated concoction from Dreamworks, and while it certainly
looks good, it can’t hold a barbecued weed-rat to the likes of Shrek.
In
this animated feature, Chris Rock voices Marty, a zebra in a New York zoo who
dreams of a different (and wild) life. His buddies Alex the Lion (voiced by Ben
Stiller), Gloria the Hippo (voiced by Jada Pinkett Smith), and Melman the Giraffe
(voiced by Dave Schwimmer) enjoy their life of leisure and privilege - what’s
a bar or two when you’re living the pampered life? One evening, Marty decides
it’s time to venture out and find the world that only exists in his dreams.
When his friends go searching for him, a bizarre turn of adventure grants Marty
his wish. Without going into the how or why, these four animal buddies soon find
themselves lost in the wild.
Madagascar
looks spectacular, and the tone of the film is more old school than contemporary
(think Rocky and Bullwinkle), although some of the film’s funniest gags (including
a clever riff on American Beauty) are taken from more current headlines.
The
performances are merely adequate. Alex the Lion is a fun and I got a kick out
of how arrogant this character is. He is, after all, the king of the jungle and
a scene in which he gives his buddy gifts with his face plastered all over them
is a riot. Unfortunately, I don’t believe Ben Stiller was the right choice
for this part. Stiller has a dry wit, but Alex the Lion would have benefitted
greatly from a bigger than life persona. Someone like The Rock perhaps. Chris
Rock is a perfect fit for Marty the Zebra and answers that age old question; "Is
a zebra black with white stripes or white with black stripes?" Schwimmer
and Smith have a few moments of lively bravado, but neither seem completely comfortable
in their animated counterparts’ hoofs.
Madagascar
has some really funny moments. There’s a tip of the hat to one of my all
time favorite Twilight Zone episodes, a funny bit with a couple of monkeys who
constantly make comments about poo flinging, a cute running gag with four gangster
penguins hoping to make a new life for themselves, and a clever (and surprisingly
mean spirited) montage on the nature of the food chain. I also like the film’s
introduction to a massive family of lemurs who engage in a rave that proves the
be much funnier than the unintentionally hilarious rave in Matrix Reloaded, as
well as Alex’s comeuppance as to his real status in the wild.
Sadly
though, I was more bored during Madagascar than anything else. The fun scenes
were few and far between, and ultimately, I wasn’t terribly engaged by the
film. Somehow, Madagascar just didn’t feel lively enough, and a cartoon can’t
work if it isn’t lively.
Recently,
the computer animated Robots was criticized for being too boring, but quite frankly,
I think it moved at a much quicker clip than this.
Madagascar
isn’t horrible. It attempts to offer up visuals for the young ones while
engaging the older crowd with more adult humor. Unfortunately, this tricky balancing
act never quite gels. It’s almost as if it’s trying too hard and as
an end result, is only marginally entertaining. This computer animated effort
looks stunning, but it hasn’t the heart or style of the Pixar efforts nor
does it offer up the terrific pacing of Shrek. Still, if the look on my kids’
faces is any indication, it will keep the little ones happy.
