Madagascar (2005)
Am I getting old? Will there ever
be an animated film released that makes me love cartoons
again. The only one that has come close lately is
"Shrek 2." The last animated feature aimed at kids
which I really loved was "Monsters, Inc."
Much like "The Incredibles" and
"Finding Nemo," "Madagascar" left me feeling slightly
bored, slightly old, and slightly ho-hum. There's
nothing new or interesting going on here. In fact,
the story is a pointless, muddled mess which has no
"ending." Still, "Madagascar" seems like the kind
of movie that will earn megabucks at the box office
and on DVD and become a favorite of kiddies everywhere.
Kids are rarely critical about such fare.
I liked Ben Stiller as Alex the
Lion, the mane - err, I mean - main attraction at
the New York Zoo. This film plays with the "celebrity"
of animals in such a setting and has a lot of fun
with the idea that these domesticated wild beasts
actually enjoy being the center of attention at a
urban zoo. This is certainly something one would expect
PETA to take great exception to. Still, Stiller as
the showy yet neurotic tamed cat is a load of fun.
He's the only thing in this movie besides the penguins
that makes "Madagascar" worth seeing.
Chris Rock as a Zebra, on the other
hand, is as bad an idea as it sounds. Rock adds absolutely
nothing here and the idea of an African-American being
identified as a "zebra" is a politically incorrect
as it sounds. Sure, only adults get this, but that
ruins it for half of the audience. It's not that the
role is derogatory; it's just that you sit there for
the first 20 minutes of the film wondering if maybe
it is derogatory. It takes you out of the movie.
David Schwimmer as the depressed
giraffe is typecasting at its worst. And, alas, Jada
Pinkett Smith is wasted in her role as a hippo. Talk
about a character that has absolutely nothing to do.
Smith's hippo is not only pointless, she's boring
and drab as well. There's nothing - NOTHING - going
on with this hippo.
The story sucks, the voice characterizations
are typical, the music is awful and the animation
is only cool for about the first ten minutes or so,
as in any cartoon, then you kind of take it for granted...
"Madagascar" isn't such a gas.
Notes:
Also with the voices of Andy Richter
and Cedric the Entertainer.
At one time Madonna, Gwen Stefani
and J-Lo were said to be considering voicing the hippo.
There were several drafts of the
script including one where animal activists were involved
with freeing the main characters.
At least the third to have this
title. At one time the film was to be called "Wild
Life."
Viewed in Austin in May of 2005.
