Occasionally it flashes to life with bursts of anarchic humor provided by fringe characters, but by and large it's formulaic and dull.
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05/27/05
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Madagascar (2005)
55
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:179
Fresh:98
Rotten:81
Average Rating:6/10
Consensus: A solid if unspectacular CGI flick.
Theatrical Release:May 27, 2005 Wide
Box Office: $193,136,719
Synopsis: The friendship between a New York City lion and zebra is tested when fate brings them out to the unforgiving wilderness in this computer-animated DreamWorks feature. Chris Rock does the voice of... [More]
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer
Director: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath
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Reviews for Madagascar
This really is a Looney Tunes in many ways, as the animals often find themselves in situations where their bodies are stretched, squeezed or otherwise pushed and pulled.
05/27/05
This doesn't signify progress for the computer-animated medium. If anything, it's regression.
05/27/05
Top Critic[It] looks stunning, but it's an ill-conceived mess that plays like two movies awkwardly spliced together.
05/27/05
Top CriticThis tepid summer animated offering limps along like an aged, mangy lion with bunions.
05/27/05
The latest DreamWorks Animation picture that leaves you jonesing for a little Pixar.
05/27/05
It'll undoubtedly keep the kids occupied and parents intermittently amused. And that's about it.
05/27/05
Madagascar is not just a technological breakthrough, but also a fun and funny movie for all ages.
05/27/05
Brilliantly written, animated and performed, it not only bridges the child-adult divide, but also makes its kid-friendly humor smart in its own way.
05/27/05
Top CriticA wafer-thin yarn that might have done Sylvester and Tweety proud, but goes missing-in-action when stretched over 80-plus minutes.
05/27/05
A safe-as-milk, toy-ready, born-to-cross-promote piece of animated Hollywood product that will likely please children but leave adults dreaming of The Incredibles.
05/27/05
Unlike many children's films, Madagascar really is entertainment for little ones. It's no Finding Nemo, but it is leaps above Shark Tale.
05/27/05
Appropriate for the wee ones, this flick promises to please parents who will inevitably be in for repeat viewings.
05/27/05
Heavy on jokes and light on story. Surprisingly, that turns out to be in its favor.
05/27/05
A delight. Co-writers and -directors McGrath and Eric Darnell, along with their entire team, have done a terrific job with their sweet and whimsical story.
05/27/05
Top CriticAntic, cute, scattershot, it's a remarkable-looking but terribly uncertain bit of CGI fluff, with its richest humor off to the sides of the action and a whole lot of average in the middle.
05/27/05
What a wonderful movie this is, so full of the funny, the charming and the bizarre, so clever and eager to take advantage of the possibilities of CGI animation.
05/27/05
Technically brilliant – but pathetically ignorant.
05/27/05
Mediocre, phoned-in semi-entertainment.
05/27/05
Fast-paced, often funny, loaded with richly detailed computer animation - and, frustratingly, lacking that little bit of soul that turns an OK cartoon into something magical.
05/27/05
Latest News for Madagascar
December 05, 2008:
UK Critics Consensus: Writers Warm to Madagascar 2; UK Critics Liked Lakeview Terrace
With thirteen new releases in the UK cinemas this weekend, let Rotten Tomatoes help you sort the tinsel from the turkeys. We have animals on the loose in Madagascar: Escape 2... More...
August 15, 2008:
Weekly Ketchup: Kung Fu Panda 2, Wheel of Time and more
This week's Ketchup bottle brings news about Kung Fu Panda 2, Madagascar 3, development news about the Wheel of Time series, and casting news about Mike Myers and Billy Bob... More...
June 07, 2007:
Release Dates Set for "Shrek 4" and "Shrek 5"
Well, release years anyway, according to Jeffrey Katzenberg. More...
March 08, 2007:
Chris Rock Hangs with Zebra Pack in "Madagascar 2"
"Madagascar" had Marty the zebra searching for his wild home in the jungles of Africa. Since the movie made so much money, all the zoo animals are back in the wild for... More...
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