Madagascar (2005)

When Marty the zebra begins to question his life in the zoo, he makes plans to run away. Unfortunately, his decision spirals out of control and he, along with his friends Alex the Lion, Gloria the hippo, and Melman the giraffe, end up stranded on an island. Once in the wild, the animals’ encounters with crazy lemurs and vicious fossa make them realize the zoo might not have been so bad. Ultimately, the strength of their friendship is put to the test as Alex begins to succumb to his predatory instincts. Madagascar’s plot is simple and places a great deal of importance on friendship. The colorful scenery and the exaggeratedly cartoonish animals make the movie visually enjoyable. The animals spend a lot of the movie shouting at each other from excitement, anger, or fear. Though this becomes tiring, it is only a mild distraction. Much of the movie is based off of physical humor that children should enjoy. There is some mature humor as well, but this will mostly go over the heads of younger viewers. Madagascar is most appropriate and enjoyable for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. It is recommended for the movie section of public libraries. ( )

Madagascar (Widescreen Edition) ~ Stephen Apostolina, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cody Cameron, and Cedric the Entertainer (DVD - 2005)

This movie is so much fun! I really, really enjoyed this movie. Lots of laughs and great animation. ( )