Madagascar (2005)

Directors:

Eric Darnell
Tom McGrath

Writers:

Mark Burton (written by) &
Billy Frolick (written by) ...

Release Date:

27 May 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family

Tagline:

Ton On The Run

Plot:

Spoiled by their upbringing with no idea what wild life is really like, four animals from New York Central Zoo escape, unwittingly assisted by four absconding penguins, and find themselves in Madagascar, among a bunch of merry lemurs

Plot Keywords:

Animated Credits | Manhattan New York | Whimsical | Wilhelm Scream | Character's Point Of View Camera Shot

Awards:

3 wins & 24 nominations

Cast

Ben Stiller	...	Alex (voice)
Chris Rock	...	Marty (voice)
David Schwimmer	...	Melman (voice)
Jada Pinkett Smith	...	Gloria (voice)
Sacha Baron Cohen	...	Julien (voice)
Cedric the Entertainer	...	Maurice (voice)
Andy Richter	...	Mort (voice)
Tom McGrath	...	Skipper / Fossa / Panicky Man on Subway (voice)
Christopher Knights	...	Private (voice)
Chris Miller	...	Kowalski (voice)
Conrad Vernon	...	Mason (voice)
Eric Darnell	...	Zoo Announcer / Lemur #1 / Fossa / Subway Car Announcer (voice)
David Cowgill	...	Police Horse (voice)
Stephen Apostolina	...	Police Officer (voice) (as Steve Apostolina)
Elisa Gabrielli	...	Old Lady (voice)

Also Known As:

Мадагаскар (Russia) [ru]
Madagascar (Brazil) [pt]
Madagascar (Argentina) [es]
Madagascar (Canada: French title) [fr]
Madagaskar (Sweden) [sv]
Madagaskar (Estonia) [et]
Madagaskar (Poland) [pl]
Madagaskar (Germany) [de]
Madagaskari (Greece) [el]

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild language, crude humor and some thematic elements.

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Iceland:L | Sweden:Btl | Brazil:12 (DVD re-rating) | Philippines:G | Malaysia:U | South Korea:All | Denmark:A | UK:U (cut) | Finland:K-3 | Taiwan:GP | Switzerland:6 (canton of Zurich) | Spain:T | Brazil:Livre (theater release) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Czech Republic:U | Ireland:G | Mexico:AA | Netherlands:MG6 | Singapore:PG | USA:PG | Germany:o.Al. | New Zealand:PG | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:0 (canton of Geneva) | Peru:PT | Norway:A | Hong Kong:I

Filming Locations:

Glendale, California, USA

Company:

DreamWorks SKG

Trivia:

Early on, the plot was based on a group of activists who liberate the animals from their cages.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: Fossas are spelled "foosa" in the film. This is actually the way the word is spelled by the natives of Madagascar.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Alex the Lion: Surprise!
Marty the Zebra: Aaahhh! Alex! Do not interrupt me when I'm daydreaming. When a zebra's in the zone, leave him alone.

Movie Connections:

References Ravenous (1999)

Soundtrack:

Piranhas Are A Very Tricky Species

A nice surprise

The mood you're in when you see a movie has a big impact on how much you enjoy it. I saw this in a cinema packed with young families and it went down well. I laughed a lot, so did my kids, and so did the cinema. I explained to my daughter that pansy meant softy, so I even felt useful.

Having young children means I have sat through quite a lot of this genre, and the use of computers in animation makes things a little over-refined. I seem to be the only person who finds Pixar movies too polished, faultless, and stale. This film can be abrupt and patchy, but in my opinion that makes it more spontaneous.

The movie looks great, the penguins are funny, the king is funny, and the pace and energy are good. About 90 minutes is also the correct length. The plot may be thin but the survival concepts that pepper the movie are good intellectual fodder for children.