Madagascar is a computer-animated movie produced by DreamWorks Animation, and released in movie theatres on May 27, 2005. The film tells the story of four Central Park Zoo animals who have spent their lives in blissful captivity and are unexpectedly shipped back to Africa, getting shipwrecked on the island of Madagascar. The voices of Ben Stiller, Jada Pinkett Smith, Chris Rock and David Schwimmer are featured. Other voices include Andy Richter, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Cedric the Entertainer. Madagascar was released on DVD on November 15, 2005, along with the short film, The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper. Alex the exuberant lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the hypochondriac giraffe and Gloria the hippo have a pampered life at the Central Park Zoo where they can show off to the crowds. Yet Marty, celebrating his tenth birthday, is becoming restless and dreaming of life in the wild. When he learns that the penguins are planning to escape he decides to follow suit. He has a vague notion that the wild can be found in Connecticut, so one night he sneaks out of the zoo and sets off on foot for Grand Central Terminal, where he hopes to take the Metro-North Railroad to Connecticut. When the others find him gone they head for Grand Central Station via the Subway. Arriving at Grand Central, they scare away most of the passengers except for one determined little old lady, confront Marty, and manage to wreck the Information desk before being shot with tranquilizer darts. Some anti-zoo campaigners use the Grand Central incident as evidence that animals should not be locked up. Because of this the friends soon find themselves sealed in wooden crates aboard a cargo ship. Unknown to them the ship is bound for Africa, but the penguins have also stowed away on board. Against all odds the penguins succeed in hijacking the ship and sailing it to Antarctica. During the hijacking the crates fall overboard and the four friends are washed ashore on a tropical beach. At first Melman assumes they are in San Diego, and Alex is upset that they will not be able to compete with Shamu, but when they discover a large tribe of lemurs led by King Julien XIII (voiced by Sacha Baron Cohen in a style reminiscent of Robin Williams) they realize they are not in the USA any more. Really, they are on the island of Madagascar. After a good deal of argument the four finally decide to stay and discover the wild. Julien hopes that their new friends, whom he calls the "New York Giants", will scare away the fossa that have been attacking the lemurs. Unfortunately Alex, who has only ever eaten pre-cut steaks until now, is beginning to regain his natural predatory instincts and realizes that he might end up losing control and eating his friends. Meanwhile the penguins arrive in Antarctica and decide that "well, this sucks". When the fossa attack Marty, Alex claims Marty as his own prey. But this turns out to be a ruse: Alex has managed to overcome his predatory instincts. Alex drives away the fossa and the lemurs rejoice. Meanwhile the penguins bring back the ship. Following a celebration dinner, at which Alex discovers that he likes fish even better than steak, the friends return to the ship, leaving the penguins behind, and plan a round-the-world cruise. The penguins haven't told them that the ship is out of gas. Alex The Lion Played by Ben Stiller. Alex the lion was born in Central Park Zoo and into a life of privilege. He is a star, an entertainer to visitors and in his mind the king of his empire – the zoo he has never left. His best friends are Marty, Melman and Gloria. He has an obsession with (possibly even a fetish because of some comments to and fantises about) steak. He is also very hyperactive as evidenced in some scenes. Marty The Zebra Played by Chris Rock. Marty the zebra is a dreamer and an adventurer, who constantly dreams about the wild and wonders what life would be like beyond the zoo. One night, following the successful escape of the penguins, he and all his friends find out. Melman The Giraffe Played by David Schwimmer. Melman is a hypochondriac giraffe, who was transferred to the Central Park Zoo as a young adult. Because of his previous stay in the Bronx Zoo, Melman believes that he’s a real worldly guy, the most experienced in his circle of friends and the leader of the pack because he’s really been around. That is, compared to his three friends, he has. Gloria The Hippopotamus Played by Jada Pinkett Smith. Gloria is a tough-chick hippopotamus. Born and raised in the Central Park Zoo, she is friendly, energetic, and one hip hippo. She is strikingly 'beautiful', smart and independent and knows what she wants and how to get it. She is the mothering type whether it's comforting Mort or prevent Alex from killing Marty, literally. The penguins Main articles: Madagascar Penguins The four penguins, Joe (more commonly known as Skipper), Rico, Kowalski, and Private, feel that they are true spies, out on a secret mission for a secret government agency, who naturally have no place in the zoo. To them it’s all just a big conspiracy, and they spend their days planning an escape that will lead them back to Antarctica. Skipper is the leader of the group, the roundest penguin, and is voiced by the film's director Tom McGrath. Kowalski, the smartest and tallest of the penguins, thinks of plans and takes notes for Skipper. Private is distinguishable by his googly eyes and soft British accent; he is the youngest of the group. Rico is good with knives, has a great fondness for explosives and is the only one of the four seen swimming. The Lemurs King Julien the Ring-tailed Lemur Played by Sacha Baron Cohen. Self-proclaimed King of the Madagascar lemurs, Julien loves to party and is slightly deranged. He contrives to use Alex to protect the lemurs from the fossa, predators that are preying on them. Maurice, the Aye-aye Lemur Played by Cedric the Entertainer. Maurice is Julien's responsible sidekick. Even though he's officially second in command, the whole jungle knows Maurice runs the show. He excels at keeping Julien in line. Mort, the Goodman's Mouse Lemur Played by Andy Richter. The teeny-tiny Mort is Madagascar's cutest lemur. He spends a lot of time bugging his friends. Then making new ones. And bugging them too. He is often used as a sacrificial lamb by the lemurs. The Fossa The fossa are predators native to Madagascar, who look like half-cat half-dog beings in appearance, and are constantly trying to eat the lemurs. Mason and Phil, the Chimpanzees Mason played by Conrad Vernon. Mason has an English accent. Phil doesn't speak, but can read English and "speaks" American Sign Language. Both escape from the zoo in the beginning of the movie, and they, are also sent to the wildlife reserve. Unlike the main characters, they don't wash up on the shores of Madagascar. Also, they have a tendency to drink stuff, and in the DVD, it is indicated that the cans contain root beer, not actual beer. A short film, The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper, was tagged onto Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit as an opening short, and also is a bonus feature on the Madagascar DVD. A sequel to Madagascar is expected in 2008, and a direct-to-video release starring the penguins in 2009. |
