Madagascar

DreamWorks' latest computer-animated film is unlikely to inspire children, but it won't infuriate their parents either | Andrew Coffin

Madagascar is the new computer-animated film from DreamWorks Animation, so it falls in the tradition of Shrek and Shark Tale. Madagascar (rated PG for mild language, crude humor, and some thematic elements) is less manic and not as interested in pushing the boundaries of taste and appropriateness than either of those films—but it certainly doesn't soar to any new heights. The movie falls into the category of the "mostly harmless"—diverting entertainment for kids that is unlikely to inspire them or infuriate their parents.

Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, and David Schwimmer provide the voices for four Manhattan zoo animals—a lion, a zebra, a hippo, and a giraffe, respectively—who end up far from their home in the wilds of Madagascar. While most of the zoo animals enjoy their cushy life in captivity, Marty the Zebra is experiencing a mid-life crisis (at age 10). As he jogs on a treadmill staring at a jungle mural, Marty dreams of the "real" wild.