I enjoyed the cute lemur, the penguins and the giraffe. Not so much the movie it's self. "Just smile and wave boys, smile and wave."

The penguins were hilarious and cute. The lemur king was also amusing, and so was Melman the the giraffe. It was, however packed with corny jokes and some of the sub-plots dragged on a bit. I won't be seeing the sequel if their is one.

the lemurs are so funny i cracked up laughing and dancing about that song so everybody stop giving this movie a low score and MOVE IT!

My main criticism of this movie was echoed by Ace W. below me...the story. Nothing really happens here. Not that I would have preferred the busy-plot mechanics that made "Shrek 2" and "Antz" such chores to sit through, but at least some semblance of a story. Some shred of a plot that has peaks and valleys and maybe something of character development. Instead what we get is bunch of ideas, gags, bits, homages, etc. all crammed into a 85-min cartoon. The first 15 minutes are pretty damn funny, moving at a lively pace, but thereafter it meanders for a while and doesn't really pick up any steam thereafter. The movie just kinda lies there, existing as the object it is, but with no real emotional core or jump-off-the-screen characters that make the classic moments of great animated films what they are. When your big climactic setpiece is boring, ya know something is wrong.… Expand

OK for kids but rather awkward and simplistic.

A lot a fun for all, Ben Stiller is great.

Disappointing - I've loved Shrek movies and this one just left me shifting in my seat waiting for it to end. 6 yr old with me wanted to know what we'd be seeing next.

Absolute cool movie! great! Just love it!

I was Dissapointed through out the whole thing. Alex The Lion voiced By Ben Stiller is about as annoying as Ben Stiller In person. Chris Rock had nothing funny to say. david Schwimer's girafe Charecter whined way to much and was to familair to another Scwimer Charecter.. I was waiting to hear him Yell out that "We were on a break" line. And those lemers were just boring. To think this was the studio that brought us Shrek and the Less favorite by some but in my opinion much more funny film Shark tale. Kids will definitly think this is funny. but for us adults looking to escape from the usual comedy trash hollywood throws at us, this movie falls short on entertainment... How ever Those Penguins are a riot but not worth paying the theater admission just for 3 or four laughs here or there. That was my mistake. Wait for it on DvD.… Expand

Very disapointed in this movie. Story line begins well but then gets week. Main characters are wonderful but when they all wind up on the island, the characters that they meet there are boring and same-like. If the writers would have put in a more varierity of animals it would have been more capturing for the mind and audience. The idea of returning to the Zoo would have been more touching and realistic in believing that they were leaving the island not because it was filled with one or two different kind of animals but hundereds. And that they were leaving because they were homesick, not just because they were bored as I was in watching this movie. Sorry. I think the movie took advantage of the kids getting out of school and being the only movie on the marque.… Expand

It's very funny, but too short! When it ended I thought I was in the middle of the story!

Good Movie.. The characters were funny and cute.. I really like the show.. I hope there's part 2 of the movie.

Plot more complex than the Disney animated features. The "bad" guy is one of the "good" guys, and the morals (forgiving even a flawed friend, even good people can make mistakes, etc) are not as black and white as your average kid's movie. Ali-G steals a few scenes from the stars.

There were some funny moments. the penguins were funny the monkeys were great, but they onlly had one joke. This was not a laugh a minute fest, not even close. Im amazed at some of the reviews that criticized the incredibles and shrek 2 for having a plot. This could use one. Id like to care about the characters, but hearing 2 simps sing an old Sinatra song off-key was no help. And heres one thing noones mentioned. How about all those pseudo-hip phrases Chris Rock had to spout off. "Im off the hizz-00k" Um, no. No you're not. The actors were wasted in this snoozer. If you really want an average heart-warmer, watch the Heffalump movie. At least that was admirable for its earnestness and good natured simplicity. This movie has nothing. pardon me while I LOOK FORWARD to watching Nemo for the 50th time with my daughter. At least at the end of that one I want them to find him. Leave these chars in Madagascar, Antartica, anywhere! Just keep them away from me.… Expand

So far, the oscar winning animated feature. It is incredibly hilarious. It was a good, beginning, funny, animated movie that delivers.

Funny,Sweet and Highly Addicting.

I could see a fantastic movie here - until the end. It was really good start -middle but it just ended suddenly. I enjoyed the film but I would've given it a higher score if it had a better ending.

Good.

Very funny.

As a member of New York's historic Congregation Emanu-El, I thought it was great that the animators included an exterior shot of that beautiful house of worship in the background of one of Alex's earlier scenes, so much so that I mentioned it in the Temple Bulletin and DreamWorks sent them a copy of a still from the movie. Other than that, it had very little going for it.

I was expecting the best animated feature film of the year, it wasn't, but it has the wit and style we look for in one. It's funny and the kids will love it. ps: the penquins are hilarious!

This movie can be corny but other than that it is gr8 fun to watch, a nice film to watch after the brill revenge of the sith :)) make sure u go see this film!

I'm trying to figure out why Cuba Gooding Jr. picked "Madagascar: as his comeback vehicle. Here's my theory: he made a bet on the election, and said that if John Kerry lost, he'd star in the single worst script making the rounds in Hollywood. Let's not forget that Cuba Gooding Jr. was a great actor in movie such as "Gladiator" (1992) and "Men Of Honor." He could have made a real comeback in a hipster independent film, or maybe with a strong supporting role in a quality blockbuster. Instead, he picked an incredibly tired vehicle about an insanely overprotective zebra who schemes to get rid of his nieghbor's prospective best friend. Maybe Gooding Jr. figured it would boost his image to co-star with Ashton Kutcher, but Kutcher gives the worst performance of his career in a story that wouldn't make a good sitcom pilot. There's nothing to this movie other than the two animals battling out in embarassing fashion. Topher Grace used to date Jennifer Garner who's now engaged to Ben Affleck who was friends with Kutcher who starred with Grace on "That '70s Show," and I mention all this because it's a lot more intresting than Grace's white-bread performance as the wimpy mama's boy girrafe who doesn't just tell his overbearing nieghbor to take a hike. And how annoying is that emo/pop puk music soundtrack? "Madagascar" is the first sure bet to make my list of the ten worst movies of 2005. It's rated PG-13, and you should SKIP IT.… Expand

The main problem with "Madagascar" is that the penguins are more fun than the four main animals. They talk a lot but they're not saying anything...funny. The best line belongs to the monkeys, and it's not even original; its roots can be traced to a SNL sketch with Darrell Hammonds as Sean Connery. As a matter of fact, not a lot of "Madagascar" is all that original. If you want to see animals in an urban setting, there's the underrated "Babe: Pig in the City", and the notion of animals returning to the wild was handled better in "Finding Nemo". The animals get to Madagascar and the writers can't think of anything better than have the animals imitate civilization like the Howells did on "Gilligan's Island". Give the giraffe a girlfriend, or better yet, have him save the hippo from being eaten and start an inter-species love affair. The animals are so one-note. If the writers had any ambition, they'd give the animals a character arc after making the transition to the wild. But no. What we get is a hungry lion, a stupid zebra, and a gay lemur.… Expand

Our local critic gave this a D+ rating, so I wasn't expecting much going in. However, we were in a full theatre and everyone ended up laughing their heads off (which I think always helps). There were some very funny lines in this show, and some great slapstick comedy. The penguins were hilarious. The Lemur King definitely steals the show. Worth seeing just to see that oddball character! Contains some great references to other movies/TV the kids won't get, but parents will... Planet of the Apes, Twilight Zone "To Serve Man" episode, etc... I say ignore the naysayers and get a group together and go have fun!… Expand

Very entertaining and funny. Great animation and visuals. Loved it.

Not bad...not as good as Shark Tale or Nemo. My 10 year old neice said it was the best movie ever.

Uninspired, would be the best way I could describe this simple little cartoon. Not very much happens, which is probably good; as to many cartoons want to rely on super villains, or epic showdowns that become cliché. There were a few good references to other films and pop culture, including American beauty, 10, planet of the apes, and a twilight zone shout out that sailed over the heads of almost everyone in the theatre (My laughter was met by confused stares). But to many Poo jokes and groin blows (once is humorous but I counted at least 4) can give you an idea of the overall comedy and writing involved. The penguins steal the movie, and Ali G. was funny as well. That said nothing actually stands out as being memorable. If you have kids they will like it and that is exactly who the film is aimed at.… Expand