Madagascar
DreamWorks Distribution | Release Date: May 27, 2005 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
57
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 36 Critic Reviews
Positive:
18
Mixed:
16
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
60
The Hollywood ReporterMichael Rechtshaffen
It's frustrating to see this wonderful-looking, laugh-out-loud funny survival tale fall short of its potential. Read full review
60
VarietyDennis Harvey
Pleasant, if mediocre family fare. Read full review
60
Village VoiceMichael Atkinson
Madagascar's relaxed density is a relief given the DreamWorks tendency to overbear, overblast, and overcaricaturize. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineAngel Cohn
Slickly animated and cleverly written. Read full review
60
EmpireIan Freer
Spirited, amiable, featherweight summer fun. Read full review
50
The New YorkerDavid Denby
Often quite beautiful. But Madagascar, which was directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath, is mismanaged pretty much from start to finish. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneAllison Benedikt
The film never gets going. It's too slow and plodding for kids--even too obvious. Read full review
50
Rolling StonePeter Travers
Less like "Shrek," meaning hilarious and heartfelt, and more like "Shark Tale," meaning manic and exhausting, Madagascar will keep kids distracted without transporting them to wonderland. Read full review
50
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
The plot really is basic, so the bafflement of the movie lies in its combination of visual riches and dramatic -- as well as thematic -- impoverishment.
50
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
The whole thing feels throwaway, but some of the gags are funny. Read full review
50
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
Looks stunning, but it's an ill-conceived mess that plays like two movies awkwardly spliced together. In one movie, parents are asked to stand by while the kids are entertained with cute animal tricks and slapstick pratfalls. In the other, the kids will be hushed while the parents are treated to inside jokes. Read full review
50
New York PostLou Lumenick
More than a few will agree with the penguins, who netted the film a PG rating with the utterance, "Well, this sucks." Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
Credit Madagascar with negotiating a hopeful truce in the ongoing battle between the computer and the animation. Judged merely by appearances, its look is a lovely compromise. Too bad everything else has been compromised right out of existence. Read full review
50
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
By and large it's formulaic and dull. Read full review
40
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
Anemic. Read full review
40
The New York TimesDana Stevens
Madagascar arouses no sense of wonder, except insofar as you wonder, as you watch it, how so much talent, technical skill and money could add up to so little. Read full review
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