Madagascar

Although some newer Disney or Pixar movies may be relatively transparent and moralistic, it is still a better option than a shouting mixture of crazy animals. In Dreamworks, they simply couldn't figure out how to bring the story together with humor and pop culture references, and in the end, they had to rely on supporting characters to save everything. The penguins and King Julien's sidekick Maurice are perfect, and only thanks to them can you handle watching Madagascar repeatedly. However, it is still a clear disappointment, and I am still surprised that the sequels are so much better. (29.03.2006)

I kept waiting and waiting for something real to happen…and then the end credits rolled. Otherwise, Madagascar has likable characters and a few good jokes, especially those involving quotes from well-known movies. Overall, however, it’s just as disappointing as Robots. (16.06.2005)

When I was ten and it came out on DVD I loved this film. It has a lot of excellent secondary characters lead by the penguins, all taking place at an incredibly brisk pace. But over time, the only things that remain are Hans Zimmer’s great music and very childish entertainment that is sometimes annoying to adults and which intellectually and narratively can't hold a candle to any Pixar movie – for instance, its entire second half is better executed in the barely ten-minute long sequence “Fish are friends, not food” of Finding Nemo. 55% (06.04.2020)

After watching the original version I have to give Madagascar one star and upgrade it from a below average cartoon with not much animation to an average cartoon. The penguins are still the best, the main characters remain annoying, the lemurs don't show any great fun even when they don't speak in slang, but it's a bit more bearable. The best scene remains the one with “What A Wonderful World". (07.06.2011)

A beautiful animation style, a couple of nods to other movies, absolutely wonderful supporting characters (especially Ali G and the penguins), but that’s about all Madagascar has to offer. It sails past nicely, but it isn’t about anything at all. Surprisingly, there isn’t much humor and it is all too obvious that this time DreamWorks aimed the movie at a very young target group alone. Although it isn’t a complete waste of time even for an older audience. But, unfortunately, once it ends you will find it hard to remember any good gags. (03.07.2005)