Welcome to the Jungle

With Memorial Day weekend just around the bend, the big time summer blockbusters are coming to a theater near you. In the running for box office champ, well second place because nothing is going to beat out Star Wars, is the DreamWorks Animation film, Madagascar.

The track record for DreamWorks animated flicks isn't something to be proud of, but Madagascar shows that they may have found their niche. Choosing to go the Shrek route, Madagascar uses an ensemble of A-list actors to bring in an audience.

This movie is not going to blow audiences away with amazing writing or unbelievable animation. But it will have younger members of the audience laughing out loud at the physical humor and parents snickering at the social and political jokes.

The cast does a great job in voicing their respective animals. Ben Stiller plays Alex the Lion, the star of the Central Park Zoo. Chris Rock voices Marty, a depressed zebra who wants to see what life is like outside of the zoo, Jada Pinkett Smith plays Gloria, a hippo, and David Schwimmer rounds out the cast as a hypochondriac giraffe named Melman. Rock and Schwimmer were born to voice animated characters, so their performances are really as expected. The unexpected performance comes from Stiller, who really doesn't have a very distinguishable voice, but makes the character of the lion his own.

The plot of the film isn't a strong point, but it is enough to get the ball rolling. Marty turns 10 and decides that he wants change in his life. A group of crazy penguins attempting to tunnel out of the zoo tell Marty all about "the wild." After a failed escape attempt, Marty, along with his pals Melman, Gloria and Alex are sent back to their native land of Kenya.

Misfortune arises on the way and the animals wind up in Madagascar.

The rest of the plot is just a vehicle for hilarious slapstick comedy, with the occasional social satire.

One thing that Madagascar nails on the head is referencing other movies. It became almost like a game for older members of the audience. It could be heard in the theater, whispers to other adults that were in on the jokes.

Three are somewhat easy to spot, depending on how big of a movie buff you happen to be. Easy ones to catch are Spalding, Alex's version of Wilson from Cast Away, the rose petal dream sequence from American Beauty and a Planet of the Apes reference that no one can miss.

The animation isn't what makes this film good, unlike rival animation studio's films. That doesn't mean that the animation is bad, because it isn't. The bright colors and blocky character design work well in this film.

The slapstick-type humor is what makes this movie appealing. It feels like watching old Warner Brothers' Looney Tunes episodes. The movie could have been done in old-fashioned cartoon style and it would have turned out just as good.

The crazy penguins, used sparingly, help to move the film along at a good pace. They also hearken back to the glory days of cartoons, not the crazy stuff kids watch these days.

As any worthwhile family movie should, Madagascar does have a moral to teach. But unlike most movies of its genre, Madagascar decided, wisely, not to beat the audience over the head with it.

If the thought of seeing Star Wars for the fifth or sixth time doesn't appeal to you, and Adam Sandler's humor doesn't tickle your funny bone, then check out Madagascar. Take the kids, but don't be afraid to laugh along with them. And remember: when people get hurt, especially in a cartoon, it's always funny.