Since its’ May 2005 release, though it will seem a whole longer than that if you were beguiled by all the fanfare and pre-release hoo-hah that greeted the film in advance, “Madagascar” it is fair to say and using industry parlance has “done good box office” Three months on general release and still the title is firmly lodged in the top ten most viewed movies of the moment. It’s early days, but Madagascar looks certain to outlive 2005 and go and become a favorite of all ages for all time. It is almost certain to sell well on video and DVD before settling itself down for an eternal slot on the TV schedules. Simply one day you won’t be able to imagine a time when Madagascar had yet to be made!!

Essentially a children’s film, like all good kid flicks it has adult crossover appeal. During its 86 minute duration the plot frequently threatens to breakout into all out anarchy but never quite does and also refreshingly, maybe, there is a lack of icky sentimentality that can sometimes poison animated films about animals.

The story begins in Central park zoo and is the every day tale of the friendship between a lion, a giraffe, a hippo and a zebra. This being the wonderful world of DreamWorks of course these are no ordinary residents of a zoo, but ones voiced by David Schwimmer, Ben Stiller, Jade Pinkett-Smith and Chris Rock. When one of the animals escapes from his cage, the other three do likewise to search for their erstwhile buddy. They do all find one another once more, but on a ship bound for Africa. Once off the ship in Madagascar (hence the name!!) the pampered unable to return to the cosines of their New York City cages the animals struggle to live in the wild, with the lion (Stiller) managing to resist his natural urges to eat the other three just long enough to avoid total carnage, and to give the movie a somewhat more happier ending!! Whilst on the Island they inevitably come into contact with some of the locals, including a disco-loving raving lemur voiced by Ali G himself, Sacha Cohen-Barron.

The foursome’s ability to come to terms with their natural habitat, successfully, is the main theme of the movie. If that doesn’t seem to be a very rib-tickling premise for a comedy film, then rest assured it is a very funny film.