'Mada-who-ha?'

'No, not 'who-ha', 'ascar'!

And so Dreamworks' second franchise was born, the ugly stepchild of 'Shrek' and inferior sibling of later would-be franchises 'Kung Fu Panda' and 'How to Train Your Dragon'. Yet despite its many faults and flaws, 'Madagascar' is somewhat of a guilty pleasure.

 

Like the earlier 'Shrek' many features of the original 'Madagascar' have become mainstays of popular culture, for example King Julien's theme song, 'I Like to Move it', and the laugh-out-loud antics of the penguins.

 

In fact, 'Madagascar' is brimming with memorable quotes and genuinely funny jokes throughout, even if some require a breach of logic that is almost 'Looney Tunes'-esque. The downside to this is that for every joke that makes you chuckle, there's one that makes you wince, and almost all of the latter are bad because they are tainted with the slapstick and pop-culture references that plagued 'Shark Tale'. '

 

Madagascar' is no 'Shark Tale' though; it is absent of awkward genre parody, detestable characters, and questionable lessons. Alex the Lion and Marty the Zebra are at the heart of the film and the arc of their relationship may be ripped from a Pixar movie but it is nonetheless unique enough to be a breath of fresh air for a Dreamworks film. The film doesn't really find its legs until the gang reach Madagascar but when they do, the last two acts are basically a party of fun.

 

'Madagascar' may still represent a decline in ambition for the studio, but it makes up for it with comedic gold.

 

Score: 7.3/10