Madagascar Film

The 2005 computer-animated comedy film Madagascar from DreamWorks Animation tells the story of four Central Park Zoo animals who, after spending their lives in blissful captivity, are unexpectedly shipped back to Africa and are shipwrecked on the island nation of Madagascar. A sequel, Madagascar Escape 2 Africa, is currently in production and is slated for November of 2008.

Fast Facts

1. Directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath
2. Written by Mark Burton
3. Music by Hans Zimmer
4. Running time: 83 minutes
5. Released: May 27, 2005
6. Budget: $78,000,000

Plot Summary

The film stars Marty (Chris Rock), a zebra who wants nothing more for his tenth birthday to leave the Central Park Zoo gates and experience the wild. Convinced that the wilderness he seeks is in Connecticut, Marty joins the zoo's penguins and they make their escape. When the other animals realize Marty has escaped, Alex (Ben Stiller) the lion, Gloria (Jada Pinkett-Smith) the hippo and Melman (David Schwimmer) the giraffe set out to find him. The end up traveling the world, experiencing far more than they ever could inside the zoo walls.

Cast

• Ben Stiller as Alex the Lion
• Jada Pinkett-Smith as Gloria the Hippopotamus
• Chris Rock as Marty the Zebra
• David Schwimmer as Melman the Giraffe
• Cedric the Entertainer as Aye-Aye the Lemur
• Sacha Baron Cohen as King Julien XIII the Lemur
• Andy Richter as Mort the Lemur

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