Lame scatalogical gags and worn pop-culture parodies abound, but the CGI animation romp is somewhat redeemed by the scene-stealing appearances of several supporting characters.
– Erin Clements,
Time Out,
20 Sep 2008
fresh:
The tenor can be shrill, but there's no time to get bored. And on top of that, most of the gags actually work.
– Tasha Robinson,
AV Club,
26 Sep 2005
rotten:
Lacking any meat on its bones, ['Madagascar'] is a cartoon about nothing. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
– Joe Williams,
St. Louis Post-Dispatch,
1 Jun 2005
rotten:
It paints itself into a very bizarre corner because at first, they are all friends and then all of a sudden they revert to being more like real animals. How do you do that and make it funny? Well, you don't.
– Richard Roeper,
Ebert & Roeper,
31 May 2005
fresh:
Madagascar is great good fun, not only because the filmmakers have enlisted some wonderful voice talent but also because the visuals truly are marvelous.