Madagascar

Some animals from the Central Park Zoo get into a little trouble and find themselves shipped off to a wildlife preserve. When mischievous penguins hijack their freighter, they find themselves dumped in Madagascar without human supervision and a steady steak supply for their lion leader (voice of Ben Stiller). The story really doesn’t go anywhere, but the film has a sly sense of humor that had me laughing out loud a couple of times (a moment with the hijacker penguins in Antarctica is classic). It’s a bit hyper, but worlds better than other recent CGI efforts like The Polar Express and Shark Tale. The subplot involving Stiller’s lion craving steak is actually quite twisted, as he becomes possessed and tries to eat his friends. I’m not sure the message—one should not eat friends—is very useful for today’s youth, but it makes for some funny moments. Also stars the voices of Chris Rock and David Schwimmer.