Madagascar

A closer look at the story

Madagascar tells the story of four friends who have made themselves very comfortable at the Central Park Zoo. Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe and Gloria the hippo are perfectly content with their little world in the middle of the city, until one of them goes looking for adventure. Curious about what lies beyond the zoo, Marty slips out one night. When the others notice he is gone, they set off to find their beloved friend. After a series of comic misadventures, the four of them find themselves stranded on the shores of Madagascar, where a wild life they know nothing about is waiting. Far from the cosy routine they are used to, learning to live by nature's rules proves to be anything but simple. Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath directed this 86-minute animated comedy from 2005, which they wrote with Mark Burton and Billy Frolick. Ben Stiller voices Alex, Chris Rock voices Marty, David Schwimmer voices Melman and Jada Pinkett Smith voices Gloria, with Sacha Baron Cohen as King Julien.