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'Madagascar': Breezy cartoon fun for kids and adults

The Lion King should not worry about losing its crown, but the new animated film Madagascar is a reasonably satisfying entertainment that works on two levels — colorful and cute for the kids, plenty of pop culture references for the adults.

Populated with quirky animals living the cushy life as celebrities in New York's Central Park Zoo, this fish-out-of-water tale sounds heavy, with a message about the menagerie's ability to survive outside its cages while coming to grips with their true natures. But it manages to be breezy fun, thanks to a tone that is far more "cartoon" than "animated feature."

Dreamworks SKG 'Madagascar' B- The verdict: Mildly diverting animal tale in the African wild. Directors: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath Starring: Andy Richter, Cedric the Entertainer, Sacha Baron Cohen, Chris Knights, Tom McGrath Run time: 80 minutes Release date: May 27, 2005 Rating: PG for mild language, crude humor and some thematic elements. See showtimes On the web Official movie site View the trailer    Trailers require Quicktime Rate "Madagascar"   Go see it   Make it a matinee   Wait to rent   Don't bother Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results

The top attraction at the zoo is Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), who prides himself on the way he is merchandised from snow globes to coffee mugs, content to lounge in his enclosure, waiting for the handlers to arrive with his steak dinners.

While they should be natural enemies, Alex's best friend is Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), who has an identity crisis since he cannot determine whether he is white with black stripes or vice versa. What he knows is that he yearns to roam beyond the zoo, to find out what is wild about living in the wild.

Also prominent in the zoo hierarchy is Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer), a hypochondriac who lives in fear of a sore throat and is intrigued by Canada because he has heard about the cheaper prescription drugs there.

And there is Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), a caring, gentle soul with a slight weight problem, who is the first to notice that Marty sneaks out one night for the vast plains ... of Connecticut.

And when the gang leaves the zoo to retrieve Marty, they get shipped by freighter to a Kenya wildlife preserve. En route, the ship is commandeered by a handful of resourceful zoo penguins. They not only steal every scene they are in, but cause our heroes to be washed ashore and stranded in remote Madagascar, home to a colony of lemurs and a coyote-like creature known as the foosa.

Can these New Yorkers exist out of captivity, especially when Alex realizes his duty as king of the jungle and where his beloved steaks really come from?

Co-writers and co-directors Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath keep matters light, even if the struggle between eating and being eaten is often suggested and, in the case of an encounter between a little ducky and an alligator, the movie's PG rating is more than earned.

Madagascar is never far from a movie reference, with comic echoes of Saturday Night Fever, Chariots of Fire and American Beauty, to name a few, though they are hardly ones that tots will understand.

The film's attractive, stylized look makes the characters appear angular and boxy, with exaggerated, slapstick movements which depend on computer imaging techniques, stretched beyond realism.

The landscapes aren't as authentic-looking as some recent animated films have tried to achieve, though they are visually playful.

Madagascar is no Shrek, but it's not as empty as Shark Tale, either. The dynamic between the characters is worthy of at least one sequel.

And if Dreamworks Animation is smart, the studio is already working on a spinoff for those mischievous penguins.