The Wild (2006)

 Super quality
This is the best Bluray picture quality I have seen for an animation film. Also the 1.85:1 format makes it even better by filling up the screen. The movie it self isn't the best but it sure is entertaining. The quality of the 3d motions remind me of the great quality like in Disney's Dinosaur (not as cartoony as Madagascar). This disc also makes a great Home theatre demo disc (see the special features menu).
The only thing that dissapoints me is that there is no "making of" or other extra technical data. April 23, 2008

 The Wild beats Madagascar easily
First time I watched it with my 4-yr. old grandson drew me in with the relationships (father/son, romantic squirrel/giraffe).Watched it alone and found the technical aspect beats Madagascar with its stiff, jerky character movements. Great subplots and never a dull moment...great running gag( the koala bear doll ) even infected our grandkids who remember every characters name and repeat "I'm so cuddly I like You". Funny movie for adults...highly recommended. October 18, 2007

 Disney's Madagascar
This film is a great Child/Family film that is suitable for children of all ages. The one drawback is that it seemed to be a sad attempt at movie similar to DreamWorks Madagascar. There is no Disney magic or even an attempt at sprinkling the pixie dust. My children found the moving rather boring and they lost interest. I would not recommend this movie unless there is nothing else to watch and your kids are screaming at the top of their lungs and you need to shut them up. Choose another movie if you can.
July 17, 2007

 Not as good as Madagascar, but still a good movie
My kids have seen it and liked it. I watched it and was hoping it was as funny as Madagascar but it wasn't - it was still good, though. However, it seemed to me to have stolen many ideas from Madagascar (I personally don't like when they do too much of that... and STILL don't meet up with the level of what they're copying). July 12, 2007

 Great for Kids; Parents Will Get a Laugh or Two
I liked this movie as a light comedy. The movie was cute and remarkably clever in several places. However, the movie follows a Disney trend in that the movie is more oriented for children than adults. So, while there were parts of the movie that I enjoyed, in general my thought was, "Ho, hum."

Samson the lion (Kiefer Sutherland) is the "king" of the zoo. Samson is a leader at the zoo, and seems to always be in control and to know the right thing to do. Son Ryan (Greg Cipes) is at that awkward age where he wants to be more like dad, but he still has a lot of experience to gain first.

Ryan accidentally ends up in a truck trailer heading to Africa. Samson, Benny the manic squirrel (Jim Belushi), Bridget the giraffe (Janeane Garofalo), Nigel the Koala (Eddie Izzard), and Larry the Snake (Richard Kind) mount a rescue mission to save Ryan. The journey takes the group through the wilds of the city to the real wild of the African jungle, where they meet a crazy wildebeest named Kazar (William Shatner). Troubles abound for the group as they face an array of animals and natural disasters while trying to return safely to their zoo home.

The biggest problem this movie has is that it is a "me too" movie. I have watched "Ice Age" movies, "The Lion King," "Happy Feet," and many more. After a while, the whole "animals off on a quest" plot gets to be a little old. Fortunately, there is enough comedy in this movie to keep this movie from being a waste of time. Nigel the Koala is sarcastic and hilarious. Larry the snake is dopey and adds a different kind of humor. Benny is frenetic and typically funny. The other positive thing is that this movie is very family friendly (as long as the adults can keep from nodding off).

Since this movie is at the tail end of a long list of movies with similar themes, I am not sure what this movie could have done better, except being released a few years from now. There is good comedy and characterizations. The story is weak, but how complicated can you make a story about rescuing a child? The child is lost, go find him and bring him home. I hope that the current lengthy list of movies using animated animals will end. Then I will pull this one back off the shelf and give it another chance.

Good Luck!

June 12, 2007

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