Madagascar
Directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath
By Travis Mackenzie Hoover

Were you beguiled by The Incredibles and Finding Nemo? Did you find their approaches witty, their execution artful, their narratives stirring and sensitive? Did you think that they raised the bar in digital animation, creating a standard by which other efforts must be judged? Then stay the holy hell away from Madagascar, 'cause it doesn't even come close to being Pixar.

Centring on some rather spoiled animal characters (happy dippy lion Ben Stiller, hypochondriac giraffe David Schwimmer, underwritten hippo Jada Pinkett-Smith), it explores the mishaps that result when zebra Chris Rock gets fed up with the zoo and strikes out on his own; suffice it to say that boring plot machinations strand the quartet on a desert island overrun with lemurs.

But though it gets minor points for exploring the food-chain discrepancies that bedevil most animation (Stiller's lion suddenly discovers meat that isn't handed to him by zookeepers), there isn't another intelligent or entertaining thing about the movie. The torrent of pop-culture references are just signs of laziness, the jokes are strictly for the easily amused, and worst of all the animation has been carried out in the most apathetic manner by people whose imaginations seem consumed with fantasies about lunch break.

There's nothing creative or craftsman-like about the film - a paltry three good jokes and some amusing penguins are all we get for something that's going to look atrociously tacky in about five years (if it doesn't look that way already.) Ali G fans are advised that Sacha Baron Cohen does what he can with the role of a megalomaniac lemur, but that his material is so weak that even super-fans should stay far away, as should anyone else without recalcitrant children and money burning a hole in their pocket. (Dreamworks/Universal)
Kung Fu Hustle - Dir. by Stephen Chow
How much longer can North America ignore Stephen Chow? His amazing Shaolin Soccer became the highest grossing Hong Kong-made film and was completely mishandled by Americans. Kung Fu Hustle is even better and has already surpassed his previous film’s box office record. Is this the film that will make the rest of the world take notice? ...Read More
3-Iron - Dir. by Kim Ki-duk
Campfire - Dir. by Joseph Cedar
Crash - Dir. by Paul Haggis
House of D - Dir. by David Duchovny
House of Wax - Dir. by Jaume Serra
Jiminy Glick In Lalawood - Dir. by Vadim Jean
Kingdom of Heaven - Dir. by Ridley Scott
Mindhunters - Dir. by Renny Harlin
Monster-In-Law - Dir. by Robert Luketic
Palindromes - Dir. by Todd Solondz
Palindromes - Dir. by Todd Solondz
Sabah - Dir. by Ruba Nadda
Social Genocide - Dir. by Fernando E. Solanas
The Longest Yard - Dir. by Peter Segal
The Year Of The Yao - Dir. by Adam Del Deo and James D. Stern
New and Forthcoming Release Dates In Canada - All information is tentative and subject to sudden change
Check out the hottest new releases in the country this week, including: Lil Wayne Rebirth, Midlake The Courage of Others, Priestess Prior to the Fire, Rob Zombie Hellbilly Deluxe 2, We Are Wolves Invisible Violence... Read More
Vampire Weekend - Contra
It's easy to rip on Vampire Weekend; their privileged upbringing, cultural appropriation of African music and penchant for deck shoes make them a favourite target in music blog comment sections. But it's difficult to deny that the tunes on their self-titled debut were some of the catchiest indie roc... Full Review
Jully Black
For Jully Black, hard work has unquestionably paid off. By stepping out — breaking out — of the career-limiting confines of "Canadian R&B singer," the vivacious Black has drawn her own map, blazed her own trail, and apparently arrived at sustainable success. The Toronto-based Black today wears many hats — singer, songwriter, producer, TV personality — all of which are a perfect fit.... Read More
Social Networking
• Be our friend on MySpace
• Be our fan on Facebook
• Tweet us on twitter
Viewing the May 2005 Issue: • Contents Page • News • Click Hear • Articles --> On the Cover  •  Front Five  •  Points  •  Comics  •  Point of View  •  Questionnaire  •  Timeline • Music Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Aggressive Tendencies  •  Beats & Rhymes  •  Destination Out  •  Frequencies  •  Groove  •  Pop Rocks  •  Wood, Wires & Whiskey  •  Concert Reviews  •  SXSW Reviews • Motion Reviews --> Recently Reviewed  •  Dvd Reviews  •  Film Reviews  •  Music DVD Reviews • Music School --> Label Life  •  Meet & Greet  •  Need to Know  •  Where I play • Contests • Contact --> About Us  • Advertising  • Distribution  • Getting Reviewed  • Getting Published  • Letters To The Editor  • Partnerships  • Subscriptions • Exclaim! Radio --> Aggressive Tendencies Radio  • Beats & Rhymes Radio  • Frequencies Radio  • Destination Out Radio  • Groove Radio  • No Future Radio  • Pop Rocks Radio  • Wood, Wires & Whiskey Radio • Exclaim! TV • Home & Latest Issue • Browse Issues