MADAGASCAR: Live Action (2025)
August 14, 2025
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Madagascar: Live Action (2025)
“Same wild crew. Whole new jungle.”
DreamWorks takes a bold leap with Madagascar: Live Action, reimagining the beloved animated classic with real animals, stunning CGI, and a playful sense of adventure that feels fresh yet familiar. Set in a hyper-realistic New York and the lush wilds of Madagascar, the film follows Alex the Lion (voiced and motion-captured by Chris Hemsworth), Marty the Zebra (Kevin Hart), Gloria the Hippo (Octavia Spencer), and Melman the Giraffe (David Tennant) as they accidentally break free from the Central Park Zoo and end up stranded in the wild.
The live-action approach gives each character incredible texture and presence — Alex’s mane catches the sunlight, Marty’s stripes shimmer, and Gloria’s water ballet scene is pure delight. The humor is sharper, with Kevin Hart’s rapid-fire delivery turning Marty into a scene-stealer, while the emotional beats hit harder thanks to expressive motion capture performances.
The penguins — still delightfully unhinged — bring some of the film’s best comedic moments, especially in a daring cargo ship sequence shot with a mix of practical effects and seamless CGI. The cinematography captures both the bustling chaos of New York and the sweeping beauty of Madagascar’s beaches, jungles, and baobab forests, making it as much a visual spectacle as it is a comedy.
While it leans on the charm of the original, Madagascar: Live Action adds more heart, fleshing out Alex’s struggle between his zoo-raised comfort and his primal instincts, and giving the group’s friendship a deeper emotional resonance.
⭐ Verdict: 8.7/10 — A vibrant, funny, and unexpectedly touching reimagining that proves some wild adventures are worth taking twice.