A bunch of New York zoo animals bust out of cushy captivity and find themselves in The Wild. If the idea sounds familiar, it's because it was already used last year in Madagascar. Still, despite its deja-vu premise, The Wild has sufficient nutty humor and emotion to tame most hearts.
In both films, the zoo break is undertaken as a rescue mission. In this case it is to fetch Ryan (voiced by Greg Cipes), a lion cub living in the shadow of his devoted father, Samson (voiced by Kiefer Sutherland), the zoo's star attraction who fills his son's head with tales of his courageous adventures in the wild. Having never set paw outside his cage, Ryan has not yet “found his roar.”
Depressed, Ryan needs to escape to prove his lionhood. He gets more than he bargained for when he stows away in a crate bound for Africa.
A concerned Samson takes chase accompanied by: squirrel Benny (voiced by Jim Belushi), giraffe Bridget (Janeane Garofalo), anaconda Larry (voiced by Richard Kind), and koala Nigel (amusingly voiced by British comedian Eddie Izzard).
As in Madagascar, chaos ensues as the zoo crew explores the concrete jungle of (a curiously people-free) Manhattan, before setting sail for the real thing.
Once in Africa, the story takes a darker turn as they are captured by a herd of wildebeests, whose menacing leader, Kazar (voiced by William Shatner), wants to move up in the food chain. There are also some serious moments when Samson reveals that he is not the lion king he has claimed to be. But, overall, the tone stays light and upbeat.
Directed by Steve Williams, the film's writing and character development take a back seat to its bright and lively animation. The characters are vibrantly rendered, as are the Manhattan and jungle backdrops, with realistic detail given to the lush vegetation and computer-generated fur.
The film is no Lion King, but many of that movie's timeless themes — including its central father-son relationship and coming-of-age story arc — are explored here, adding emotional traction to the thin plot.
Some of the funniest moments are provided by minor characters, such as a pair of gators in the New York sewer system, a tribe of neon-colored chameleons, and a flock of wacky pigeons.
While hardly among Disney's classics — and there's not a memorable song — if you're looking for good-natured family fun, you could do far worse than heeding the call of The Wild.
The film contains some moments that may be scary for very young children. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-I — general patronage. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is G — general audiences. All ages admitted.
(This review appears courtesy of US Conference of Catholic Bishop's Office for Film and Broadcasting.)
