Samson (Kiefer Sutherland) is a lion and a father. We join him as he reminisces with his teenaged son, telling him tales of when he lived in "the wild", all of which are exaggerated quite blatantly. The stories are there to encourage his son (Ryan) to roar like a grown lion, but alas a childish roar comes out which makes all the humans at Central Park Zoo laugh.

He is embarassed and runs off to hide in his tree. At closing time Central Park zoo comes alive and all the animals socialise with a game of curling using the turles as the stones. After causing a stampede and wrecking the game his son runs off and hides in a "green crate". Before he can change his mind he's being packed off for "the wild".

Obviously Samson tries to rescue him, with the aid of his best friend, a small squirrel called Benny, a snake (voiced by the strange guy from Spin City)and Nigel - the british Kuala (voiced by comedian Eddie Izzard)

After a chase through the city they comandeer a tug boat and follow the Ryan's route until they run aground on a volcanic island. An Island which is home to a wildebeat (William Shatner) who has aspirations of becomeing a carnivore.

Those who say Disney can't make good CG films without Pixar are proved wrong by this movie. With excellent animation techniques, good casting and a fun storyline, "The Wild" is a great movie. Unlike Dreamworks' Madagascar this movie has more 'realistic' graphics, unless you include the dung beetles which would look more at home in Toy Story.

Thankfully the story is different enough from Madagascar to not step on any toes. It does make you wonder though, how two big production companies had such similar ideas within such a short time and also wonder which did it first, since CG movies take a while to make. I wonder...

see also:
Aladdin, Toy Story 3, Over the hedge, The Incredibles

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photo © Walt Disney.