BY SUSANNE ROBBINS:

As the alarm went off at 9:00AM on a Saturday morning I thought to myself, this better be a good movie. I am tired, I want my sleep and I want to be entertained. I don't think that is a lot to ask of an animation movie these days. However that aside, I was really excited to see DreamWorks newest addition to the their animation family. To help aid in this early morning adventure I waddled (oh yes I waddle at that time in the morning) into starbucks grabbed a coffee, four or five sugar packets just to suck on, a couple of toothpicks to prop my eyes open and headed to the theatre.

Once the movie started I no longer needed the toothpicks, the movie was enough to keep my eyes open, and my gut laughing. At first I thought maybe it was the sugar high, but I quickly learned it was the movie itself. Now the problem with any DreamWorks animation film is that it will obviously be compared to Shrek from here on out. Well don't do that to yourself, it is a waste of time. Don't get me wrong, the story, well it is pretty basic. Zebra, Lion, Giraffe, and a cute little Hippo live in the zoo, animals leave the zoo accompanied by four psychotic penguins, animals wash up on the shore of Madagascar. Penguins take the boat to Antarctica, please stop me if you have heard this before. Animals make nice with the local Monkey population. Lion decides to gnaw on his buddy the Zebra's buttocks, then runs away. You know the same old thing we have seen before. What the story lacks you will find that the characters make up for in abundance. I knew I was going to love the penguins from all of the previews I had seen, but the best part is that you didn't see the half of it, they are still my heroes. The penguins however are followed by the Lemur Monkeys who are a close second when it comes to my favorite characters. I am not sure who was crazier the Lemurs or the Penguins, and I think it may still be up for debate for years to come. The lemurs take in their new neighbors and quickly they all become friends. As I said before Alex (The lion) leaves his buddies in search of isolation and probably a little meat. However when the penguins decide to return to Madagascar in the boat, the others must find Alex and get off the island. Really that is all there is to the story, and as crazy as it seems I still loved it.

David Schwimmer as the hypochondriac Giraffe, was a great surprise to me, he brought a tear to my eye. Ben Stiller as Alex the lion was the only one I would give the OK sign to. Jada Pinkett Smith, you just want to squeeze that tubby hippo. Of course my favorite Chris Rock as the Zebra, well he is Chris Rock and he is great. I still cannot say enough about the Penguins or the Lemurs, we need a spin off, that is right you heard it here first a Lemur/Penguin buddy movie. The kids will laugh and trust me in keeping with DreamWorks fashion they left a few jokes in there for the parents.

To steal a theme from Ebert and Ropert I give this two thumbs high in the sky. Take your kids, if you don't have any rent a couple for the day and check out the flick. If you don't the Monkeys will fling poop on you.