Madagascar

Alex the lion (voiced by Stiller), Marty the zebra (Rock), Melman the hypochondriac giraffe (Schwimmer) and Gloria the hippopotamus (Pinkett Smith) have lived in captivity their entire lives, in the plush surroundings of New Yorks Central Park Zoo.

The outside world remains a mystery to the animals, not least Marty, who longs to explore the wide-open plains in the grandiose mosaic opposite his pen.

When the penguins make their latest bid for freedom, Marty decides to go along, too, and heads out into the city.

When Alex, Melman and Gloria realise their pal is missing, they too escape with the intention of returning Marty to his home before the keepers notice they are gone. But wild animals loose in New York sends a wave of panic through the city.

Within minutes, the friends are immobilised with tranquilliser darts and shipped off to Africa, only to be stranded on the exotic island of Madagascar, where they befriend ringtailed lemur, King Julien the 13th.

Made by Dreamworks Animation SKG, the studio responsible for Shrek and its sequel, Madagascar is a charming and intermittently amusing computer-animated comedy.

The visuals are crisp and slightly more cartoonish than usual but this works to the films advantage, especially with colourful supporting characters like Mason and Phil the chimpanzees, who love to fling poo.

Next to The Incredibles or Shrek 2, Madagascar is found wanting but for families who have exhausted all the other summer blockbusters, this offers an entertaining ride.