Island of Lemurs: Madagascar

Last updated
Island of Lemurs: Madagascar
Island of Lemurs poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by David Douglas
Written byDrew Fellman
Produced byDrew Fellman
Diane Roberts
Narrated by Morgan Freeman
CinematographyDavid Douglas
Edited byBeth Spiegel
Music by Mark Mothersbaugh
Distributed by IMAX Pictures
Warner Bros.
Release date
  • April 4, 2014 (2014-04-04)(United States)
Running time
41 minutes [1]
CountriesCanada
United States
Madagascar
LanguageEnglish
Box office$13.2 million [2]

Island of Lemurs: Madagascar is a 2014 Canadian-American-Malagasy nature documentary film directed by David Douglas about lemurs in Madagascar. The film was released through Warner Bros. on April 4, 2014. It is narrated by Morgan Freeman.

Contents

Plot

The film takes place on Madagascar, and focuses on lemurs. The film also highlights Dr. Patricia C. Wright's efforts on her mission to help lemurs survive in the modern world. [3] The film also focuses on the endangered levels of lemur species, who are losing their populations due to agricultural fires. [4] [5]

Release

The film was released on April 4, 2014. The film was shot with IMAX 3D cameras, released in IMAX and 3D formats. [6] The film was also released with a G rating by the MPAA, [4] and a U rating by the BBFC. [1]

Home media

Island of Lemurs: Madagascar was released on Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital HD combo pack on March 31, 2015 by Warner Home Video. [7]

Reception

Critical reception

The film has received generally positive reviews from critics. Based on 36 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, the film has received an overall rating of 81% and an average score of 6.62/10. [8] The review aggregator, Metacritic, assigned the film a 66/100 score. [9]

Justin Chang of Variety writes that all of the film's combined attributes such as score and cinematography "makes for a pleasant if fairly pedestrian viewing experience, one that more or less gets the job done in terms of balancing the requisite ooh-ahh moments with another unsurprising reminder of man’s capacity for selfishness and destruction." [10] Sheri Linden of The Hollywood Reporter writes that Freeman provided a "concise narration, delivered with avuncular warmth." [11] Nanaimo Daily News praised the cinematography and informative nature of the film, stating, "Island of Lemurs is close to the perfect nature documentary." [12]

A negative review came from Kevin McFarland of The A.V. Club, who graded the film with a C. He wrote that in contrast to Freeman, the narration by Wright was "stilted, overwritten and monotonous", and the film did not go into as much depth as Freeman's Academy Award-winner March of the Penguins , so was therefore "half a movie". [13]

Box office

According to Box Office Mojo, the film grossed $188,307 on its opening weekend, in which it was released at 37 theaters. [2] As of March 22, 2014, the film has grossed over $9 million. [2]

Awards

Island of Lemurs was nominated for the Best Documentary and Best Animation/Family poster at the 15th Golden Trailer Awards, which were awarded respectively to Blackfish and Despicable Me 2 . [14]

Music

Mark Mothersbaugh scored the film. Chang of Variety wrote that Mothersbaugh's score would " too often surges when silence would have been more effective." [10]

Hanitrarivo Rasoanaivo, a Malagasy native, and her band Tarika sung a local version of American pop songs, featured in the film. [15] "I Will Survive" and "Be My Baby" were among these songs. [11] According to The Hollywood Reporter, the music "conveys the joy of observing the lemurs in action." [11]

Related Research Articles

<i>Ghosts of the Abyss</i> 2003 documentary film directed by James Cameron

Ghosts of the Abyss is a 2003 American documentary film produced by Walden Media. It was directed by James Cameron after his 1997 film Titanic. During August and September 2001, Cameron and a group of scientists staged an expedition to the wreck of the RMS Titanic. They dived in Russian deep submersibles to obtain more detailed images than anyone had before. Using two small, purpose-built remotely operated vehicles, the documentary offers glimpses into the Titanic wreck and, with CGI, superimposes the ship's original appearance on the deep-dive images.

<i>Monsters vs. Aliens</i> 2009 film by Conrad Vernon and Rob Letterman

Monsters vs. Aliens is a 2009 American animated science fiction action comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by Conrad Vernon and Rob Letterman from a screenplay written by Letterman, Maya Forbes, Wallace Wolodarsky, and the writing team of Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger based on a story by Vernon and Letterman. Featuring the voices of Reese Witherspoon, Seth Rogen, Hugh Laurie, Will Arnett, Kiefer Sutherland, Rainn Wilson, Paul Rudd, and Stephen Colbert, the film involves a group of misfit monsters hired by the United States Armed Forces to stop the invasion of an extraterrestrial villain and save the world in exchange for freedom.

<i>A Christmas Carol</i> (2009 film) Film by Robert Zemeckis

Disney's A Christmas Carol is a 2009 American animated Christmas film produced, written for the screen and directed by Robert Zemeckis. Produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Zemeckis' ImageMovers Digital, and released by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is based on Charles Dickens's 1843 novel A Christmas Carol. The film was animated through the process of motion capture, a technique used in ImageMovers' previous animated films including The Polar Express (2004), Monster House (2006), and Beowulf (2007), and stars the voices of Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, Robin Wright Penn and Cary Elwes. It is Disney's third adaptation of the novel, following Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983) and The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992).

<i>Cars 2</i> 2011 Pixar film

Cars 2 is a 2011 American animated spy comedy film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is the sequel to Cars (2006), the second film in the Cars franchise, and the 12th animated film from the studio. The film was directed by John Lasseter, co-directed by Brad Lewis, produced by Denise Ream, and written by Ben Queen, Lasseter, Lewis, and Dan Fogelman. In the film's ensemble voice cast, Owen Wilson, Larry the Cable Guy, Tony Shalhoub, Guido Quaroni, Bonnie Hunt, and John Ratzenberger reprise their roles from the first film. George Carlin, who previously voiced Fillmore, died in 2008, and his role was passed to Lloyd Sherr. They are joined by newcomers Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer, John Turturro, Eddie Izzard, and Thomas Kretschmann. In the film, Lightning McQueen and Mater agree to compete in the World Grand Prix, an international racing event showcasing a new alternative fuel called Allinol, but Mater inadvertently becomes involved in a dangerous espionage mission that puts both his and McQueen's life in jeopardy.

<i>Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol</i> 2011 American film by Brad Bird

Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol is a 2011 American action spy film directed by Brad Bird from a screenplay by the writing team of Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec, who also serve as co-producers. Produced by Tom Cruise, J. J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk, it is the sequel to Mission: Impossible III (2006) and is the fourth installment in the Mission: Impossible film series. The film stars Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, and Paula Patton, with Michael Nyqvist, Vladimir Mashkov, Josh Holloway, Anil Kapoor, and Léa Seydoux in supporting roles. In the film, the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) is shut down after being publicly implicated in a bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt (Cruise) and his team to go without resources or backup in a life-threatening effort to clear their names.

<i>Madagascar</i> (2005 film) DreamWorks Animation film

Madagascar is a 2005 American animated survival comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and PDI/DreamWorks, and distributed by DreamWorks Pictures. The film was directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath and written by Darnell, McGrath, Mark Burton, and Billy Frolick. The film stars the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, and Andy Richter. It centers around a group of animals from the Central Park Zoo who find themselves stranded on the island of Madagascar and must adjust to living in the wild.

<i>How to Train Your Dragon</i> (2010 film) DreamWorks Animation film

How to Train Your Dragon is a 2010 American animated fantasy film loosely based on the 2003 book of the same name by Cressida Cowell, produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois and produced by Bonnie Arnold, from a screenplay that Sanders and DeBlois co-wrote with Will Davies, and stars the voices of Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrera, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T.J. Miller, and Kristen Wiig. The story takes place in Berk, a mythical Viking village; Hiccup, an undersized teen wishing to become a dragon slayer like the other Vikings, injures a rare Night Fury dragon but is unable to bring himself to kill it. He instead helps and befriends the dragon, and quickly discovers that things are not exactly as they seem in the conflict between Vikings and dragons.

<i>Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience</i> 2009 film directed by Bruce Hendricks

Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience is a 2009 American concert film released in Disney Digital 3D, RealD 3D and IMAX 3D. It was released in the United States and Canada on February 27, 2009 with the release in other countries later on. The film stars Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas, of the American pop band the Jonas Brothers, in their theatrical debut.

<i>Madagascar 3: Europes Most Wanted</i> 2012 animated comedy film by DreamWorks

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted is a 2012 American animated comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and PDI/DreamWorks and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The third installment in the Madagascar franchise, it is the sequel to Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), and was the first film in the series to be released in 3D. It was directed by Eric Darnell, Conrad Vernon and Tom McGrath from a screenplay written by Darnell and Noah Baumbach. The film stars Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, Andy Richter, McGrath, Chris Miller, Christopher Knights, John DiMaggio, and Vernon reprising their voice acting roles from the previous installments, alongside new cast members Jessica Chastain, Bryan Cranston, Martin Short and Frances McDormand. In the film, the main characters—a party of animals from the Central Park Zoo whose adventures have already taken them to Madagascar and Africa—attempt to return to New York City, and find themselves traveling across Europe with a circus while avoid being chased by a villainous French Animal Control officer.

<i>Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs</i> (film) 2009 film by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is a 2009 American animated science fiction comedy film produced by Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation, and released by Sony Pictures Releasing. Loosely based on the 1978 children's book of the same name by Judi and Ron Barrett, the film was written for the screen and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, in their feature directorial debuts. It stars the voices of Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Andy Samberg, Bruce Campbell, Mr. T, Benjamin Bratt, and Neil Patrick Harris. The film centers around an aspiring inventor named Flint Lockwood who develops, following a series of failed experiments, a machine that can convert water into food. After the machine gains sentience and begins to develop food storms, Flint must stop it in order to save the world.

<i>Mars Needs Moms</i> 2011 film by Simon Wells

Mars Needs Moms is a 2011 American animated science fiction film co-written and directed by Simon Wells, produced by ImageMovers Digital and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Based on the Berkeley Breathed book of the same title, the film was animated through the process of performance capture and stars Seth Green, Dan Fogler, Elisabeth Harnois, Mindy Sterling, and Joan Cusack. It was the second and final film produced by ImageMovers Digital before the studio was shut down and re-absorbed into ImageMovers resulting in the company leaving the animation business for good. It tells the story of a nine-year-old boy named Milo who sets out to save his mother on Mars after she is abducted by Martians.

<i>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2</i> 2011 film by David Yates

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 is a 2011 fantasy film directed by David Yates from a screenplay by Steve Kloves. The film is the second of two cinematic parts based on the 2007 novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling. It is the sequel to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 (2010) and the eighth instalment in the Harry Potter film series. The story concludes Harry Potter's quest to find and destroy Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes in order to stop him once and for all.

<i>Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked</i> 2011 film by Mike Mitchell

Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked is a 2011 American live-action/animated jukebox musical adventure comedy film directed by Mike Mitchell and written by the writing team of Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, based on the characters Alvin and the Chipmunks created by Ross Bagdasarian Sr. and the Chipettes created by Janice Karman. It is the third installment in the live-action Alvin and the Chipmunks film series following the 2009 film Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel and the first film. The film stars Jason Lee, David Cross and Jenny Slate. Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse McCartney, Amy Poehler, Anna Faris and Christina Applegate return to voice the Chipmunks and the Chipettes, respectively. In the film, playing around while aboard a cruise ship, the Chipmunks and the Chipettes go overboard and end up marooned in a tropical island, where they discover their new turf is not as deserted as it seems.

<i>Penguins of Madagascar</i> 2014 American DreamWorks film

Penguins of Madagascar is a 2014 American animated spy action comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and PDI/DreamWorks and distributed by 20th Century Fox. A spin-off of the Madagascar franchise, and the fourth film overall in the series, the film was directed by series director Eric Darnell and Simon J. Smith from a screenplay written by Brandon Sawyer and the writing team of Michael Colton and John Aboud, based on a story conceived by Colton, Aboud, Alan Schoolcraft, and Brent Simons. Despite the title of the film, it is not directly related to the Nickelodeon animated television series The Penguins of Madagascar. Starring the voices of Tom McGrath, Chris Miller, Christopher Knights, Conrad Vernon, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ken Jeong, Annet Mahendru, Peter Stormare and John Malkovich, it takes place directly after the events of Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012), following the adventures of four Adélie penguins - Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private - as they join forces with the North Wind intelligence agency to stop the Giant Pacific octopus Dave, who seeks revenge on all Adélie penguins across the Earth for being upstaged by capturing them.

<i>Transcendence</i> (2014 film) 2014 film directed by Wally Pfister

Transcendence is a 2014 American science fiction thriller film directed by Wally Pfister and written by Jack Paglen. The film stars Johnny Depp, Morgan Freeman, Rebecca Hall, Paul Bettany, Kate Mara, Cillian Murphy and Cole Hauser, and follows a group of scientists who race to finish an artificial intelligence project while being targeted by a radical anti-technology organization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morgan Freeman on screen and stage</span>

American actor and producer Morgan Freeman has had a prolific career on film, television and on the stage. His film debut was as an uncredited character in the Sidney Lumet–directed drama The Pawnbroker in 1964. Freeman also made his stage debut in the same year by appearing in the musical Hello, Dolly! He followed this with further stage appearances in The Niggerlovers (1967), The Dozens (1969), Exhibition (1969), and the musical Purlie (1970–1971). He played various characters on the children's television series The Electric Company (1971–1977). Freeman subsequently appeared in the films Teachers in 1984, and Marie in 1985 before making his breakthrough with 1987's Street Smart. His role earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Two years later he appeared in war film Glory (1989), and starred as Hoke Coleburn in the comedy-drama Driving Miss Daisy (1989). Freeman won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his performance in the latter and also earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor.

<i>The Lego Ninjago Movie</i> 2017 animated film

The Lego Ninjago Movie is a 2017 animated martial arts comedy film produced by Warner Animation Group, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, Lego System A/S, Lin Pictures, Lord Miller Productions, and Vertigo Entertainment, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Based on the toy/kit line of the same name, and TV show starring the same characters, it was directed by Charlie Bean, Paul Fisher, and Bob Logan from a screenplay by Logan, Fisher, William Wheeler, Tom Wheeler, Jared Stern, and John Whittington. It is the first theatrical film to be based on an original Lego property and the third installment in The Lego Movie franchise as well as its second spin-off. The film stars the voices of Dave Franco, Michael Pena, Kumail Nanjiani, Abbi Jacobson, Zach Woods, Fred Armisen, Justin Theroux and Olivia Munn, as well as a live-action role by Jackie Chan. The film focuses on a teenage ninja Lloyd Garmadon, as he attempts to accept the truth about his sinister father and learn what it truly means to be a ninja warrior as a new threat emerges to endanger his homeland.

<i>Turtle Odyssey</i> 2018 Australian film

Turtle Odyssey is a 2018 Australian documentary short about a sea turtle named Bunji. The documentary was directed by Paul Phelan and Caspar Mazzotti and narrated by Russell Crowe.

References

  1. 1 2 "ISLAND OF LEMURS: MADAGASCAR (2014)". BBFC.
  2. 1 2 3 "Island of Lemurs: Madagascar (IMAX)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
  3. Dreifus, Claudia (August 18, 2014). "A Lemur Rescue Mission in Madagascar". New York Times. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  4. 1 2 Wine, Bill (August 21, 2014). "Movie Review: 'Island of Lemurs: Madagascar'". CBS Philadelphia. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  5. Campbell, Karen (September 6, 2014). "Can't get to Madagascar? You can still see lemurs". Boston Globe. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
  6. "Island of Lemurs: Madagascar 3D". Pacific Science Center. Archived from the original on August 9, 2014. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  7. "Island of Lemurs: Madagascar 3D Blu-ray". Blu-ray. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  8. "Island Of Lemurs: Madagascar (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  9. "Island of Lemurs: Madagascar". Metacritic. Retrieved May 6, 2020.
  10. 1 2 Chang, Justin (April 1, 2014). "Film Review: 'Island of Lemurs: Madagascar'". Variety. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  11. 1 2 3 Linden, Sheri (April 1, 2014). "Island of Lemurs: Madagascar: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  12. Moore, Roger (August 19, 2014). "'Lemurs' is the perfect IMAX nature film: Review". Nanaimo Daily News. Retrieved September 6, 2014.
  13. McFarland, Kevin (April 3, 2014). "Island Of Lemurs is gorgeous, but it's barely half a movie". The A.V. Club . Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  14. "The 15th Annual Golden Trailer Award Nominees". Golden Trailer Awards. Archived from the original on 2015-01-05.
  15. "IMAX Island of Lemurs: Madagascar Production Notes" (PDF). IMAX. Retrieved September 6, 2014.