The Wild (2006)
1h 22m | PG-13
An adolescent lion is accidentally shipped from the New York Zoo to Africa. Now running free, his zoo pals must put aside their differences to help bring him back.
Director: Steve Williams
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Genre: Family, Animation
Video: 720p
Cast
Kiefer Sutherland
as Samson (voice)
Jim Belushi
as Benny (voice)
Eddie Izzard
as Nigel (voice)
Janeane Garofalo
as Bridget (voice)
William Shatner
as Kazar (voice)
Richard Kind
as Larry (voice)
Reviews
Very poor. I couldn't tell you one thing I enjoyed about this. To be ultra fair, there isn't anything truly diabolical about it either - hence the (generous?) rating. It's just so basic and limp that it struggles to entertain at all, I'd even question if the younger audience would even like it. The elephant in the room is also that's practically a rip-off of DreamWorks' <em>'Madagascar'</em>, which was released roughly one year prior. If we're comparing the two, <em>'The Wild'</em> is weaker in every area - and I'm not even a massive fan of that 2005 film. Animation-wise it's disappointing, it's not just dull but also quite jarring in parts. The cast aren't much better, I wouldn't say any of them are bad but none of them are memorable one bit - if you force me to pick a noteworthy member, it would be Eddie Izzard's koala. Kiefer Sutherland (Samson) and William Shatner (Kazar) should standout, but simply do not. The story is shallow, predictable and boringly by the numbers. I expect much more from Disney, it's safe to say. Up until this point in time, it's definitely their worst animated release that isn't a sequel/spin-off. Not even the short run time could save this. Shame.