Madagascar Soundtrack CD

Composer: Hans Zimmer.
A quietly goofy soundtrack, Madagascar feels like the exact opposite of the music for Dreamworks' previous animated feature, Shark Tale. Though both films feature scores by Hans Zimmer, Madagascar is far less flashy and grandstanding than Shark Tale's cameo-heavy pop songs; the closest Madagascar gets is Sacha Baron Cohen's cover of Erick Morillo's "I Like to Move It," but that actually works within the film's context instead of distracting from it. The same can be said for the rest of the soundtrack's well-chosen pop culture nods and allusions: the themes from both Hawaii Five-O and Chariots of Fire also fit into the film's savvy, but not glib, feel, along with the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" and Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World." Zimmer's score is playful and malleable, ranging from the bouncy "Best Friends," which recalls the instrumental version of the theme from Sesame Street, to the urgent (but still witty) "Zoosters Breakout." Heitor Pereira's worldbeat-influenced "The Foosa Attack" and "Whacked Out Conspiracy," James Dooley's riff on spy movie music, add more color and diversity to the album's instrumental portions. Madagascar is an unpretentious, gets-the-job-done kind of soundtrack, but that's precisely what makes it so appealing. ~ Heather Phares
Soundtracks to animated films generally give composers a chance to indulge their more whimsical side. Such is the case with MADAGASCAR, a movie whose plot revolves around four animals breaking out of the Central Park Zoo and mistakenly ending up in the wilds of Madagascar. Hans Zimmer is the principal composer for the score, though he only ends up flying solo on a pair of tunes--a lush, straightforward remake of "Born Free," and "Zoosters Breakout," a piece dominated by darting string sections and the occasional brass splash.
Zimmer is joined by James S. Levine on "Beacon of Liberty," with its mix of orchestral fanfare and a chugging bass line. Joined by Heitor Pereira and Ryeland Allison on "Friends," Zimmer and Levine come up with a whimsical theme that incorporates carefree whistling, a hint of ukulele, and a happy-go-lucky cadence. Familiar old tunes by the Ventures, the Bee Gees, and Earth, Wind & Fire are on hand, but pride of place goes to the hilarious remake of the Reel 2 Reel dance smash "I Like to Move It," rendered by Sacha Baron Cohen (AKA Ali G) in character as King Julian the Lemur.