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　　Stopmeifyou’veheardthisonebefore:Alionandhisfriendsrulethezooatnight,afterallthepeoplehavegonehome.Whenoneoftheirownendsupmissing,theanimalsescapefromthezoo,travelaroundtheurbanjungle,andthenwinduponajungleislandwheretheyhavetoadapttothe…

　　Hearditbefore?YetdespiteitsextremesimilaritiestoMadagascar,WaltDisneyStudios’TheWildisaverydifferentpicture.Surethestorylinemaybeveryclose,atleastuntiltheanimalsgetontheisland(which,granted,isthebulkofthefilm)butDisneytakesafardifferentapproachtothestorythatDreamworksreleasedlastyear.

　　Themostobviousdifferenceisthevisualapproachtothemovie.WhileMadagascarwentwithaheavilystylized,cartoonishfeel,Disneytakesamorerealisticapproachtoitsfilm.Theresultisstunningattimes,withlushjunglesandfurryanimalsthatlookalmostlifelike.TheCGIanimationisquiteimpressivemostofthetime,withonedownfall.Becausetheanimalsaremadetolooksoreal,theylosesomeoftheirexpressiveness.Theextremelytalentedvocalabilitiesofthecastmakeupforthelostvisual,butitisstillalossforthemovie.

　　Theseconddifferenceisthatthisisnotabuddypicturelikeitspredecessor.Thestoryherecentersaroundafatherandsonsetoflionswhocan’tseemtocommunicateproperly,leadingtothesonrunningoffinanattempttodiscoverhisinnerroarbytravelingto“thewild.”ThiselementtakesthestoryinaveryusualDisneydirection,focusingonacharacter(orcharacters)whoaretryingtofindtheirplaceintheworld.Becauseofthat,themoviecarrieselementsofDisney’sbiggestanimatedhit,TheLionKing.SomepeoplewilltellyouDisney’sjustrippingoffasmanypicturesastheycanwiththisfilm,butIthinkthenodstoTheLionKingarestrongpointsforthisfilm,andanelementthatreallyseparatesitfromMadagascar.

　　Thefilmgoesinaninterestingdirectionforthecast,handingrolesovertoverynon-DisneystyleactorslikeKieferSutherland,JaneaneGarofalo,andmostnotably,EddieIzzard.Theactorsdoamarvelousjobofbringingverystrongcharacterstolife.IhadgreatconcernsfromthetrailersthatthemoviewouldtrytosetIzzard’skoalacharacteruptobethatannoyingbreakoutcharacterforthefilm.Thetruthisthefilmsetsallofthecharactersupthatway.Thereisn’tacharacterherethatdoesn’tserveapurposeforthestoryandreallygetachancetoshine,withuniquepersonalitiesandperformancesforall.Besides,whereelseareyougoingtogetafilmwithIzzardandWilliamShatner?

　　Disney’sTheWildisafunmoviewithfuncharacters,entertainingvisuals,andaDisneystyle-storythatmostpeoplewillbeabletorelateto.Sowhatifitbearsastrikingsimilaritytoanotherpicturereleasedinthelastyear?Thatshouldn’tkeepyoufromenjoyingit,possiblyevenmorethantheotherfilm.

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　　Moviestudiosarenotoriousforpushinguninspiredremakes,movieswhichborrowheavilyfromsuccessfulfilms,andsequelsmadeforthesolepurposeofturningaquickprofitontounsuspectingaudiences.ButwithTheWild,thefilmmakershavejustpushedthingstoofar.There’snothingoriginalhere.Hardlyasinglecharacter,sceneorstorylineinthisunappealingandsurprisinglylifelessanimatedmovieissomethingwehaven'tseendonebefore-anddonebetter.TheWildismoreofthesameoldthing,wrappedinajustbarelywhisper-thindisguise.