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.
Credits: TheMovieDb.
Film Cast:
- Samson (voice): Kiefer Sutherland
- Benny (voice): Jim Belushi
- Nigel (voice): Eddie Izzard
- Bridget (voice): Janeane Garofalo
- Kazar (voice): William Shatner
- Larry (voice): Richard Kind
- Ryan (voice): Greg Cipes
- Fergus Flamingo (voice): Colin Hay
- Duke (voice): Miles Marsico
- Eze (voice): Jack De Sena
- Penguin MC (voice): Don Cherry
- Hamir (voice): Christian Argueta
- Hamir (voice): David Cowgill
- Stan (voice): Lenny Venito
- Carmine (voice): Joseph Siravo
- Hyrax (voice): Colin Cunningham
- Blag (voice): Patrick Warburton
- Scab (voice): Jonathan Kimmel
- Scraw (voice): Eddie Gossling
- Mama Hippo (voice): Miss Coco Peru
- (voice): Jason Harris
- Samson’ Father (voice): Kevin Michael Richardson
- Donald / Cheering Rhino Fan (voice): Bob Bergen
- Dung Beetle #3 / Monkey Girl (voice): Debi Derryberry
- Koala Toy (voice): Terri Douglas
- Additional Voice (voice): Jess Harnell
- Nelson / Geese (voice): Danny Mann
- Additional Voice (voice): Fred Tatasciore
- Additional Voice (voice): Laraine Newman
- Baby Hippo/Walla (voice): Kari Wahlgren
- Additional Voice (voice): Steve ‘Spaz’ Williams
- Additional Voice (voice): Hannah Williams
- Additional Voice (voice): Audrey Wasilewski
- Additional Voice (voice): Peter Pamela Rose
- Man #1 (voice): Paul Pape
- Additional Voice (voice): Nolan North
- Screaming Woman / Dung Beetle #4 (voice): Mona Marshall
- Ladybird / Monkey Girl (voice): Carolyn Lawrence
- Rhino (voice): Josh Keaton
- Additional Voice (voice): Daniel Kaz
- Additional Voice (voice): John Kassir
- (voice): Emily Johnson
- (voice): Bridget Hoffman
- (voice): Nicholas Guest
- (voice): Eddie Frierson
- (voice): Pat Fraley
- (voice): Jeannie Elias
- Flamingo (voice): Jason Connery
- Vulture (voice): Greg Berg
- (voice): Keith Anthony
- Camo / Ringleader (voice): Bob Joles
- Cloak (voice): Chris Edgerly
- Dung Beetle #2 (voice): Julianne Buescher
- Dung Beetle #1 (voice): Nika Futterman
- Young Samson (voice): Dominic Scott Kay
Film Crew:
- Conductor: Alan Silvestri
- Co-Producer: Ed Decter
- Co-Producer: John J. Strauss
- Sculptor: Norm DeCarlo
- Supervising Animator: Stephen Barnes
- ADR Mixer: Doc Kane
- Foley Artist: Ellen Heuer
- Executive Producer: Stefan Simchowitz
- Producer: Beau Flynn
- Author: David Collard
- Executive Producer: Kevin Lima
- Casting: Jen Rudin
- Story: Mark Gibson
- Director: Steve ‘Spaz’ Williams
- Story: Philip Halprin
- Author: Matt Lopez
- Associate Producer: Doug Short
- Co-Producer: Jane Park
- Producer: Clint Goldman
- Author: Lloyd Taylor
- Associate Producer: Jim Burton
- Executive Producer: Will Vinton
- Editor: Steven L. Wagner
- Editor: V. Scott Balcerek
- Art Direction: Chris Farmer
- Casting: Corbin Bronson
- Author: Bill Wolkoff
- Art Direction: Michael E. Goldman
- Matte Painter: Andrew Woodhouse
- Supervising Producer: Bob Munroe
- Storyboard Artist: John Fox
- Music Supervisor: Tom MacDougall
- Visual Development: George Hull
- Set Designer: Aric Cheng
- ADR Editor: Morten Folmer Nielsen
- Sequence Supervisor: Ken Duncan
- Music Editor: Kenneth Karman
- Post-Production Manager: Dale Gagne
- Assistant Sound Editor: Josh Gold
- Sound Re-Recording Mixer: Todd Beckett
- First Assistant Sound Editor: Mac Smith
- Lighting Supervisor: Daniele Tosti
- Animation: Adam Beck
- Storyboard: John Williamson
- Lead Animator: Rob Bekuhrs
- CG Supervisor: John Mariella
- Production Controller: Nephi Sanchez
- ADR Supervisor: Bruce Lacey
- Orchestrator: David Slonaker
- Foley Mixer: Frank Rinella
- ADR Voice Casting: Kyle Clark
- Art Department Coordinator: Adrienne Anderson
- Layout: Rick Allen
- Playback Singer: Harrison White
- Foley Editor: Jeremy Molod
- Sound Effects Editor: Chris Gridley
- Visual Effects: Bob Bennett
- Senior Animator: Ken Satchel King
- Musician: Julie Andrews
- Research Assistant: Darin A. Drennan
- ADR Recordist: Courtney Bishop
- Digital Intermediate Producer: April McMorris
- First Assistant Editor: Matt Lyon
- Post Production Supervisor: Cory Hansen
- Production Manager: Laurie Handforth
- Painter: Benjamin Min Huang
- Sound Designer: Andy Newell
- 3D Modeller: Mona Abdelnaby
- Compositor: Daniel Abramovich
- Lighting Artist: Gerhard Borchers
- Modeling: Bo Mosley
- Visual Effects Coordinator: Greg Lyons
- Visual Effects Supervisor: Brian A. Smeets
- Production Accountant: Brenda T. Huey
- Production Coordinator: Melissa McKinnon
- Software Engineer: Leo Chan
- Supervising Technical Director: Matthew Daw
- Systems Administrators & Support: Simon Chang
- Apprentice Sound Editor: Jon Caxton
- Line Producer: Lisa Bechard
- Foley Recordist: James Willetts
- Assistant Production Manager: Patricia L. Adams
- Graphic Designer: Sophie Gallo
- Title Designer: Mary Meacham
- VFX Artist: Jeremy Eliosoff
- Data Wrangler: Irfa Nisar
- Character Designer: Marshall Almeida
- Casting Coordinator: Betsy Bagg
- Additional Dialogue: John Carey
- Compositing Supervisor: Curtis Edwards
- Digital Compositor: Paul Arion
- Human Resources: Kevin Waldvogel
- Production Assistant: Cassandra Fauss
- Production Secretary: Scott Dagostino
Movie Reviews:
- r96sk: 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’ ‘Madagascar’, which was released roughly one year prior. If we’re comparing the two, ‘The Wild’ 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.