Animated 'The Wild' an only mildly amusing critter caper

I liked The Wild better when it was called Madagascar - and I didn't like Madagascar that much.

A tale of a lion, a giraffe, and two other creatures that break out of the Central Park Zoo to rescue a buddy/stowaway to Africa, The Wild is a dim diversion that might be called "How the Lion Got His Roar."

How would menagerie animals accustomed to three meals a day, creatures that never had the opportunity to defend themselves from their natural predators, act if suddenly let loose into untamed Africa?

For the most part, the animals like life at the zoo. The hours are good, the food is better, and there's usually an after-hours hockey game that the penguins always seem to win.

But for lion cub Ryan (voice of Greg Cipes), the zoo seems, well, tame. Especially considering the heroic stories of life in the jungle recounted to him by his father, Samson (Kiefer Sutherland).

Samson has a most resonant baritone roar, a bellow accompanied by gale-force winds. What emanates from Ryan's mouth is a feline caterwaul that would hardly blow out a birthday candle. How can Ryan learn to be leonine unless he returns to mother Africa and faces down the wildebeest?

After Ryan escapes from the zoo, his father, accompanied by a giraffe (voice of Janeane Garafolo), a lovestruck squirrel (Jim Belushi), and a street-fighting koala (Eddie Izzard), attempts to bring him back to safety. Of course, they all end up in Africa fighting wildebeests that resemble a chorus line of attack Rockettes.

Though dull, there are three reasons one might want to see the film:

The computer animators' ability to realistically represent animal fur is nothing short of dazzling. So detailed are the lion's mane and squirrel's tail that younger viewers could mistake it for a petting zoo.

Izzard supplies lively work as the voice of Nigel, the koala utterly unlike his cuddly counterpart in the zoo gift shop.

Kids under 6 will dig it - though the alligators and wildebeests might scare them. Certainly they scared this groan-up.

Contact movie critic Carrie Rickey at crickey@phillynews.com. or 215-854-5402.

The Wild ** (out of four stars)

Produced by Beau Flynn and Clint Goldman, directed by Steve "Spaz" Williams, written by Ed Decter, Mark Gibson, Philip Halprin and John J. Strauss, music by Alan Silvestri, distributed by Walt Disney Pictures.

Running time: 1 hour, 34 mins.

Samson. . . Voice of Kiefer Sutherland

Ryan. . . Voice of Greg Cipes

Benny. . . Voice of James Belushi

Bridget. . . Voice of Janeane Garafolo

Larry. . . Voice of Richard Kind

Parent's guide: G

Playing at: area theaters