A cuddly koala who wants to be fierce, a squirrel in love with a sarcastic giraffe, an addle-pated anaconda, and a lion with a secret set off from their cozy zoo to rescue the lion's adolescent cub from an accidental kidnapping. After braving the dangers of the big city and stealing a boat, they find themselves in the African jungle, where a renegade herd of wildebeest have decided they want to change their position on the food chain (understandable, really).The Wildis hodgepodge--it's never clear why these mismatched creatures are friends and plot elements seem haphazardly plucked fromFinding Nemo,Madagascar, andIce Age: The Meltdown(though the latter two were made at the same time asThe Wild, so it's just unfortunate for this movie that they came out first). Despite a general air of manic desperation,The Wilddoes have its strengths: The animation is richly realistic, leading to some gorgeous depictions of light (not exactly a selling point for kids, but adults can appreciate it). Several characters pop out--a pair of sewer crocodiles sound like NPR's Car Talk guys; William Shatner (Star Trek,Boston Legal) is effectively scary as the cult-leader/choreographer of the wildebeest; and comedian Eddie Izzard lends some of his trademark smart and silly humor to Nigel, the disgruntled koala bear. Successful bits and pieces don't make for a great movie, but they keepThe Wildfrom the brink of disaster.--Bret Fetzer
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