Peter Mehlman Movies
A pack of not-so-wild animals experience some serious culture shock when they move from the Big Apple to the Mighty Jungle in this computer-animated comedy. Alex (voice of Ben Stiller) is a lion who enjoys a charmed life as one of the leading attractions at a zoo in New York City's Central Park. While Alex and his pals Marty the Zebra (voice of Chris Rock), Gloria the Hippo (voice of Jada Pinkett Smith), and Melman the Giraffe (voice of David Schwimmer) are happy with their lot in life, they occasionally have a certain curiosity about the outside world, and when the zoo's penguins decide to make a break for it, Marty follows them into the city. Alex, Gloria, and Melman set out to find Marty before he gets into trouble, but they're a bit too late, and soon the zookeepers have decided that the animals are restless and need to be returned to the wild. Soon the critters find themselves living on the coast of Madagascar, where they quickly discover they aren't quite suited for living in the wild. Madagascar also features the voice talents of Cedric the Entertainer, Andy Richter, and Sacha Baron Cohen. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, (more)
- 2004
- Add Father of the Pride [Animated TV Series] to QueueAdd Father of the Pride [Animated TV Series] to top of Queue
It is not generally known that the CGI-animated NBC sitcom Father of the Pride was the second cartoon program inspired by the spectacular career of Vegas-based illusionists Siegfried and Roy. The first, a four-part miniseries titled Siegfried & Roy: Masters of the Impossible, was seen in off-network syndication in 1996. Ironically, the title of the earlier series provides the acronymic name "Sarmoti" for one of the principal characters on Father of the Pride! The NBC series took us backstage and into the private lives of two of the white lions employed in Siegfried and Roy's act: Larry (voiced by John Goodman) and his wife Kate (voiced by Cheryl Hines). Despite their fame and fortune, the two lions had to endure the usual trials and tribulations of sitcom-style domesticity. Kate's father Sarmoti (voiced by Carl Reiner) was a loudmouth who insisted upon arguing with Larry over anything and everything, while Larry's best pal, a gopher named Snack (voiced by Orlando Jones), was forever hatching idiotic schemes that got everyone in big trouble. Add to this several dashes of toilet and sex humor, and you had an animated "funny animal" series that was far better suited for grown-ups than for kids. Produced by DreamWorks SKG Animation as NBC's answer to such popular cutting-edge cartoon efforts as Fox's The Simpsons and Comedy Central's South Park, Father of the Pride was in production in late 2003 when magician Roy (aka Roy Horn) was seriously injured when he was mauled on the stage of the Mirage Inn by one of his trained lions. For a while, the network balked at introducing the CGI series, worried that it might suffer from the publicity surrounding Roy's injuries. Once the magician was off the critical list, however, Father of the Pride began its 11-week NBC run on August 31, 2004 (two of the thirteen episodes would not be seen until the series was released on DVD). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Goodman, Cheryl Hines, (more)
- 1998
Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) hires a maid named Cindy (Angela Featherstone), with whom he soon begins having an affair -- trouble is, little cleaning is taking place any longer, and she still demands payment for services rendered. Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) "inherits" the phone number of a recently deceased woman, leading to unexpected consequences vis-à-vis the dead woman's grandson. George (Jason Alexander) tries to adopt a nickname, but "T-Bone" has been spoken for. And Kramer (Michael Richards) ends up "working the streets," in more ways than one. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
This is the legendary "backwards" episode, beginning at the end with a bedraggled Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), George (Jason Alexander), and Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) returning from a trip to India. Thereafter, each successive scene takes us back in time, culminating with the opening of the story -- 13 years earlier! In between, the action involves a birthday, a wedding, a snowball, and a man with the initials F.D.R. For the benefit of those confused by the reverse chronology, the syndicated print of this episode superimposes "time cards" at crucial points in the story. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1997
Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) ends up with an extra 6,000 dollars when his parents sell their Cadillac. The folks hope Jerry will use the money to start a new career -- but Jerry's first move is to buy back the Caddie. Meanwhile, Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) is solicited for advice by Kramer (Michael Richards) when his girlfriend develops "the jimmy legs" after sex. And George (Jason Alexander) begins spending scads of money in anticipation of a huge inheritance. The "J. Peterman stock options" loom large over the action -- and the outcome -- of this episode. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
In his inimitable fashion, George (Jason Alexander) breaks up someone else's romantic relationship with a few ill-chosen words. Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) develops stomach trouble when Elaine starts driving again. Kramer (Michael Richards) has trouble with his too-tight jeans -- and by extension, so does Kramer's little-person friend, Mickey Abbott (Danny Woodburn). And Susan (Heidi Swedberg) may be having second thoughts about marriage -- much to George's relief. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1996
George (Jason Alexander) is worried that the lawyer for the Susan Ross Foundation thinks he murdered Susan; and later, George has trouble with a "faulty" tape recorder. Kramer (Michael Richards) consults Newman (Wayne Knight) when he falls in love with Jerry's (Jerry Seinfeld) new girlfriend, Pam (Kim Myers). And when Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) announces she doesn't want to become a mother, she starts the ball rolling for a series of planned vasectomies, beginning with her boyfriend and ending with...Newman? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1991
Fay (Rebecca Schull) is down in the dumps over her lack of tennis prowess, so Brian (Steven Weber) tries to boost her confidence by allowing her to win a game. This turns out to be a major mistake, as news of Fay's thrilling victory and Brian's agonizing defeat becomes common knowledge throughout Nantucket, leading to a riotous rematch. Meanwhile, Helen (Crystal Bernard) is faced with a curious and unique problem of her own, and Joe (Tim Daly) suffers pangs of guilt after breaking Lowell's (Thomas Haden Church) radio-controlled model zeppelin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
