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 Wild is hodgepodge--it's never clear why these mismatched creatures are friends and plot elements seem haphazardly plucked from Finding Nemo, Madagascar, and Ice Age 2: The Meltdown (though the latter two were made at the same time as The Wild, so it's just unfortunate for this movie that they came out first). Despite a general air of manic desperation, The Wild does 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--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 keep The Wild from the brink of disaster. --Bret Fetzer

Starting with the picture quality, it is very good as you would expect from a recent animated release. The 1080p picture really lifts out of the screen with sharp detail and bright colours. One thing that really stood out, was the night sky in NYC, where the deep blues and twinkling stars set a great mood, along with the soaring skyscrapers.

The sound quality is ok too, this disc has a 5.1 PCM soundtrack with nice clear voices in the centre channel and plenty of sound effects placed around the room. It doesn't dazzle, but it doesn't disappoint either.

The story and pacing are a little weak. I felt that the film is aimed more towards the younger age group, and relying too much on the cuddly nature of the animals rather than any dimension to their character. Never mind though, it's still a worthwhile watch, but not a classic that will be watched over and over.