In what 2005 animated film do Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe, and Gloria the hippopotamus escape from the Central Park Zoo and find themselves stranded on an African island?

The animated film that perfectly matches this description is DreamWorks Animation's 2005 hit, "Madagascar." This comedic adventure introduces audiences to a pampered quartet of animals from the Central Park Zoo: Alex the lion, voiced by Ben Stiller; Marty the zebra, voiced by Chris Rock; Melman the hypochondriac giraffe, voiced by David Schwimmer; and Gloria the hippopotamus, voiced by Jada Pinkett Smith. Their comfortable zoo life takes an unexpected turn when Marty's longing for the wild inspires an escape attempt.

Driven by Marty's desire to experience life beyond the zoo enclosures, the four friends (Review), along with a mischievous group of penguins, find themselves inadvertently crated and shipped off, initially intended for a wildlife preserve in Kenya. However, a chaotic hijacking by the penguins leads to the crates falling overboard. They eventually wash ashore on the exotic island of Madagascar, a place far removed from their urban jungle home. There, they encounter a vibrant community of lemurs, famously led by the eccentric King Julien XIII, and must learn to adapt to the challenges and thrills of true wilderness.

"Madagascar" proved to be a significant commercial success, launching a popular multimedia franchise that includes sequels, spin-off films, and television series. Interestingly, early concepts for the film considered a different plot involving animal rights activists liberating the zoo animals, and Melman the giraffe was originally envisioned as an okapi before being changed to a more familiar animal. The film's blend of humor, memorable characters, and catchy musical numbers, particularly the iconic "I Like to Move It," solidified its place as a beloved animated classic.