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Parents' Guide to

Island of Lemurs: Madagascar

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Nature docu explores fascinating world & history of lemurs.

Movie G 2014 40 minutes
Island of Lemurs: Madagascar Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 5+

Based on 1 parent review

erinmidwife
erinmidwife Adult
December 10, 2015
age 5+

Nice pace, soft on the science

I chose this beacuse we don't watch many movies, and the time length was appropriate for my 5 y/o. Lemurs was better than some of the other IMAX nature flicks and had an actual story line (unlike like Under The Sea), and had a more spacious, slower pace, but my kids couldn't follow it - it was mainly about a researcher working to bring the numbers up. It still wasn't as captivating as I anticipated. There wasn't much talk about the lemurs' actual behavior, patterns, and biology so my 8y/o didn't learn much. It was mostly nice visuals interspersed with burning forests (Madagascar is 90% slash and burned) which were a little scary for my 5y/o. Good environmental message.
1 person found this helpful.
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What's the Story?

ISLAND OF LEMURS: MADAGASCAR is a 3D IMAX documentary about the African island nation's most celebrated native primates: lemurs. Narrated by Morgan Freeman, the 40-minute film explores various species of lemurs, from the teeny tiny mouse lemur (the world's smallest primate) to the extra-large indri lemur (which is prominently featured in Madagascar mythology). In addition to learning about lemurs, the documentary also features renowned primatologist Dr. Patricia Wright, who has dedicated her anthropology career to lemur research and conservation.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
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Kids say (1 ):

With sweeping vistas of the Madgascar landscape, close-ups of the many lemurs, and educational narration, this is an IMAX film the whole family can enjoy. Island of Lemurs: Madagascar follows various kinds of lemurs, sharing information about why they're important or endangered or just plain adorable. Kids will love finding out that the tiny mouse lemur is the teeniest primate and that the indri is considered part of a Madagascar creation story.

At this point in his career, Freeman could narrate Wikipedia pages and make them sound fascinating. But unlike March of the Penguins, this documentary doesn't focus solely on the animals or anthropomorphize them into human-like characters in a relatable feel-good story. The filmmakers also include interviews with lemur expert Dr. Patricia Wright, who explains why the lemurs of Madagascar are unlike any other animal on Earth. Her love of the animals is infectious and makes you see why lemurs are so much more than just the "move it, move it" singers in Madagascar.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the popularity of wildlife documentaries like Island of Lemurs: Madagascar. What attracts families to nature films about animals? How are lemur families similar to human families?

  • Which lemur is your favorite and why? What did you learn about lemurs that you didn't know before?

  • Who is Dr. Patricia Wright and how did she end up as a lemur expert? What would you like to be an expert in?

  • What is Morgan Freeman's role in this movie? Do you think he cares about lemurs? Does a narrator need to know anything about the story?

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