As family entertainment goes, you could certainly do worse than The Wild, Disney's latest entry in what has been a glut of CGI animated flicks these last few years (Shrek, Finding Nemo, Ice Age and so many more). Although far from memorable, The Wild does earn its points as a mildly entertaining diversion.
If you're expecting cogent character development (it is possible in animation; rent Watership Down or Ghost of the Fireflies for proof) please move on, because the storyline here is pretty pedestrian (it's written by the folks who brought you The Santa Clause, parts 2 and 3, after all). Sampson the lion (voiced with supple flair by Kiefer Sutherland), is the main attraction at the The New York Zoo, and he loves to enthrall his young cub of a son, Ryan (Greg Cipes), with tales of his life in the wild. Truth be told, Sampson has never been in the wild, and when Ryan is accidentally shipped to a jungle, it's up to Sampson and his zoo friends to save him. As flat as it sounds, director Steve "Spaz" Williams does keep things moving at a decent pace and keeps the mawkishness, particularly in the father-son bonding scenes, to a minimum.
Frustratingly, The Wild does have some other notable drawbacks: the curiously flat animation fails to display much range in the animals' expressions; worse, it shows little attention to detail with much of the film's environment, whether it's a bland Manhattan skyline or a decidedly unthreatening jungle. Also, the movie is cluttered with mediocre pop songs from bands like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Lifehouse, and Everlife that, instead of enhancing dramatic momentum, only halt it.
However, the sprightly vocal performances do offer some nice compensations. Two standouts: Eddie Izzard as Nigel, the sardonic koala bear; and the ever-dependable Janeane Garofalo as Bridget, a witty giraffe who keeps a levelheaded approach to the shenanigans. Their banter is sharp, and their delivery gives the film much needed pep.