The Wild

The Wild is a 2006 American computer animated family film, directed by Steve "Spaz" Williams, produced by Clint Goldman and assistant produced by Jim Burton. It was a C.O.R.E. Feature Animation production distributed by Walt Disney Pictures on April 14, 2006, in the United States.

Plot
In New York Zoo, Samson the Lion tells his son Ryan stories of his adventures in the wild. Ryan attempts to imitate his father's roar, but all he can manage is a squeaky growl.That night, when the zoo closes, all the animals are free to roam. Samson heads off to join a game of "Turtle Curling", while Ryan goes with his friends Eze the Hippo and Duke the Kangaroo to stalk the gazelles like his father. Meanwhile, Benny the Squirrel tries to get Bridget the Giraffe to go out with him, but she is not interested. Along with Benny, Bridget, a koala named Nigel, and an anaconda named Larry, Samson competes in the Turtle Curling Game against a team of penguins. Meanwhile, Ryan's friends sneak into the gazelle exhibit. Ryan tries unsuccessfully to stop Eze and Duke with growls. This wakes the gazelles into a stampede, which ruins his father's game. An angry Samson scolds Ryan for spending all day sulking. Ryan retorts by saying he sulks because he would feel much better being a loser if his father wasn't "Samson the Wild".

However, Ryan accidentally gets shipped into the "Green Boxes", which legend tells will take him to the wild. With the help of a pigeon, Samson and Benny go after him, sneaking into a garbage disposal truck with Nigel, Bridget, and Larry coming as well, accidentally throwing Benny off the truck. After passing through Times Square and nearly being crushed in the garbage disposal, the group encounters a pack of rabid stray dogs. Samson leads them through the sewer. There, they take directions to the docks from two street wise alligator brothers, Stan and Carmine.

The next morning, the four friends steal a tugboat during a hectic escape from several bulk carriers entering and departing New York harbour. With a little help from Larry, they drive the boat and reunite with Benny, who has enlisted a flock of Canada geese to help lead the crew in the right direction of Ryan's ship. Days later, Nigel goes mad with the heat and thirst, and under the impression they have hit an iceberg, jumps overboard. The boat has run aground in Africa. The group quickly discovers that all the animals in the area are being evacuated by the carriers, as a nearby volcano erupts. They witness Ryan escaping, but he runs into the jungle. Samson attempts to find him, but it is quickly revealed that he has in fact never been in the wild before. The rest of the group head back to the ship, but Samson decides to keep trying to find his son.

While walking Samson starts seeing plants and rocks changing colors. Nigel is captured by a group of wildebeests who dwell in the volcano, and their leader Kazar, pronounces him king, based on an 'omen' he received when he was young: about to be devoured by lions, a toy koala fell from the sky (actually from a plane) and scared the lions away, saving his life. Kazar wants to change the food chain; he would rather see "prey become predators" and vice versa. For this, he needs to eat a lion. Bridget and Larry are also captured and held prisoner.

Ryan is sheltering in a branch of an old tree, but he is attacked by a gang of vultures led by Scraw and Scab acting under orders from Kazar. The branch breaks and traps his paw. Ryan attempts another failed roar. Samson hears Ryan's cries and runs to save him, scaring off the birds. The two reunite, but are interrupted by a pack of wildebeests. Ryan is shocked when Samson tells him to run. The two retreat to a tree where Samson reveals the truth. He was born in the circus and like Ryan, couldn't roar. Samson's father was bitterly disappointed and allowed his son to be sent to the zoo, where Samson lied to avoid the shame. The wildebeests discover them and, in the scuffle, send the tree over the cliff, with Samson still hanging on. Ryan is taken to the volcano.

Benny finds Samson, and together they use a chameleon camouflage cover to slip into Kazar's lair. Nigel tries his best to stall the wildebeests from cooking his friends, and eventually Samson appears to fight Kazar and protect them, but Kazar overwhelms him. Ryan, seeing Samson in danger, climbs onto a catapulting device and launches himself. Ryan finally finds his roar while in mid-air. Ryan lands on Kazar's back, but is quickly thrown off. Samson attacks Kazar and manages to defeat him. Ryan tells Samson that he is happy to have him for a dad. The other wildebeests are touched by this and refuse to serve Kazar any further. Samson gains the courage he has needed, and roars powerfully enough to push back a charging Kazar. After Kazar is caught in the volcano's eruption, the other wildebeests accompany Samson and the others back to the New York Zoo.

Cast

 * Kiefer Sutherland - Samson
 * Jim Belushi - Benny
 * Eddie Izzard - Nigel
 * Janeane Garofalo - Bridget
 * William Shatner - Kazar
 * Richard Kind - Larry
 * Greg Cipes - Ryan
 * Colin Hay - Fergus Flamingo
 * Miles Marsico - Duke
 * Jack De Sena - Eze
 * Don Cherry - Penguin MC
 * Christian Argueta/David Cowgill - Hamir
 * Lenny Venito - Stan
 * Joseph Siravo - Carmine
 * Colin Cunningham - Hyrax
 * Patrick Warburton - Blag
 * Jonathan Kimmel - Scab
 * Eddie Gossling - Scraw
 * Clinton Leupp - Mama Hippo
 * Kevin Michael Richardson - Samson's Father
 * Dominic Scott Kay - Young Samson
 * Nika Futterman - Dung Beetle #1
 * Julianne Buescher - Dung Beetle #2
 * Chris Edgerly - Cloak
 * Bob Joles - Camo, Ringleader