The first main feature film in the franchise is titled Madagascar.
Released in 2005, Madagascar introduces Alex, Marty, Melman, and Gloria as animals living at New York's Central Park Zoo. After Marty longs to experience the wild, the friends are removed from the zoo and eventually reach the island of Madagascar.
The film established the franchise's central contrast between comfortable captivity and unpredictable freedom. It also introduced King Julien, Maurice, Mort, and the four penguins who later received their own television series and feature film.
The title is simply Madagascar, without a subtitle or number. Later main entries add subtitles: Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. Penguins of Madagascar is a separate spin-off feature centered on the penguin characters.