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After breaking out of the Central Park Zoo and winding up stranded in Madagascar, Alex the lion (Ben Stiller), Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer), Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), and Marty the zebra (Chris Rock) are more than ready to return home to their boring but safe old lives at the zoo. Fortunately for them, the crafty penguins have found a way out: a dilapidated old plane that they’ve restored to (somewhat) working condition. But their joyride doesn’t last long, and the animals soon find themselves stranded yet again—this time, in Africa.
Leaving the penguins behind to fix the plane, the other animals venture out onto the African plains, where they come face-to-face with their own kind. Marty finds that he’s not unique; he’s just one of thousands of lookalikes. Melman becomes a witch doctor for a group of hypochondriac giraffes. Gloria finds friends—and a husky new man. And Alex finds his long-lost parents. But while Africa may seem like home, their pampered lives in the zoo never prepared them for the challenges they’ll face in the wild.
Like its predecessor, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa has its share of entertaining moments. Once again, the mischievous penguins provide all kinds of laughs—as do Melman and his herd of paranoid giraffes. And kids will love the huge cast of silly characters. For the most part, the story is cute (though unsurprising), and it’s often heartwarming, too. And, somewhere amid the laughs, it teaches a few important lessons about family, friendship, and being yourself…no matter what.
But while it has its hits, though, Madagascar 2 also has its misses. Since Sacha Baron Cohen’s King Julien was such a popular character in the original, it earned him an even bigger role in the sequel—but it probably would have been better if the other animals had left him behind in Madagascar. His role is pointless and silly—and, after a while, he’s just plain annoying. In fact, he’s almost as annoying as the random subplot involving the feisty old lady from the first movie—who just happens to be on an African safari that goes awry when the penguins hijack their Jeep. The human characters are totally unnecessary—and they only detract from the rest of the story.
So, in the end, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is a lot like the original Madagascar: it’s good enough to keep the kids entertained for an hour and a half, but it’s really nothing special.
DVD Review:
If there’s one thing to be said for the new two-disc Move It, Move It Double Pack DVD release of Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, it’s that there are definitely plenty of extras. But is it worth shelling out an extra five bucks for the extra disc? Not really.
The first (feature) disc includes a commentary track, four music videos, a making-of feature, cast interviews, storyboards, and a guide to basic Swahili words and phrases. There’s also a feature on the department heads’ pre-production safari, along with an absolutely perplexing DVD game.
The second disc features two episodes of the all-new Nickelodeon series, The Penguins of Madagascar (for a total of 24 minutes), an entertaining new show featuring everyone’s favorite characters—the penguins and the lemurs—as they battle for supremacy at the Central Park Zoo. Also included on the disc are two live-action documentaries: one that shows lions in their natural habitat and another about the Madagascar exhibit at the Bronx Zoo. There are also some activities and video game demos, along with a feature that teaches some of Alex’s dance moves.
While the new penguins show is definitely worth watching, you’ll be able to watch it on TV (for free) in a month or so. And while the other features on the disc are interesting, none are must-sees. Actually, the features on the main disc are more interesting (except for the game—don’t even try it). So if you’re planning on picking up a copy of the DVD, go for the single disc release instead; you won’t be missing much.
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