Madagascar
Escape 2 Africa

Not Funny or Original

Art Cofresi

Madagascar 2, a Paramount Pictures/Dream Works

Animation is about, well, I'm not sure what's it's about, nor am I sure who the target audience is.  The personification of animal characters into parodies of conflicted humans makes me long for the Disney classic Bambi. Which, in comparison plays like a true life animal adventure.

Though an attempt is made to portray the young lion Alex, (the returning prodigal son), as a warm babe-in-the-woods character, it falls short.  In fact, all of the animal portrayals fall short. The caricatures of overbearing penguins (in Africa?), dumpy hippo’s, identical bar code zebra's, and a witch-doctor spotted giraffe adapting to the wild's of Africa from "Newww Yourk City" just didn’t work.  To much of the script is taken from the Lion King movie and a lot of comic relief is made up of crude shots of animal rumps.

Is this cartoon aimed at confusing children? Ahhh, yes, no, maybe? 

The lemur's dialog is insulting and hard to understand. Chris Rock's grating voice, duplicated as a whole herd of zebra's, is very irritating.  He's funny, no doubt, but his voice wears on me, and I can only take so much.

Strange Things

The art work, at times is clever and beautiful, but the sharp angular renditions of the main characters faces are often grotesque.  I don't like looking up the noses of animals.   Lastly, there is a scene where an old granny goes head to toe in a knock down, no holds-barred, rock and sock 'em fight with Alex the young lion.  Very strange.  Even stranger is that a group of lost "New York" citizens get hijacked by the penguins and become lost in the jungle.  The lost New Yorkers turn to granny to lead them out of the woods and I am not sure if they ever find their way.  I may have dosed-off a bit.

Won't Get Better Wrapped in Plastic

In summary, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is not very funny or original.  It talks down to children and promises more than it delivers.  If you want to punish and confuse your grandchildren for being naughty, then I wholly recommend this movie.   Otherwise, pass on this epic and look for something a bit more charming. And, don't waste your money on the DVD. This movie won't get better wrapped in plastic. That's my two cents.