It’s wonderful when a sequel matches the quality of the original film, and that is most certainly the case in “Madagascar 2,” which offers more of everyone’s favorite zoo escapees, the return of the original voice talent and a great new story giving all the main characters something important to do. It is difficult to choose a favorite character in the bunch, whether it’s Ben Stiller’s dancing lion, Alex, Sacha Baron Cohen’s scene-stealing King Julien, or the incredibly competent deadpan delivery of the penguins. This is one of those great animated films parents and children can enjoy together.
The animals that broke out of the New York City Zoo in the last film – Alex, Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer), and a group of very capable penguins – are now looking for a way to return home. The penguins reconstruct an airplane in Madagascar, expecting it to take them all the way back to the U.S. They get as far as mainland Africa. In Africa, Alex reconnects with family, Marty meets some like-minded creatures, Melman and Gloria’s relationship becomes more complicated and King Julien decides to expand his territory. The penguins need to find new material and manpower to reconstruct their transportation.
The comedic talent and writing make for incredibly funny moments throughout the film. The humor is not mutually exclusive; adults and children will be laughing together at the same moments. Thematically, the movie deals with important issues for kids, like dealing with parental expectations, standing out in a crowd, and getting up the courage to tell someone special how you really feel. There are heartwarming moments for Alex as he reconnects with family. The original group finds time to interact with each other, recreating a bond that existed in the prior film.
Music continues to play an important role in the movie from the opening theme, “You’ve Got to Move It.” The animation, especially the background scenery, is beautifully rendered. “Madagascar 2” is a feel good family film that will live up to repeated viewings. The animation offerings this year have been particularly strong, perhaps because it takes a longer time to take one from concept to final cut than the standard feature. I can comfortably recommend “Madagascar 2” to anyone who likes animation and is ready to laugh.
Rated PG for mild crude humor.
