Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

Review:

Alex the lion (Ben Stiller) is back to show that dancing really can save the world – well, Africa, at least. The film picks up from where Madagascar left off, with Alex and familiar faces Marty the zebra (Chris Rock), Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer) trying to escape the island and find their way back to Central Park Zoo. Unfortunately, after managing to somehow get a wrecked aeroplane flying, they end up crash landing in a nature reserve in Africa, which by a happy coincidence just happens to be the very same reserve where Alex’s parents live. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is a touching tale of family reunited and friendship, with a healthy dash of that DreamWorks Animation comedy magic.

Making a successful sequel to any popular film is always a challenge, but Madagascar 2 doesn’t disappoint; the star-studded cast of voice actors (even Alec Baldwin) are back, but the real stars of the show are – once again – the penguins. The mafia-esque bunch, led by Skipper (Tom McGrath, co-director of both films in the Madagascar franchise), add a delicious mix of cynicism and humour which leads to some of the best lines in the film. Other highlights include the return of fan-favourite Mort (Andy Richter), a squeaky hyperactive secondary character somewhat reminiscent of Nutty the Squirrel of Ice Age fame, and of course Sacha Baren Cohen continuing to shine as King Julien XIII, self-proclaimed “King of the Lemurs”.

Madagascar 2 is definitely a feel-good film, but one with sufficient tongue-in-cheek humour, ass-kicking grannies and teasing film references (watch out for Airplane! and Gremlins) to appease even the toughest critic. This is a truly entertaining and enjoyable film. I like to move it, move it!

Arran Oakes