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Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
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MPAA RATING: PG for some mild crude humor
Starring Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, Andy Richter, and Bernie Mac
All the loveable characters are back - Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe and Gloria the hippo, King Julien, Maurice and the penguins - in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. Left marooned on the distant shores of Madagascar, the New Yorkers have hatched a plan so crazy it just might work. With military precision, the penguins have repaired an old crashed plane - sort of. Once aloft, this unlikely crew stays airborne just enough to make it to the wildest place of all - the vast plains of Africa itself - where our zoo-raised crew encounter species of their own kind for the very first time. While discovering their roots, they quickly realize the difference between the concrete jungle and the heart of Africa. Despite long-lost relatives, romantic rivals and scheming hunters, Africa seems like a "crack-a-lackin" great place... but is it better than their Central Park home? (Dreamworks)
| GENRE(S): | Action | Adventure | Animation | Comedy | Family/Kids |
| DIRECTED BY: |
Eric Darnell
Tom McGrath |
| RELEASE DATE: | Theatrical: November 7, 2008 |
| RUNNING TIME: | 89 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: | USA |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The average user rating for this movie is 7.0 (out of 10) based on 24 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Jay H. gave it a7:
Funny and well animated. Expressive voice overs, good screenplay. It's not one of the best animated films of recent years but it is fun and entertaining. The penguins are hysterical.
Tony O. gave it a9:
Pretty darn funny. The opening sequences launching the plane are just hysterical. Considerably better than the original film, and as someone else pointed out, hard to see how it could have been much better. Lots of droll movie references and in-jokes (The Lion King in particular gets a good workout) and one of the best scripts of 2008. Oddly enough, because it has so many in-jokes, it is probably a slightly better film for adults than it is for children, which makes me drop a point off what it might have been. But one of the best films of the year anyway.
Phillip S. gave it a10:
I absolutely loved this movie. I thought at first that it would be some cheesy sequel, but it proved me wrong. The soundtrack is absolutely amazing and it sends shivers through my spine every time I listen to it. The best sequel to surpass the first one!
Jackie gave it an8:
Very very good movie for teenagers , kids and adults.
Steven G. gave it a9:
This is a family movie that especially young kids would love. My entire family saw it today and universally loved it. No, it is not an Oscar winner, so what? See this movie and have a great time!
D S gave it a10:
I almost gave this movie a nine, but honestly, I can't think of any way it could have been better so I'll have to go with a 10. This is particularly impressive since as an 18-26 yr. old male I'm not exactly the key demo group. My girlfriend loved the first movie so of course we had to go see the new one opening day. So it is safe to say that I was dragged to this movie and didn't expect to enjoy it in the least. The plot is not overly deep, and a lot of it is predictable kid stuff or scenes redone from other movies, but unlike other movies seem to try too hard to parody other flicks, I found myself laughing along with the kids more often than not. The silly gags will all there of course, but what really made me laugh were the more obscure adult references. Examples include: King Julian describing how he would invade a foreign country and force his political ideology on the inhabitants if he only had a few days to live, or the scene in which the monkeys are negotiating with the penguins and they are referred to as "Communists" because they unionized. The bottom line? Mad 2 is smart, funny, and definitely worth your time. If your kids want to see it, take them. You'll enjoy it at least as much as they will.
Chad S. gave it a7:
So how will "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" play in Kansas? Sick of the cronyism he encountered at KU fraternities, Thomas Frank(author of the political and cultural critique "What's the Matter with Kansas: How Conservatives Won the Heart of America") left the Sunflower State, and became a democrat. While attending meetings for the Young Republicans, a wide-eyed Frank felt like an outsider; soon jaded, he quickly realized that the party of his youth on the Jayhawk campus, was more about harboring power than the promotion of ideals. In "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa", fate thwarts the destiny that awaits Alex(Ben Stiller), who instead of being King of the Animal Preservation(read: the sequestered world invented by the Cons, not the real world(read: the jungle) unencumbered by party ideology), ends up as an entertainer in a New York zoo(read: lion as the liberal elite). Leaders of the ultra-right incite their Conservative Evangelical constituency with unfounded claims that the so-called liberal media and their latte-sipping subscribers are laughing at Middle America and their cultural bent for all-things-Orthodox. Not only was Alex a Young Lion(read: College(or Young) Republican), he was next in line to lead(read: W.) the animal preservation, and would be considered a God by all the lion-fearing animals. To his feral parents, and counterparts, Alex is a dancing fool; completely worthless, a wuss. For a lion to earn his spurs in the imitative Africa(not the real Africa), fighting is the only currency. The subtly satirical "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" turns the culture wars on its heels. It's Alex, the coded liberal, who is being persecuted. Late in the film, the satire grows more playful when Alex saves his own life, and his disapproving father's life, by performing for the safari tourists, led by an ultra-violent old lady(read: pro-hunting conservative), who ironically, permit the two lions to live because they can see that a lion well-versed in the dancing philosophy of Bob Fosse has worth. In this sequel to the uneven "Madagascar", there's a surprisingly savvy parable about our country's current political climate, that shouldn't be written off in favor of the penguin and monkey show.
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