The Sequel is – GASP – Better Than the Original?

This review is written by Kath, urbanmoms.ca staffer and blogger at Losing It.

On Saturday afternoon I joined my daughters (and several hundred other hungry Sparks and Brownies and Girl Guides) at the theatre to watch Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.

I did not have high hopes.

Why? Well, I’ve seen Madagascar many, many times, as it’s a favourite of my eight year-old animal loving daughter. And I don’t hate it just because I’ve seen it 24-odd times. I hate it because it is, well: BAD.

So I wasn’t expecting much when I accompanied my girls and their friends to the sequel. I saw it as one of those sacrifices you make as a parent. You don’t want your kids to be the only! ones! who didn’t go to the movie just because you think it’s going to be bad.

But actually, I enjoyed it. So much so that my five year-old nudged me several times and said, “stop laughing so loud, Mommy!” So what sets Escape 2 Africa apart from its predecessor? As lame as it sounds to describe an animated children’s feature in these terms, it’s the character development that makes all the difference this time. (I know, lame!)

Of course our four friends from the original Madagascar are back: Alex the lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer) and Gloria the hippopotamus (Jada Pinkett Smith), but we get to know them (and like them) just a little bit better this time around. And yes, it was fun: I really enjoyed Melman playing witch doctor (the dying holes – hilarious!) and Marty trying to define his individuality within the herd. And witnessing Alex getting to know his parents (voiced by Bernie Mac and Sherri Shepherd) is hilariously poignant (in a very Ben Stiller-esque way), while Gloria’s search for the perfect mate finds her flirting with Moto Moto (brilliantly animated by the folks at Dreamworks and equally brilliantly voiced by Will.I.Am) in the watering hole: “Girl: you huge!“, but ultimately finding love in a very unexpected (and lofty) place.

But it’s not the core characters that make this film. The real stars are the animation (bravo, nameless team of animators at Dreamworks) and the supporting cast. Each major new computer animated feature release seems to bring with it groundbreaking advances in animation, and Escape 2 Africa is no exception. Just observe the trailer (keep an eye on Marty’s booty-shimmy: hard enough to do in real life, never mind figuring out the algorithms to make that look authentic on the screen).

And then there’s Moto Moto and his swagger and eyebrow waggle:

It’s no mean feat to animate anthropomorphized animals, and it’s equally difficult to animate dancing, but to animate dancing anthropomorphized animals? My head is spinning.

Okay, so the animation rocks and Will.I.Am is great as Moto Moto, but what’s a great kids’ movie without a villain we love to hate? Enter Makunga: complete with middle-aged beer belly and massive Elvis wannabe upsweep (he feels he deserves to be alpha lion because: “I have better hair.”). You can’t help but enjoy Makunga, and Alec Baldwin voices this slimy character with nearly as much venom and loathing as he infuses into voicemail messages to his daughter (sorry, couldn’t resist).

And let’s not forget our favourite supporting characters from the original Madagascar: King Julien, the Penguins and those love-to-hate-them cerebral Chimps.

Classic Penguin Interplay:
Skipper: “Looks impressive Kowalski, but will it fly?”
Kowalski: “Yes: if we fold it here, here, and here.”

How can you not laugh? And it seems the producers are willing to give us more of what we liked best the first time we saw Madagascar, as we laugh our way through thigh-slapping performances from Tom McGrath (Skipper), Sacha Baron Cohen (King Julien – “Yes, I am a lady! Which of you is attracted to me?”) and Cedric the Entertainer as his eye-rolling, long-suffering sidekick Maurice. Let’s not forget Mason and Phil, our favourite cerebral chimps, who are not above slinging poop while quoting Plato. They’re back for some wonderful interactions (including a hilarious union negotiation scene) with the wily Penguins – “we need your thumbs!”

In short, if you have some little ones at home who might like a fun afternoon out at the popcorn palace, don’t hesitate to volunteer as chaperone for Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa…unless you don’t want to be asked to laugh more quietly!