Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)

When we heard Madagascar 2 was on it’s way, we were pretty excited about it. But, since it was an animated sequel (and not Shrek 2 (2004)), we figured we’d wait for the DVD, and moved it to the top of our queue on Blockbuster.com as soon as we could.

Imagine our surprise when we ended up receiving the film Friday, the very day Madagascar 2 arrived on DVD! Surprised at our unbelievably good luck, we couldn’t wait to sit down and check out what looked to be a very funny sequel. Unfortunately, life intervened, and we had to wait a day before we could settle in to watch. More anxious to watch the film than ever, we popped it in as soon as we could, and settled in for what we hoped would be a very enjoyable hour and a half.

The voice cast that helped make the first film so memorable returns in Madagascar 2. Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith and David Schwimmer all easily step back into their characters with an ease that belies the 3 years that have passed between the films. They all again put in excellent performances, and once again prove a fearsome voice team on-screen.

They are joined not only by old favorites Sacha Baron Cohen and Andy Richter, but by a host of talented voices new to the series, including Alec Baldwin, Bernie Mac and Will.I.Am (previously of Black Eyed Peas fame). While Alec’s voice is a bit too recognizable to really fit in with his pompadour-sprouting lion, the rest all work well with their characters.

Sadly, Bernie Mac’s recent untimely passing casts a bit of a pall over his character, and saps a bit of the fun out of the film. Since his death was so recent – and so surprisingly sudden – it’s hard to really laugh at what he says in the film, considering. Maybe after a bit more time passes will this movie be able to gain a bit more of it’s intended livelihood, but at the moment, it seems a bit of a sad tribute to the comedian.

Unfortunately, the other major star of this second film turns out to be a bit player from the first – the old lady encountered through the gang’s exploits in New York. Why she was brought back is anyone’s guess, but her scenes – which lead off a completely idiotic subplot – are the most ridiculous of the bunch. Whether she’s beating on Alex or rallying stranded tourists in a tamer “Lord Of The Flies” rip-off, she’s almost completely useless in this second film, and the gag that seemed so funny in the first film is stretched so far past it’s little chuckle the viewer may find it – and her – rather irritating and annoying by the end of the film.

The animation, thankfully, is once again truly impressive. From the first sequence where young Alex follows a rope through high grass to the spectacular plane crash and beyond, the animation never falters even once. True, some of the characters are a bit odd (like the above-mentioned pompadoured lion), but the viewer never finds themselves being pulled away from the story through shoddy animation.

Still, the plot itself turns out to have a good amount of laughs, and seems like a good continuation of the story from the original – but the way it’s told is the bigger problem. Rather than saving a surprise or two for the viewers, the whole film is laid out in such a simple and straightforward manner, the viewer knows how it’s going to end almost before the first 5 minutes have passed. While this works for some films – getting there should be the fun part in kid’s movies especially, after all – the incredibly simplistic approach this film takes to the storytelling leaves the viewers thinking themselves a bit too old to be watching the film.

With this kind of obviousness, it seems the film is geared for a much younger generation – the generation who at the moment are more interested in flashy lights and cute and cuddly cartoon characters than any sort of storyline. In other words, the generation who adores such simplistic creatures as Barney the Purple Dinosaur and Teletubbies. Those who have outgrown such flashy and mindless attractions may find themselves feeling a bit too smart for the film at times – always a drag.

Thanks to it’s rather too simplistic style of storytelling, this sequel – despite a truly impressive voice cast and continuing impressive animation – falls a bit short of the original. While people don’t like a movie that’s too confusing, at least one little twist or turn should be expected. When none present themselves, the viewer is left with a feeling the movie is a bit too simplistic to be called a real “family” film, and will probably leave repeated viewings to the toddlers.

While Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa isn’t a bad film, it’s definitely a far cry from the hilarity of the first. It does have a few laughs, but overall it’s a bit of a letdown (as most sequels tend to be). If only they had worked a bit more on not broadcasting every event in the film. After all, what’s a film without a few surprises? A bit boring apparently, even if it does seem to have everything else going for it.