Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa- Movie Review- A Definite Step Down
I saw this movie yesterday, and quite unlike Bolt, with high expectations. The latest installment of Madagascar didn't impress me at all. One could safely say Disney won this round by a huge margin. This movie has nothing new to offer and tries to pass off tried and tired jokes as enjoyable ones.
Plot: The sequel to 2005's "Madagascar", in which New York Zoo animals, Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe and Gloria the Hippo, are still stranded on Madagascar. With military precision, the penguins have repaired an old crashed plane--sort of. Once aloft, this unlikely crew stays airborne just long enough to make it to the wildest place of all--the vast plains of Africa. They meet Alex's long lost family and the rest of the movie is about how they adjust to the new surrounding.
Review: The movie opens with a flashback of Alex in his toddler days being taken away from his parents.(Hmm wonder where I have heard that?). After the wacky scheme of flying to New York fails and they crash land in Africa, Alex is reunited with his family. His Dad is still the alpha male and the leader of the pack and Alex becomes the natural choice for succession. But before that he has to pass some kind of test top get accepted into the herd. Alex's Dad's long standing rival wants his throne and thus use Alex to get them both kicked out of the herd.(Now this definitely founds familiar). Soon a crisis strikes the herd and Alex,inevitably, rises to the occasion and save the day and thus made he and his father accepted into the herd reinstated as the leaders. If you haven't guessed it already, this all sounds strikingly similar to Disney's classic Lion King.
Marty finds himself multiplied by the hundreds and enjoys the running and tricks he shares with his fellow zebras. Melman becomes the witch doctor and begins to care for others, putting his own health worries to rest for the time being, as Gloria begins to search for a fellow hippo to become her mate. The group of zoo animals find themselves loving Africa, but each in their own way. They do find their friendships tested as time goes on.
My Verdict: The animation of the movie was a step up from the first movie, but a letdown in almost every other department. The trio isn't funny enough to make us adults laugh, the plot is "borrowed" and unoriginal and the dialogues and one liners are not hitting the mark. The only good parts come from the supporting characters like King Julien and the Penguins. Once again the Penguins steal the show with their quirky one-liners and Military manner. This is definitely one movie exclusively for the kids and rely solely on the success of the first installment of the movie to get a ground with adults. Take your kids to this movie. They might enjoy this, not you. Or even better take them to Bolt.
The two stars solely for the Penguins, The Chimps and King Julien.
Plot: The sequel to 2005's "Madagascar", in which New York Zoo animals, Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe and Gloria the Hippo, are still stranded on Madagascar. With military precision, the penguins have repaired an old crashed plane--sort of. Once aloft, this unlikely crew stays airborne just long enough to make it to the wildest place of all--the vast plains of Africa. They meet Alex's long lost family and the rest of the movie is about how they adjust to the new surrounding.Review: The movie opens with a flashback of Alex in his toddler days being taken away from his parents.(Hmm wonder where I have heard that?). After the wacky scheme of flying to New York fails and they crash land in Africa, Alex is reunited with his family. His Dad is still the alpha male and the leader of the pack and Alex becomes the natural choice for succession. But before that he has to pass some kind of test top get accepted into the herd. Alex's Dad's long standing rival wants his throne and thus use Alex to get them both kicked out of the herd.(Now this definitely founds familiar). Soon a crisis strikes the herd and Alex,inevitably, rises to the occasion and save the day and thus made he and his father accepted into the herd reinstated as the leaders. If you haven't guessed it already, this all sounds strikingly similar to Disney's classic Lion King.
Marty finds himself multiplied by the hundreds and enjoys the running and tricks he shares with his fellow zebras. Melman becomes the witch doctor and begins to care for others, putting his own health worries to rest for the time being, as Gloria begins to search for a fellow hippo to become her mate. The group of zoo animals find themselves loving Africa, but each in their own way. They do find their friendships tested as time goes on.
My Verdict: The animation of the movie was a step up from the first movie, but a letdown in almost every other department. The trio isn't funny enough to make us adults laugh, the plot is "borrowed" and unoriginal and the dialogues and one liners are not hitting the mark. The only good parts come from the supporting characters like King Julien and the Penguins. Once again the Penguins steal the show with their quirky one-liners and Military manner. This is definitely one movie exclusively for the kids and rely solely on the success of the first installment of the movie to get a ground with adults. Take your kids to this movie. They might enjoy this, not you. Or even better take them to Bolt.
The two stars solely for the Penguins, The Chimps and King Julien.
