So it’s not “Wall.E.” There — I’ve said it. Maybe I’m defending the film from an accusation that hasn’t been made – does anyone really expect a “Madagascar” film to be “Wall.E”? – but,hopefully, with that kind of snootiness out of the way we can get to what makes this sequel to 2005’s “Madagascar” a tasty puff of animation. And there’s nothing wrong with being a tasty puff of beautiful animation.
Like its predecessor, there’s just enough family-friendly plot to save “Escape 2 Africa” from being little more than a parade of gags. Sure, we’ve seen the story of father-son bonding, and friendships fractured then repaired, several times before, but the fun in “Escape 2 Africa” lies in its colourful characters and unabashedly silly sense of humour.
This time around, the New York zoo escapees escape from Madasgascar (which is a part of Africa), where they ended up in the previous film, only to crash-land in an African wildlife reserve that is, coincidentally, the birthplace of Alex the Lion (voice of Ben Stiller). Faster than you can order a drink with an umbrella in it, Alex and friends settle into a life in paradise, only to get caught up in lion politics and confrontations with tourists, led by that tough old kung fu granny who wallops Alex in the first film. Hilarity ensues.
It Delivers What It Promises
Forget the plot, though. It’s all about the gorgeously cartoony, decidedly anthropomorphic CGI characters in a setting that defies natural law and any semblance of realism; a lion who prefers dancing to fighting, a zebra with identity issues, a hypochondriac giraffe, a hip hippo, a bizarre ring-tailed lemur who speaks in an Indian accent, and, my favourite, a quartet of penguins organized along the lines of a special ops squad. With a few pop-culture references thrown in for good measure, along with zany supporting characters, “Escape 2 Africa” gives each character time to shine in the spotlight, with moments that range from sweet to the purely ridiculous.
There’s not much more to say than that. “Escape 2 Africa” is just more “Madagascar,” with a third film apparently in the works and a TV series focused on the Penguins coming soon to Nickelodeon television. Taken for what it is, “Escape 2 Africa” delivers exactly what is promised. Films like this rise and fall on their ability to generate laughs. There’s nothing in the plot, or even necessarily the characters themselves, that reach for or achieve any sort of cinematic transcendence. You either laugh or you don’t; that’s all there is to it. I laughed.
Entertainment Value: ** (out of two)
Technical Quality: ** (out of two)
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. Directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath. Screenplay by Etan Cohen, Darnell, McGrath. Voices of: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett-Smith and David Schwimmer 88 minutes. Rating: PG (for some mild crude humor).
Frédérik invites you to discuss this film and more at his blog (frederik-sisa.blogspot.com)