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, still stranded on Madagascar, start to leave the island. All of a sudden, they land in the wilderness of Africa, where Alex meets the rest of his family, but has trouble communicating with them after spending so much time at the Central Park Zoo.
Featuring the voice talents of: Ben Stiller, David Schwimmer, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Andy Richter, Alec Baldwin, Sherri Shepheard and the late Bernie Mac. Just to name a few.
Rating: PG for mild crude humour
As this movie was rated PG, my children were unable to watch it. (Being 5 and under). So this based strictly on an adult's view.
I didn't particularly think the first Madagascar was funny so I wasn't expecting to like this one. Perhaps I am just in a different time in my life but I did find this movie enjoyable. Both my husband and I laughed out loud several times during this movie.
Tired of Madagascar, this unlikely crew of friends is determined to get back to New York and the life of ease they are all familiar with. However, things go awry in one of the most humourous moments of the film when the penguins attempt to fly them in a hollowed airplane shell. Instead, they land in Africa where Alex meets up with his parents.
It was a good story, well written with plenty of zip and zany quips. A family reunited to touch our hearts and four friends who continue to strengthen and evolve their friendship.
This movie was rated PG. A rating well warranted I believe as the beginning was a little tense with a hunter shooting at the animals. Also further along in the film a human gets into a slapping, punching and knock out scrap fighting with the animals. There are also some lions fighting each other as part of the who's going to be king lion ritual. That part wasn't too bad but the hunters shooting part was a little too realistic for comfort. If it hadn't of been for that part, I would have had no problem with letting my children watch this film.
The villain in this piece was suprisingly mild and understated. Unlike Scar in the Lion King, Makunga was more of a sleazy lounge singer than a menancing lion who has a lust for power. More like he wants to be in power because he perceives it to be the easy life.
I was puzzled by Moto Moto. Given that he's a toy given out in happy meals, I had thought his character to be bigger than it was. It wasn't. It was suprisingly small and I don't recall even hearing him say what his toy says.
Still, I give this movie a thumbs up. It made me want to look up information on Africa and the animal reserves there. If if we had more time with this movie, I may have let my children watch this film once I had fast forwarded through the whole kidnapping lion, hunter shooting scene.
It was with a pang of sadness though as I realized that Zuba was actually the voice of the late Bernie Mac. It reminded me of our loss of a great entertainer; however, it's nice to know that through works like this that his memory lives on.
Zeemaid
