Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
2008 · Directed by Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath
Original language: English
- adventure
- animation
- comedy
- family
The story
Alex, Marty, and other zoo animals find a way to escape from Madagascar when the penguins reassemble a wrecked airplane. The precariously repaired craft stays airborne just long enough to make it to the African continent. There the New Yorkers encounter members of their own species for the first time. Africa proves to be a wild place, but Alex and company wonder if it is better than their Central Park home.
What it’s like
Bright, saturated CGI in sunlit savanna greens, dusty ochres and hot blue skies, with the cartoon palette pushed toward candy colour in the zoo and fluttery, rhythmic energy in the set pieces. Camera moves are quick and kinetic, with whip pans and swooping flight shots, and the sound is a busy mix of cheerful pop-tinged score, drum-heavy African rhythms and slapstick percussion. Its vibe is bouncy, silly and warm: a Saturday-morning cartoon energy that suits a family movie night, a lazy afternoon, or a light background watch while doing something else. Pacing is brisk and gag-driven, with frequent musical numbers and a steady stream of physical comedy and running jokes. The emotional register stays easygoing and affectionate, following a group of friends who bicker and drift apart before finding their way back to each other and to a sense of home. Intensity is low: lions and predators chase and threaten in cartoon fashion, with peril played for laughs, no gore, and no real cruelty. Made for families with children, and for adults who want an undemanding, good-humoured animated comedy.
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