A sunny escape that betters the original, but still lacks

Rating: 6/10 (28 November 2008)

For those looking for a sunny escape as the weather grows more bitter this fall season, I have some backhandedly cheerful news. The good new is: That Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (cringes at title) is actually significantly better then the hackneyed and infinitely disappointing original. The catch: It is still not quite good enough. Let me first say however that I am not expecting this review to be read and adhered to by young children, but rather is directed towards the public as a whole. Thusly, I would imagine, in fact I am almost certain, that young children will adore this film. But even myself being a huge fan of animated films, I will give tentative praise to Madagascar 2, when addressing those of an older demographic.
The original Madagascar was a hodge podge of childish slapstick, inside jokes strung together with a meandering narrative, speckled with characters voiced by nondescript bland voice actors. While not all these follies have been rectified here, some have and others have been partially reconstructed and the result is a more touching and mature animated feature. The animation has also been ramped up, and despite having the same recognizable visual stamp, is far more vivid and textured. All the key players are back; Alex the dancing lion (Ben Stiller), Gloria the bootylicious hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), Marty wise crackin' zebra (Chris Rock) and Melman the paranoid giraffe (David Schwimmer). As the troupe leaves Madagascar on the penguin refurbished plane, they are joined by King Julian (Sasha Baron Cohen), his aid Maurice (Cedric the Entertainer) and an obnoxious tagalong named Mort (Andy Richter). Arriving (dangerously) on mainland Africa, the New York natives find a land of wonder of endless savannah and collections of animalslike them. Among the natives is the lion king Zuba (voiced by the late Bernie Mac) who happens to be Alex's father. After a tearful reunion, danger looms as the watering hole suddenly dries up, and friendships are strained.
One of the most prominent recurring issues lies with the voice-work. Ben Stiller is bland, but when he does attempt to zest it up, it becomes readily apparent it is him. Gloria's character is unmemorable, as is that of her silent admirer Melman. David Schwimmer is funny because of both delivery and expression, but his skill is halved when doing voice-work, and leaves an awkward character. One thing I will raise compliment to, is the creator's choice to dial back Melman's germ-a-phobic tendencies and focus more on the character, but he is, alas, still someone of a downer in an Eeyore type way. Added to the cast is the scheming lion Makunga, voiced surprisingly banally by Stephen Baldwin who vies for Alex's father position at the head of the pride. Boasting the much needed spunk, is Rock as Marty, Mac as Zuba, Will I Am as a womanizing hippo named Motto-Motto and Cohen as King Julian who gets more screen time, and wastes ner' a second. And how could I not mention the penguins, which have not yet become gimmicky or annoying and add a lot of mature class to the story.
Overall however, Madagascar 2 bears an eerie resemblance to The Lion King, both in setting and characters, with the lost son, manipulative lion and wacky sidekicks. While not a deliberate rip-off, the comparison is unavoidable and only bears reminder of how superior that film is. There is also a disastrous subplot involving a stranded tour group led by an ill conceived and unboundedly obnoxious character called only "Nana". All in all, kids will be entertained, and adults never bored, but it is not great. Not even compared to other DreamWorks offering such as Kung Fu Panda. If your child needs to rush out and see this in theaters, then be sure to oblige, but no harm would be done in waiting for the DVD.
View all my reviews at Simon Says Movie Reviews: www.simonsaysmovies.blogspot.com