Just as fun as the first but with more adventure and as many laughs

Rating: 8/10 (31 August 2013)

I first saw this in the cinema in 2008 and I initially thought it was better than the first but after having watched it for the first time in five years, I actually found it on par with the first.
The opening of the film involving the back story of a young Alex (then known as Alakay) was rather unusual for a sequel but I soon found that it linked to Alex re-uniting with his parents after crash-landing in Africa. The penguins were even funnier here than in the first but I wish Mort had more screen time because he's so adorable. Like the majority of sequels I've seen, there are references to the first film such as news reports concerning the disappearance of Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman and the elderly woman beating up Alex as well as the baddie lion towards the end. The red mark she left on his bottom after slapping it was a bit scary because it reminded me of my fear of parents smacking their children in public, an issue I am totally against. In terms of other positive moments, the backgrounds were just as beautifully rendered as in the first and I couldn't help laughing when Alex repeatedly called out the name of his little blanket-thingie and an adult animal covering her cub's ears because it sounded like a slightly rude word (possibly a slang term for female anatomy). I also liked some of the background music, especially the whistly tune that accompanies the shark chasing Mort and the 'Good, the Bad and the Ugly' type music when the elderly woman beats up Alex. The baby versions of the four main animals were as cute as Mort and I also liked the song that played while baby Alex/Alakay was swept away to New York. This film reminded me of 'The Lion King' in parts, especially the opening back story and the main animals seeing several more of their kind. I liked the cut-out- animation segments that played during the first part of the closing credits as well as the CGI animation during the main feature.
Overall I found this sequel an engaging watch and I found it more adventurous than the first. 8/10.