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BaftaBaby 
"Always entranced by cinema."
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 Posted - 11/29/2008 : 18:41:10
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Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
No other full-colour family animation feature is going to usurp WALL-E as my Adorability Winner of the year. I didn't expect this follow-up to the 2005 Madagascar to do so, and it didn't.
I liked the original and enjoyed the throw-away lines meant to appeal directly to the older generation, and I appreciated its verve and energy and charm, as unlikely as the premise was. It won't be giving anything away to say that involved a disparate group of zoo animals striking out for freedom under the guidance of some cocky penguins.
Nothing much has changed with this sequel, including the voices of Ben Stiller as Alex the show-off lion, or King of NY as he likes to think of himself; David Schwimmer as a hypochondrical giraffe who's madly in love with Jada Pinkett Smith's Gloria the Hippo. This trio is completed by Marty the Zebra, and it's difficult to fully indulge in the wholly enjoyable vocal performance of the late Bernie Mac.
After a while living la dolce vita in Madagascar, they hatch an escape plan back to the zoo. Perhaps their desire to flee the island is because it's still ruled by King Julius, a manic lemur given a truly inspired vocal life by Sacha Baron Cohen. There are some sequences which I bet he improvised.
I say this because although there really are some very funny lines and sequences, there's a misplaced thread running through the film that detracts from its appeal. We'll get to that in a minute, but the set up is in one of Alex the Lion's flash-backs involving an altercation with a little old Jewish lady who kicks his leonine butt with a terse admonition of Bad Kitty.
OK - so with the help of the local inhabitants our hero and heroine take off in a make-shift plane which makes - let's call it an unexpected - stop, not in NYC but in the African savannah.
So, if they can't get to NY, well, hang on there buster, but darned if NY don't come to them in the form of a safari party. And guess who's laying down the law of the jungle from under her little old Jewish granny demeanor?! She reminds the despairing bunch of fellow travellers whose vacation hits many snags that they're New Yorkers, survivors, capable of carrying on, rebuilding their lives. Instead of skyscrapers, they'll build tree-houses. For water they'll dam the river. And, well, it's that 9/11 spirit with a Noo Yawk accent.
Y'know, I could sort of take all that cheese, and some of it is funny, I have to admit. But what freezes my smile is the bullying and counter-bullying of old lady and lion. I don't care if she gives as good as she gets. What the hell message is that - on any level - to trivialize the vulnerability of the elderly and of endangered species.
OK I'm taking it too seriously. Maybe.
There are a couple of sub-plots, one involving Alex finding his real parents and having to deal with a big bad lion - with ultra 1970s hair - called Makunga and played by the increasingly wonderful Alec Baldwin. I forgot to praise him recently for his role as Dane Cook's dad in My Best Friend's Girl, but that was prob'ly 'cause I was trying to steer you away from seeing it.
This one, however, is certainly worth a view, especially if you've got target-market kids. So if you like to move it, move it - you'll likely enjoy.
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Edited by - BaftaBaby on 11/29/2008 18:43:53 |
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MisterBadIdea 
"PLZ GET MILK, KTHXBYE"
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Posted - 11/30/2008 : 04:50:29
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quote:
What the hell message is that - on any level - to trivialize the vulnerability of the elderly and of endangered species.
Okay I'm taking it too seriously. Maybe.
No maybe about it, BB.
The fact that this movie can't be taken seriously is my problem. If it were just a funny cartoony cartoon I'd be fine with it -- in fact, it's been a while since I'd seen a cartoon feature film that was as funny as this one, it's a lost art. But the fact that the film tries to shoehorn a dramatic plotine about Alex's daddy issues, Marty's identity issues, Melman's romantic issues, etc. Even if these subplots were well-executed, which they aren't, how on Earth could they be supported by these ugly, angular, caricature characters? Coming up next: Screwy Squirrel learns the true meaning of Christmas, and Woody Woodpecker embarks on a magical quest to save Middle-Earth. |
Edited by - MisterBadIdea on 11/30/2008 04:50:42 |
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Airbolt 
"teil mann, teil maschine"
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Posted - 12/01/2008 : 00:13:44
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quote:
Originally posted by MisterBadIdea
quote:
What the hell message is that - on any level - to trivialize the vulnerability of the elderly and of endangered species.
Okay I'm taking it too seriously. Maybe.
No maybe about it, BB.
The fact that this movie can't be taken seriously is my problem. If it were just a funny cartoony cartoon I'd be fine with it -- in fact, it's been a while since I'd seen a cartoon feature film that was as funny as this one, it's a lost art. But the fact that the film tries to shoehorn a dramatic plotine about Alex's daddy issues, Marty's identity issues, Melman's romantic issues, etc. Even if these subplots were well-executed, which they aren't, how on Earth could they be supported by these ugly, angular, caricature characters? Coming up next: Screwy Squirrel learns the true meaning of Christmas, and Woody Woodpecker embarks on a magical quest to save Middle-Earth.
LOL Not forgetting Inch High Private Eye's harrowing tirade against sizeism.
I tried to like Madagascar and it had some very funny one-liners plus a really slick turn from Sacha Baron-Cohen. Yet, it failed ( for me ) to make the leap into the " Adults can enjoy too " category ( Toy Story, Incredibles ). I am not too surprised to learn the sequel is stuffed full of "lessons". |
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Salopian 
"Four ever European"
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Posted - 12/01/2008 : 00:57:18
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The king lemur is called Julien, not Julius.
Not all elderly people are vulnerable. It would be quite ridiculous to suggest that all old people in films must either be treated kindly or be unable to stand up for themselves when treated unkindly, so let's assume that you were not suggesting that.
I was inevitably disappointed by the first film as it was trailered for a LONG time while I was working at a cinema, and the trailer contained some hilarious lined. So I perhaps enjoyed this one more although I can imagine that more equivalent for viewings might have made that different. Still, I didn't mind any of the subplots or lessons. The aeroplanes are reminiscent of Chicken Run but still very entertaining. Maybe the lion plot is a little too much like The Lion King (and even Happy Feet), but that didn't trouble me too much.
So yes, not amazing, but in my top four children's animations this year. |
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Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
