Rated PG for some mild crude humor.
Directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath (Madagascar)
Starring the voices of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, David Schwimmer, Sacha Baron Cohen, Andy Richter, Cedric the Entertainer, Alec Baldwin, Will i Am, Quinn Dempsey Stiller and Declan Swift
One word…Hilarious!
The sequel to 2005's “Madagascar,” in which New York Zoo animals, Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer) and Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith), are stranded on Madagascar returns with a fun new adventure as they try to get back “home.” With the Penguins (my favorite characters) at the helm, they take off in spectacular fashion, but unfortunately only get as far as the wild plains of Africa. Alex finds his family, Marty finds out he’s not alone, and Melman and Gloria find love.
I loved Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. Finding a movie that my entire family enjoys is rare, but we all were laughing throughout it and singing “I like to move it, move it” along with the characters.
Speaking of characters, the penguins are quite possibly the funniest animated characters ever created. With great lines like, (after the plane crash) “Only two passengers unaccounted for, Skipper.” “That's a number I can live with! Good landing, boys! Who says a penguin can't fly?” Throw in there Ben Stiller and Chris Rock and honestly they could have stopped there. But no, there’s Cedric the Entertainer, who is usually very funny and Bernie Mac, who always made me laugh, and Sacha Baron Cohen as Julien who is just brilliant. Jada Pinkett Smith, David Schwimmer are no slouches either, both deliver some very funny lines.
Not only is it filled with great laughs, but there is a softer side too. There are some very tender moments between father and son, where Alex finds acceptance in spite of his lack of hunting skills. And a few between Alex and Marty, whose friendship is put to the test. Some have suggested that the film makers take the story of acceptance too far, but I was encouraged to see family and friends showing some unconditional love. Wherever you stand on that, it makes for great conversations with the family.
As far as I’m concerned, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is “crack-a-lackin” … in other words, “Worth Buying.”
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Yes. There are some “Shrek” moments, you know the humor that misses most kids but as parents you laugh a little harder, but nothing that offended me or crossed a line.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
- What are some of the messages or themes you observed in this movie?
- How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
- How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions?
