The penguins give this uneven family sequel its funniest moments, especially when entrusted with a plane. The crowded story is less rewarding, but there are enough jokes to make its 89 minutes pass pleasantly.
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is a decent family comedy whose crowded story keeps getting in the way of its jokes. Directors Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath have a knack for finding something funny for an animal to do, particularly if that animal is a penguin. The trouble comes when the film asks us to take everyone’s personal difficulties seriously. There are enough good gags to make it a reasonable choice for children, though adults sharing the sofa may grow impatient with another round of family bonding.
The penguin-manned plane crash shows how well the physical comedy can work. We laughed at it, because putting these birds in charge makes the whole business absurd before the disaster even needs to happen. The pleasure comes from watching a practical task entrusted to creatures whose confidence makes even the simplest precautions seem like somebody else’s problem. Editors Mark A. Hester and H. Lee Peterson give the sequence the briskness it needs, allowing the calamity to build without labouring the joke. The film establishes an appetite for this sort of nonsense that its busier stretches struggle to satisfy.
The screenplay, credited to Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath and Etan Cohen, has family loyalties, rivalry and romance to accommodate. Animal appetites and attraction are promising subjects, and the film deserves some credit for allowing its creatures concerns beyond simply being nice to one another. But the familiar family material keeps interrupting the silliness without becoming compelling enough to justify the interruption. For this familiar material to matter, we need a little more time with each relationship before the next comic distraction arrives and attention shifts again. The rivalry invites comparison with The Lion King, and the writing gives us little reason to become invested in another version of those troubles.
Ben Stiller’s Alex, Chris Rock’s Marty, David Schwimmer’s Melman and Jada Pinkett Smith’s Gloria make an amiable central group. The zebra gag gives Chris Rock a welcome opportunity, though the number of separate concerns leaves the performers little space to develop an exchange. Sacha Baron Cohen’s Julien benefits from the stranger comedy allowed around the supporting characters. There is a frustrating shortage of room for the penguins and lemurs, considering how readily they can improve a scene.
Kendal Cronkhite’s production design helps keep the crowded animation lively and legible. Even with penguins, lemurs and zebras competing for attention, a visual joke remains easy to follow. The broad animal comedy benefits from that clarity, and there is enough energy in the images to sustain stretches where the writing repeats itself. There is still a limit to how much that clear staging can do when several characters are waiting for their own small emotional crisis to be resolved. We can enjoy watching these creatures without needing every one of them to have a subplot.
Hans Zimmer supplies the music, while the goofy pop-song choices make a particularly useful contribution to the comedy. Their cheerful lack of restraint suits the film, which is generally more comfortable being daft than being earnest. The broad humour also avoids treating children as an audience that needs everything explained twice. Familiarity is not fatal to a family comedy when the individual jokes are given this much enthusiasm.
We would choose it for children who enjoy unruly animals and adults willing to accept a patchy story in exchange for some good physical comedy. At 89 minutes, it does not make an unreasonable claim on the evening. Just expect to spend some of that time waiting for the penguins to come back.
