Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
When one thinks of “Madagascar”- the 2005 animated film from Dreamworks- one immediately thinks…penguins? Believe it buddy; I know when I came out of watching that film- one of several the studio has made that didn’t really do much for me- the prime benefactors of my affection were those four crazy penguins, who hijacked a freighter with our main characters, and instead of getting to their beloved Antarctica, found themselves landing on the island just off of Africa. Little did I know that a “pro-penguin” agenda was taking shape in Hollywood, including two Oscar-winning films (the doc “March of the Penguins” and the animated film “Happy Feet”) and numerous other references that would reek of overkill (at least the writers on “The Simpsons Movie” had their mind on killing it off).
Boy, how things have changed in my perspective the past few years. Now, when I think “Madagascar”- both the country and the film- I think Lemur. You see, Madagascar is the home of the Lemur in real life, and in the film, the scene-stealer- besides those psychotic penguins- was the Lemur King Julien, voiced by Sascha Baron Cohen, who- a year later- would see his stock go up in Hollywood courtesy his un-PC comic smash “Borat.” But something else happened that caused this thought shift in me. Later in ’05 I somehow acquired the nickname of The Grand Lemur. How this happened is a surreal and quite frankly surprising story (one I recounted last year via short story on MySpace in “Requiem for a Lemur: A Short Story of The Grand Lemur”), but with Lemurs on the mind (I now have several different kinds of inanimate ones, from kids’ toys to plush stuffed), and their spirit injected into my soul (though shamefully, I didn’t keep up with this year’s “Lemur Kingdom” on Animal Planet), I have to say, I was unexpectedly open for a return to the animated “Madagascar.”
“Shrek” sequels aside, Dreamworks is starting to find its’ voice in terms of animated films. Though it lacks the magic of their summer hit “Kung Fu Panda,” “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” has heart to go with the frequent laughs. It all starts with the lion Alex (Ben Stiller), the zebra Marty (Chris Rock), the giraffe Melman (David Schwimmer), and hippo Gloria (Jada Pinkett-Smith) being flown by the forementioned penguins off Madagascar back to New York in a makeshift aircraft. Unfortunately, it’s a little too rickety, and no sooner have they taken off have the quartet, the penguins, two monkeys, and King Julien and his right hand Lemur Maurice (Cedric the Entertainer) crash landed on the plains of Africa. But things aren’t all gloom for our heroes. While the penguins and monkeys team up to fix the plane, the main four find a multi-animal watering hole where they feel very much at home with their own kind. Especially Alex, who is reunited with his proud father Zuba (the late Bernie Mac, voicing with a warm heart and natural wit) and mother. But Zuba’s rival Makunga (a slimy Alec Baldwin) is not-so-thrilled, and manipulates the situation to his advantage. As for Julian and Maurice, well they find themselves very much at home, even if Julien’s delusions of being king of this Pride Land aren’t exactly realistic.
Thinking back, I can’t say that I found the original “Madagascar” all that fun- just seemed like another wacky animated comedy that didn’t really have much to offer beyond that (though in all fairness, it was considerably better than Dreamworks’ last one, 2004’s “A Shark’s Tale”). This one succeeds not only by building a more resonant story arc for all four of the main characters- Marty’s is no doubt the funniest (I wouldn’t dare spoil why- Rock hits it out of the park), Alex’s the most touching (partly thanks to Mac, but also because Stiller delivers the goods also), and Melman’s and Gloria’s is the most surprising- but also by letting the actors let loose with their own type of comedy. On this front, probably Rock and Schwimmer fair the best of the best, with their respective situations allowing them to channel more of themselves into their characters.
But make no mistake- while the stars rule in “Escape 2 Africa,” the scene-stealers from the original steal the show once again. The penguins, of course, are the big laugh generators- their cute demeanor off-set by a sinister edge that is laugh-out-loud hilarious. But Baron Cohen really owns bragging rights here. Julien’s whacked-out delusions of power in a jungle where lion is king make for some of the craziest moments of comedy, but nothing else made me laugh so hard as when he’s giving advice to a love-sick Melman. The way the lemur’s movements accentuate the verbal wit Baron Cohen is spouting is pitch-perfect priceless, and worth the price of admission, proving once and for all that lemur’s rule. So sayeth The Grand Lemur.
