Dreamworks tends to make high quality animated films. Their big smash success, Shrek, had a genuinely interesting take on fairy tales. Capitalizing on that success Dreamworks cranked out one animated film after another - each of them with great animation and a penchant for pop culture jokes. Unfortunately, that gets old. Even Madagascar, which was a definite step away from typical Dreamworks fare, didn't quite break the mold. However, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa changes that and marks Dreamworks' first great movie since Shrek.
Marooned in Madagascar after the events of the first movie - Alex (Stiller), Marty (Rock), Melman (Schwimmer) and Gloria (Pinkett Smith) slingshot themselves onto the African mainland "en route" back to New York. The sequel does away with the "fish out of water" theme that carried the entire first film and spends more time developing the characters on an individual basis. Each character gets their own moment in the sun and the movie benefits significantly from it. Alex reunites with the mother and father he lost when captured and sent to the zoo only to find his presence in the pride causes them a lot of problems. Marty, in a funk with Alex, tries to figure out how you can be special when you look like everyone else. Melman, the eternal hypochondriac, copes with what he's told to be his imminent death. Gloria finds herself the attention of the most desirable hippo in the crowd at the watering hole. All of the characters go their own separate way in Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa only to realize that on a continent as vast as Africa all they really need is each other.
While simple in message, this sequel features great comedic performances with terrific writing. Speaking of the writing, I find it particularly funny that they cut the 4 person writing staff of the original (Mark Burton, Bully Frolick, Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath) down to just Etan Coen and ended up with a distinctly better product. I guess one head is better than four.
If Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa was improved by trimming down the writing staff it got a further boost by compensating with new cast members. Besides the exceptionally brilliant cast of the original (Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer and Andy Richter) a whole slew of additional comics were brought in. Bernie Mac, Alex Baldwin, Sherri Shepherd and Will I Am all lent their voices to inspired casting choices. Bernie Mac as Zuba, Alex's father, downplays Bernie's amazing comic talent in favor of a more serious role - but he still shines. The most notable of all additions is Alec Baldwin. The man's on fire. He's an acting god. As Makunga, Alex's evil uncle he's hilarious. He's got the Alex Baldwin hair - it's just perfect. Sherri Shepherd and Will I Am round out the new additions as Alex's mother and Gloria's studly hippo love interest, respectively.
Here's kid film I can wholeheartedly recommend to kids and parents on its own merit. But, as if to sweeten the pot, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa stands as one of the best possible Blu-ray purchases I've seen. Ever. The Blu-ray extra features push an already exceptional feature over the brim with quality featurettes that are actually fun to watch.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
First off we have the typical "Behind the Scenes" style featurettes. "The Animators' Corner", "It's a Family Affair", "The Making of Escape 2 Africa", "Crash Landing" and "African Adventure" comprise the more informational of the features and offer quite a bit of interesting stuff. The best of these has to be "It's a Family Affair" which gives you a look at the casting involved.
For fun features we "The Bronx Zoo: Madagascar", episodes of the upcoming Nickelodeon Penguin spin-off, a game where you get to "fly" the tenuously constructed airplane from the movie, trailers and "Mad Music". Now it's "Mad Music" which for me represents a stroke of genius on the part of Dreamworks in putting together this Blu-ray disc. Taking all of the musical sequences from their past features, Dreamworks has made a "jukebox" of sorts where you can choose musical numbers according to their respective film and play them in full. Such a great concept.
As if Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa didn't already have enough going for it from the acting and writing talents involved - packing the Blu-ray with so many extra features only sweetens the pot. If you've got kids this a definite buy, if you're an animation fan also worth it. Otherwise I'd recommend buying it only if you liked the film, if you've never seen it give it a rent first.
"Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" is on sale February 6, 2009 and is rated PG. Animation, Children & Family, Comedy. Directed by Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath. Written by Etan Cohen. Starring Alec Baldwin, Andy Richter, Ben Stiller, Bernie Mac, Cedric The Entertainer, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinket Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Sherri Shepherd, WilliAm.
