Seen on: November 7, 2008

The players: Directors: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath, Writers: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath, Etan Cohen, Voice cast: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett-Smith, David Schwimmer, Sacha Baron Cohen, Bernie Mac

Facts of interest: This is not the last "Madagascar." A third one is on the way already.

The plot: This time, Alex, Gloria, Melman and Marty try to fly back home to New York. Unfortunately, they end up crash-landing somewhere in Africa.

Our thoughts: “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” feels more like a déjà vu than an all-new animated adventure starring familiar characters. The sequel to the 2005 DreamWorks Animation hit “Madagascar” lacks all the ingredients of an inventive sequel, offering instead a boring 89-minute show with a shallow story and plenty of rehashed gags.

Stranded in Madagascar after their first adventure, Alex (Ben Stiller), Marty (Chris Rock), Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Melman (David Schwimmer) are gearing up to return home to New York City. But if you let a group of crazy penguins fly your plane, don’t expect to get very far.

Indeed, shortly after taking off, the plane breaks down and the animals are forced to make an emergency landing somewhere in Africa. Still far from their zoo but npw much closer to their roots, the four friends are about to experience what life in the wild is really about.

I know this summary doesn’t sound much like a story, and that’s primarily because the film doesn’t have a real story line in the first place. Nothing happens for almost an entire hour, during which the plot spends an awful amount of time focusing how Alex and co. explore a lifestyle they were never really familiar with.

Now, while Marty enjoys the company of his zebra buddies, Gloria looks out for a handsome male, and Melman learns about Africa’s worst diseases, Alex gets to spend some quality time with his parents. There’s plenty of bonding between families and friends in this flick, but sadly enough, none of it is funny or captivating.

The real adventure begins only an hour into the movie, and while it lacks suspense and innovation, it helps the plot reduces the boring dialogue and pick up at least a little bit of much-needed speed. Other than that, there’s hardly anything in this movie to get excited about, except maybe some funny segments involving the penguins.

Besides that, the only thing I can really praise here is the film’s gorgeous look. The animation is top-notch and the colors are strong and wonderful, making the whole movie visually more appealing than its predecessor. The soundtrack by will.i.am and Hans Zimmer works as well, even though it’s pretty much the only thing injecting the flick with some energy.

Freaky quote: “Hey, surprise, freaks! I am coming with you!" – Sacha Baron Cohen

The final word: If there’s one distinguishing mark about “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa,” it’s that it marks Bernie Mac’s last animated movie. He gave his voice to Zuba the lion, Alex’s father. The voice-overs by the returning Stiller, Smith, Schwimmer and Rock are energetic, although they can’t make up for poor screenwriting and thin characters. In the end, this is definitely not a wild ride.

Article by Franck Tabouring