Madagascar 2

Just went to a “Multimedia FDA screening” of Madagascar 2. It’s pretty good.

It doesn’t build upon or advance the story dramataically, but nevertheless, I was immersed, and the penguins are much better than in the original. The animation remains at the same level, but there are some pretty shots of a CGI Africa.

 

As cute as ever.

The funniest moment involved one of these gerbil creatures, doing a 2-way conversation with himself. I was less keen on the edge-of-racism moments where the zebra (voiced by Chris Rock), can’t be distinguished from the other zebras. Like saying all the black people are the same, basically.

David Schwimmer does his regular nervous-and-anxious schtick, and Alec Baldwin, playing the easily-defeated villain is as good as ever.

In lieu of fighting, there is dancing, although there is a scene where a lion and an old lady are beaten brutally by each other, and there’s some of those pretentious, fake “c’mon guys, we can do it!” scenes, which I loathe and detest in such a manner that if one walked into the room, I’d have a flamethrower out quicker than you can say burn, baby burn.

Altogether, a decent sequel, not a complete milking of the franchise cow *coughgeorgelucascough* but not incredible either. Something to take a younger relative to, basically.