There is no escaping sequels, and so ³Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa² was
inevitable. Although this sequel doesn¹t do much more than trot out the same
cuddly characters, that¹ll be enough to please everyone who made the first
movie an animated hit in 2005.
The first movie involved four inhabitants of the Central Park Zoo escaping
their cages and heading into the wilds of New York. After they were
captured, well-intentioned humans decided they would be happiest living in a
Kenyan wildlife preserve; however, they mistakenly wound up in Madagascar,
where they met an assortment of relentlessly loud and cute critters.
There¹s just as much noisy activity in a sequel that contrives to send the
festive quartet to mainland Africa. The lion Alex (Ben Stiller), zebra Marty
(Chris Rock), giraffe Melman (David Schwimmer) and hippo Gloria (Jada
Pinkett Smith) finally meet animals who look like themselves.
Not that the movie gets profound, but it does raise issues about individual
vs. group identity. How can you stand out from the herd and yet also express
solidarity for your species? And if these wildly different animals all get
along, why can¹t people learn a multicultural lesson from it? The littlest
humans watching this movie doubtless will ask such questions while being
taken by mom and dad on the safari headed home.
Unlike the concrete canyons of Manhattan and jungles of Madagascar seen in
the first movie, the sequel mostly is set on vast African plains under an
immense sky. Thousands of animals gather around a water hole in several
scenes, which provides a densely populated backdrop for our four
protagonists. The landscape is quite beautiful in these crowd scenes.
There¹s a palpable sense of Africa as a boisterous and yet austere
wonderland. Incidentally, the expected African wildlife is supplemented by
adorably misbehaving penguins.
Some of the natural antics might prove too silly and shrill for adult
viewers, but kids are likely to respond favorably to the sensory overload.
Long sections of the movie are just an excuse to let the quartet hang out
with their wild friends, tease each other, and periodically break out into
song.
There¹s also an attempt to show that the four stars are maturing as a result
of getting so directly in touch with their roots. Zoo exhibit A in this
respect is Alex, the lion who delighted New Yorkers with his showbiz
routines back at the Central Park zoo. When Alex explores mainland Africa,
he is reunited with his father (the late Bernie Mac) and mother (Sherri
Shepherd). His dad is an alpha male who passes along valuable leadership
skills to Alex. These are meant to be heartfelt scenes, but too often seem
like outtakes from ³The Lion King.²
More amusing is a plot twist that has the amply endearing Gloria maturing to
the point that she¹s ready for a romantic friendship with a hunky hippo
named Moto Moto (will.i.am). Their earthshaking courtship is funny and, yes,
likely to engender a sentimental smile.
Other plot developments in a movie that frankly does not have much plot
include the animals confronting a group of New York tourists. Wildlife is no
match for a purse-swinging old lady. These confrontations are so predictable
that they seem creatively stale, but they¹re also so vigorous that kids
won¹t be bored by them.
This sequel is likely to do well, raising the possibility that future
installments may have to explore other continents. Brace yourself for
³Madagascar: Penguins Marching 4 Antarctica.² Grade: C+
³Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa² (PG) opens Friday, Nov. 7 at area theaters.

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