I don’t think I paid much attention to the Madagascar movies when they released,
just assuming that they were aimed at kids. In the years that followed, I had
the opportunity to work on the content of parts 1 and 2, for a multimedia
project, and that’s when I realized how truly awesome and funny they were,
being fully suited for witty adult audiences. At the time, part 3 hadn’t
released as yet, and I made a mental note to watch the first two parts. After
watching the first part about 6 months before, I got around to part 2 last
night, Escape 2 Africa, in which the
4 English speaking animal friends are off to yet another adventure, this time
to Africa, where Alex the lion is reunited with his parents.
For starters, if anyone is of the belief that Madagascar is for kids, you need to
change that opinion, as it’s incredibly funny and aimed at audience of all ages.
With smart dialog, it’s guaranteed to be a hit with the older audiences, while
comical animated characters will ensure the children are amused too. Hats off
to directors Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath, who have managed to blend the two so
seamlessly, that it’s hard to notice them apart. Unlike some of the cartoons
which have long musical pieces, like the Lion
King and Aladdin, Madagascar manages to keep it crisp,
with short musical bits, with influences from modern catchy pop music, and some
classics, appropriately used to keep the momentum going and not stray off into
musical genre territory. Simply put, the 1 and a half hour cartoon was non-stop
entertainment, and the pace was fabulous, never dropping off or getting boring.
To the contrary, there were so many gripping and standout moments that had me
glued. Though the plot was simple, there were many touching, deep moments,
which stirred emotion. Add to all that greatness, the incredible animation; the
sights and sounds just looked awesome. Especially on a big screen in HD, Madagascar 2 proved to be a visual
spectacle, with the animation quality and CGI rendering being breathtaking.
It’s fair to say that as an experience overall I was just floored. If you need
a movie that great for family or friends, that’s super funny an entertaining, and
just great in all ways, Madagascar 2
is the way to go. For me it was
Goosebumps galore!
All the characters of Madagascar
2 are memorable and lovable. As much as Alex the lion is the center of the
story, so many other supporting characters are meticulously planned, and then
gloriously delivered to create a character sets that’s just super entertaining.
For example, the penguins are cool as ever, and operate slick and smooth. In
addition to being my favorite Madagascar
characters, I think the elements they bring to the character matrix of the
movie is superb, and speaks volumes of the detail and planning that went into the
creation process. Similarly, King Julien is a total nut job, but also a key
element and a solid addition to the cast. It’s worth noting that the voiceovers
for the characters are done by an all-star cast including, Ben stiller, Chris
Rock, David Schwimmer (of Friends
fame), Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen (of Borat fame), Alec Baldwin, Will I Am, and Andy Richter (of Late Night with Conan O’Brien fame).
The content I was watching was a 720p, HD rip from BlueRay.
Video was incredible, and it was one of the few times I could not perceive any
noticeable degradation, though it was a rip. That said, the BlueRay may take
quality even higher. Colors were warm, and visuals were sharp and clear. I
quite honestly loved the way it looked on a big screen, full HD, Plasma TV.
Sound was presented by means of a 6 channel, Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack.
Dialog was clear, and in Madagascar,
that’s very important, as the impact of the awesome humor is largely dialog
dependent. Audio sequences were great, and many scenes were complemented with
memorable music, including More Than a
Feeling by Boston. The
combination of a big screen and a well-endowed home theatre sound system,
coupled with solid tech elements from the movie, ensured for an immersive
adventure in an African reserve.
My Recommendation: Kick
Ass (An animated comedy extravaganza)
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