Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa DVD Review

"Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" reviews

DVD

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2009-04-06 14:04:52

Rating

3/5

Provider

DVD Review

The latest adventures of New York Zoo's finest arrives this week in the distinctly unadventurous "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa". From the crushingly inevitable use of the number in the title to the hastily rehashed plot, this is a bright swirl of primary colours and pop culture gags in search of a heart.

The fish out of water setup of the original "Madagascar" was hardly groundbreaking and this sequel opens as the gang of intrepid critters attempt to escape their tropical prison and head for the Big Apple. Unfortunately, their rickety plane is less stable than Courtney Love and friends Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria swiftly crash land in Africa. Marooned in the wild once more, the quartet encounter their own species for the first time but predictably learn more about love, friendship and themselves along the way.

Bigger and Better is the general rule with sequels but the makers of "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" seem content to coast with more of the same. Glossier than Eva Longoria coated in Ronseal, this sequel undoubtedly looks fantastic and the opening plane crash set piece is a belter. However, this fresh comic flavour fades faster than juicy fruit and ends up just as flat and predictable.

The all-star cast of Stiller, Rock et al are back for more and this time they're joined by the likes of the late Bernie Mac and Alec Baldwin. A starry cast is all well and good, but the filmmakers are hamstrung by the surfeit of characters and a plot that splutters but never truly sparks into life. There are several effective comic interludes, but the overall feeling is disjointed and characters like the hilarious King Julien (Baron Cohen) inexplicably sidelined.

All that being said, "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" knows its audience and is completely innocuous. However, in a year where Pixar have pushed the boundaries of animation with "WALL-E", it just feels rather safe.

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