Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008) (B.O.B. Ate My DVD Packaging)

Madagascar 2 A Great Escape

By Yahoo! Shopping User  Mar 13, 2009

Pros: The jokes and references to 80's and 90's culture make this a fun movie for parents and kids alike.

Cons: Some of the jokes may not be totally appropriate for some younger audiences.

Cultural relativity and family are themes that have been done time and again in movies and television. One would think that after a while, those themes would be explored to the point that they would grow old. However, in Madagascar 2, both themes hav...e been combiend to make a movie that is full of laughs for both parents and their children. That doesn't apply entirely to younger children, as the "PG" rating is justified. There are some jokes and refernces that would not be proper for younger children. But in large part, this movie is a wonderful work for the whole family. Yes, cultural relativity and family have been done before. But the jokes and references used throughout this movie are what keep that theme so fresh and funny. The story is chock full of references and jokes that both parents and kids will get. Parents are more likely to get the refernces to "Born Free", "Jurassic Park", The Twilight Zone", and even the classic kids game, "Barrel of Monkeys." Kids get their own laughs, too. Most of those laughs come from the likes of Julian. He is noe of the biggest factors that made Madagascar 2 so funny. Sascha Baren Cohen The penguins can't be forgotten either. They are characters that kids will find just as funny as parents. The demeanor of the lead penguin is hilarious to say the least. The special features included in the single disc edition of the movie are a nice addition to the overall experience. The "African Adventure" feature added to the experience in that it showed how the crew actually went to Africa and observed the behavior of the animals so as to add a certain level of reality to the story. In comparing what the crew observed to what is shown in the movie, audiences gain a certain level of appreciation for what went into making the movie. There are fun little features for the kids, too. The "Mad MUsic" videos, and "Jambo Jambo: Swahili Speak" feeatures are perfect for yougner audiences. There is also the 'Dreamworks Video Jukebox' that adults and their kids will enjoy. It features snippets of songs from every Dreamworks animated movie released so far. Given, they aren't entire songs, but they are enough to get kids singing. So in essence, this feature is just a marketing tool for Dreamworks. But it is still a fun feature. Many people will look at Madagascar 2, and instantly compare it to Disney's 'The Lion King.' That comparison is entirely justified. The similarities between the two are obvious. But the two movies are dis-similar, too. 'The Lion King' was based in Africa, and dealt only with family issues. Not only that, but took a much more serious tone, in that Simba's father was killed. Madagascar 2 focused more on cultural relativity and culture shock, along with the family issue. Plus, the jokes wer far more abundant in this movie than in the prior. This helped it maintain its own identity, and enjoyment, and will thankfully continue to do so regardless of the constant comparisons years down the road. Read more Less