MADAGASCAR - ESCAPE 2 AFRICA

Description:

Your favorite castaways are back – still together and still lost! One of the top movies of the year, DreamWorks Animation's MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA is "even better than the first!" (Mark Hyman, FOX-TV). You'll laugh out loud as this outrageous comedy takes you on an African adventure like no other.

KIDS FIRST!® Adult Juror Comments:

Alex is a baby lion who loves to sing, dance, be happy. Caught off the reserve in Africa, to the anguish of the lion King, his father, Alex awakes to an unlikely group of comrades in the New York Central Park Zoo. As they grow up, so does their song and dance friendship. Alex becomes King of the Zoo, adored by all. Yet they escape to their roots, Africa in a rickety plane piloted by penguins. This madcap group of friends discover identity, love, challenge. The movie, guided by great animation, funny characterization, sensitive dialogue, finds Alex reunited with his family only to be banished after his right of passage, sabotaged by a jealous lion, fails. Throughout, Alex maintains his independence, his love of what he knows - dance, song and joyfulness. These contagious qualities win the ultimate test and Alex, leading his friends, save the animal kingdom from outside dangers. Happily, Alex teaches his father, the King Lion, to dance. This is a terrific movie for kids and parents, although parental caution, and PG rating is deserved specifically when an older grandparent figure, female, though very irritating and mean, is constantly being pummeled by everyone. This element is not a positive message and those scenes detract from the lesson of family being true to one's identity-and parental support of their child's abilities. Stars Chris Rock and Ben Stiller.