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Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

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This article is about the film. For the video game based on the film, seeMadagascar: Escape 2 Africa (video game).

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa(also known asMadagascar 2: Escape to Africa) is a 2008 American animatedadventurecomedy film[3]produced byDreamWorks Animation SKG[a]andPDI/DreamWorksand distributed byParamount Pictures.It is the sequel toMadagascar(2005) and the second installment in thefranchise.It was directed byEric DarnellandTom McGrathand written byEtan Cohen,Darnell, and McGrath. The film featuresBen Stiller,Chris Rock,David Schwimmer,Jada Pinkett Smith,Sacha Baron Cohen,Cedric the Entertainer,Andy Richter,Elisa Gabrielli,McGrath,Chris Miller,Christopher Knights,andConrad Vernonreprising theirvoice actingroles from the first film, joined by new cast membersBernie Mac,Alec Baldwin,Sherri Shepherd,andwill.i.am,as well as voice acting veteranJohn DiMaggio.In the film, the main characters, a party of animals from theCentral Park Zoowhose adventures have taken them toMadagascarfind themselves in the Africansavannas,where they meet others of their species and where Alex the lion reunites with his parents.

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Theatrical release poster showing close-ups of Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman, with King Juilen, Maurice and Mort on top of their heads, and below are the penguins, all on the foreground. The background is a group of animals behind them. The tagline "Still together, still lost" is displayed in the top corner. "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" is written in the middle corner. The release date "11.07.08" is displayed on the bottom corner.
Theatrical release poster
Directed byEric Darnell
Tom McGrath
Written byEtan Cohen
Eric Darnell
Tom McGrath
Produced byMireille Soria
Mark Swift
StarringBen Stiller
Chris Rock
David Schwimmer
Jada Pinkett Smith
Sacha Baron Cohen
Cedric the Entertainer
Andy Richter
Bernie Mac
Alec Baldwin
Sherri Shepherd
will.i.am
Edited byH. Lee Peterson
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed byDreamWorks Animation[1]
Paramount Pictures[1]
Release date
  • November 7, 2008(2008-11-07)
Running time
89 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$150 million
Box office$603.9 million[2]

DreamWorks Animation announced a sequel toMadagascarsince 2005, when the first film had been released, with a release date planned for late 2008. It was originally subtitledThe Crate Escape,before eventually changed its final titleEscape 2 Africa.The film, like its predecessor, features several songs from various artists, with musical score being composed byHans Zimmer,this time being joined by will.i.am who performed five songs.

Released on November 7, 2008,Madagascar: Escape 2 Africareceived generally positive reviews from critics for its characters, humor and animation, with critics considering it an improvement over its predecessor, and grossed $603.9 million on a $150 million budget, making it thesixth highest-grossing film of 2008.[4]It was dedicated to Bernie Mac, who died on August 9, 2008 before the film's release.[5]A sequel,Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted,was released in June 2012.

Plot

InKenya,[6]theAlphalionZuba tries to teach his young son Alakay how to fight, but Alakay is more interested in dancing. Rival lion Makunga challenges Zuba for the title of Alpha, but during their fight, Alakay is captured bypoachersand put in a crate. Zuba gives chase and breaks the safety harness off of the crate containing Alakay, but is shot in the ear and incapacitated. The crate falls into the ocean and drifts toNew York City,where Alakay is renamed Alex, grows up at theCentral Park Zoo,and meets his lifelong best friends: Marty, Melman, and Gloria.

Years later, following their adventure inMadagascar,[b]Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria, along with Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private, thepenguins,and Mason and Phil, thechimpanzees,prepare to return to New York aboard a battered airplane piloted by the penguins, accompanied by King Julien, Maurice and Mort. The plane runs out of fuel and crash lands in continental Africa. The animals find themselves at a watering hole on anature reserve,and are excited to meet others of their species. Alex is reunited with his parents and impresses them with tales of his status as "the king of New York". Marty fits in with a herd of other zebras who look and sound just like him. Melman, ahypochondriac,is distressed that the reserve has no doctors, so the other giraffes appoint him theirwitch doctor.Seeking romance, Gloria attracts the attention of the smooth-talking male hippo Moto Moto. Meanwhile, the penguins set about repairing the plane, assisted by numerous chimpanzees recruited by Mason and Phil. They steal vehicles from humans on asafariand strip them for parts. Nana, a tough old woman who attacked Alex inGrand Central Station,[b]takes charge of the stranded tourists and helps them survive in the wilderness for the time being.

In a scheme to oust Zuba as Alpha lion, Makunga insists that Alex complete arite of passagewhich Alex mistakes for a talent contest. It is actually a fighting contest, and Makunga tricks him into choosing the strongest lion as his opponent, resulting in Alex's humiliating defeat. Despondent, Zuba relinquishes his title as Alpha to Makunga, who banishes Alex from the watering hole. Meanwhile, Marty is dejected by the realization that the other zebras can do everything he can, believing himself no longer unique. Melman comes to believe that he is deathly ill and, having secretly loved Gloria for a long time, is saddened by Gloria's interest in Moto Moto. The four friends get into a heated argument with one another. Gloria has a date with Moto Moto, but loses interest when she realizes he is only attracted to her because of her size. After a pep talk from Julien, Melman finally reveals his feelings for Gloria.

The next day, the animals panic when the watering hole dries up. Determined to redeem himself, Alex mends his friendship with Marty and they leave the reserve to investigate upriver. Julien suggests that offering a sacrifice to the nearby volcano will restore the water. Melman, forlorn and believing he is dying, volunteers to be sacrificed. Gloria stops him from jumping into the volcano, and realizes that he loves her for more than her appearance. Alex and Marty discover that the stranded humans have built a camp and dammed up the river, and Alex is captured by them. Zuba rushes to his aid, but Alex saves them both by dancing for the humans, who remember him fondly from the zoo. Marty, Melman, Gloria, the penguins, and the chimpanzees arrive in the repaired airplane and help Alex destroy the dam, restoring the water. Makunga angrily makes a stand for control, but Alex tricks him into being subdued by Nana. Zuba offers Alex the title of Alpha lion, but he declines, believing the title belongs to his father. Zuba claims the title belongs to them both, and father and son become co-leaders.

Skipper marries abobbleheaddoll from the plane, and he, the other penguins, and the chimpanzees head off to honeymoon inMonte Carlo.[c]The foursome and the lemurs happily decide to stay on the reserve for a while.

Voice cast

See also:List of Madagascar (franchise) characters
Chris Rockat the Israeli premiere of the film, on November 22, 2008.

Production

A sequel toMadagascarhad been in development since 2005, when the first film had been released, with a release date planned for late 2008.[7]In the first teaser trailer, which was released in March 2008, the film was subtitledThe Crate Escape.[8]By June 2008, the film was given its final title –Escape 2 Africa.[9]Los Angeles-based studioDuck Studios,animated the end credits scene usingCutout animationwith a style inspired byAfrican art.[10]

Reception

Critical response

Rotten Tomatoesreported that 64% of critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 5.9/10, based on 157 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africais an improvement on the original, with more fleshed-out characters, crisper animation and more consistent humor. "[11]Another review aggregator,Metacriticclassified the film into the "generally favorable reviews" category with 61/100 approval rating based on 25 reviews, also a bit higher a score than the original.[12]Audiences polled byCinemaScoregave the film an average grade of "A−" on an A+ to F scale.[13]

Michael Phillips of theChicago Tribunestated in his review that the film "goes easy on the pop culture jokes, I should clarify: one of the smarter things in the script is how Alex, who digs hisBob FosseandJerome Robbinsdance moves, becomes the film's primary pop-cult gag. "[14]Roger Ebertof theChicago Sun-Timesgave the film 3/4 stars and wrote "This is a brighter, more engaging film than the originalMadagascar."[15]John Anderson ofNewsdaygave the film 3.5/4 stars and stated "Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa,the sequel to the enormously successful DreamWorks adventure and a film that hews close to the wholeLion King/species-as-destiny/self-fulfillment paradigm. "[16]Joe MorgensternofThe Wall Street Journalwrote: "The roots are shallow, but the sequel is good-natured, high-spirited and perfectly enjoyable if you take it for what it is."[17]Jim Schembri ofThe Agegave the film 3.5/5 stars, describing it as a "hugely entertaining, lightning-fast, ceaselessly funny follow-up to the adorable 2005 animated hit", and deemed it one of the best animated films of 2008.[18]Kelly Jane Torrance ofThe Washington Timesgave the film 3/5 stars, writing that it "might not offer audiences cutting-edge animation or a particularly original story", but added: "It still has a lot going for it, though: foot-tapping music, laughs for young and old and the prodigious talents of Sacha Baron Cohen."[19]

Shubra Gupta ofThe Indian Expresswrote that the film was "as spunky, witty and funny" as its predecessor, and praised the animation and characters, but criticized the story for "[taking] the same course asThe Lion King,with a detour towardsShrekthrown in. "[20]Carrie Rickey ofThe Philadelphia Inquirergave the film 2/4 stars and wrote: "Take the flat tire that wasMadagascar.Retread it withThe Lion Kingstoryline. Pump it up with air. Now you haveMadagascar: Escape 2 Africa."[21]Peter BradshawofThe Guardiangave the film 2/5 stars, describing it as "a frankly disappointing piece of opportunism, with a non-plot which shamelessly rips offThe Lion King."[22]Anthony Quinn ofThe Independentalso gave the film 2/5 stars, writing: "The visual invention and draughtsmanship are mightily impressive; a shame the drama's a bit of a bore."[23]

Box office

On its opening day, the film grossed $17,555,027 from 4,056 theaters with a $4,328 average. It went to be at No. 1 at the box office with $63,106,589 with $15,559 average per theater.[24]As of March 19, 2009, it achieved a gross of $180,010,950 (29.8% of total gross) in the United States and Canada along with a gross of $423,889,404 (70.2%) in other regions adding to a worldwide gross total of $603,900,354.[2]

Accolades

Award Ceremony date Category Recipients Result
Annie Awards January 30, 2009 Animated Effects in a Feature Production Fangwei Lee Nominated
Writing in a Feature Production Etan Cohen,Eric DarnellandTom McGrath Nominated
Critics' Choice Movie Awards January 8, 2009 Best Animated Film Nominated
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2009 Favorite Animated Film Won
Visual Effects Society[25] February 10, 2009 Outstanding Effects Animation in an Animated Feature Nominated

Music

Main article:Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (soundtrack)

Hans Zimmerreturned to compose the score for the film, this time being joined bywill.i.am.The soundtrack includes five new songs performed by will.i.am; his cover of "I Like to Move It"was used in the end credits.

Home media

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africawas released onDVDandBlu-ray Discon February 6, 2009, along with two episodes fromThe Penguins of Madagascarseries: "Popcorn Panic" and "Gone in a Flash".[26]In the first week at the DVD sales chart,Madagascaropened at No. 1, selling 1,681,938 units which translated to $27.09m in revenue.[27]As of April 2010, 13.7 million home entertainment units were sold worldwide.[28]

TheMadagascar: Escape 2 Africa - Movie Storybookwas written by Rob Scotton and illustrated by Michael Koelsch, and was published byHarperCollins Children's Booksin 2008.[29][30]Koelsch had previously illustrated theMadagascar - Movie StorybookforScholasticin 2005.[31][32]

Video game

Main article:Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (video game)

Avideo gamebased on the film was made for theXbox 360,PlayStation 3,Wii,PlayStation 2,Microsoft Windows,andNintendo DS,[33]and released on November 4, 2008, inNorth America.[34]The video game's gameplay is similar to thefirst movie's video gamewith the same characters and moves, although the environment is set inAfrica.[35]

Sequel

Main article:Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

A sequel titledMadagascar 3: Europe's Most Wantedwas released on June 8, 2012. Alex, Marty, Gloria, and Melman are still fighting to get home to New York. This time their journey takes them to a traveling circus in Europe which they will reinvent Madagascar style.

Notes

  1. ^abThe billing block in the poster and home media release is mistakenly credited as "DreamWorks SKG".
  2. ^abAs depicted inMadagascar(2005)
  3. ^As depicted inMadagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted(2012)

References

  1. ^abc"AFI|Catalog".
  2. ^ab"Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa".Box Office Mojo.RetrievedMay 24,2016.
  3. ^"Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008)".American Film Institute.RetrievedJuly 27,2022.
  4. ^"2008 Worldwide Grosses".Box Office Mojo.RetrievedDecember 19,2016.
  5. ^Rodriguez, Brenda (November 24, 2008)."Remembering Bernie Mac".People.RetrievedDecember 19,2016.
  6. ^"Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa": A wildly successful sequel ".The Seattle Times.November 6, 2008.RetrievedNovember 6,2008.
  7. ^Fritz, Ben (September 14, 2005)."D'Works will rely on animal instinct".Variety.RetrievedOctober 27,2011.
  8. ^Sciretta, Peter (March 13, 2008)."Madagascar: The Crate Escape Movie Trailer"./Film.RetrievedApril 22,2015.
  9. ^Sciretta, Peter (June 4, 2008)."New Photos: Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa"./Film.RetrievedApril 22,2015.
  10. ^"DUCK Designs Titles for 'Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa', Staff".Videography. December 3, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon July 28, 2011.RetrievedAugust 10,2011.
  11. ^"Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa".Rotten Tomatoes.Fandango Media.RetrievedOctober 5,2021.
  12. ^"Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa".Metacritic.Fandom, Inc.RetrievedJune 4,2022.
  13. ^"Cinemascore:: Movie Title Search".CinemaScore.Archived fromthe originalon August 9, 2019.RetrievedAugust 9,2019.
  14. ^Phillips, Michael (November 7, 2008)."A tamer wild bunch".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedMarch 26,2012.
  15. ^Ebert, Roger (November 5, 2008)."Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa".Chicago Sun-Times.RetrievedMarch 26,2012.
  16. ^Anderson, John (November 5, 2008)."'Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa'".Newsday.RetrievedMarch 26,2012.
  17. ^Morgenstern, Joe (November 8, 2008)."Buddy Comedy 'Role Models' Rolls Off Rails".Wall Street Journal.ISSN0099-9660.RetrievedNovember 1,2021.
  18. ^Schembri, Jim (December 20, 2008)."Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa".The Age.Archivedfrom the original on December 23, 2008.RetrievedNovember 1,2021.
  19. ^Torrance, Kelly Jane (November 7, 2008)."MOVIES: 'Madagascar 2' knows how to move it".The Washington Times.Archivedfrom the original on February 15, 2011.RetrievedNovember 1,2021.
  20. ^Gupta, Shubra (December 20, 2008)."Movie reviews - Indian Express".The Indian Express.RetrievedNovember 1,2021.
  21. ^Rickey, Carrie (November 7, 2008)."Time to get these animals out of Africa".The Philadelphia Inquirer.Archivedfrom the original on January 1, 2009.RetrievedNovember 7,2008.
  22. ^Bradshaw, Peter (December 5, 2008)."Film review: Madagascar - Escape 2 Africa".The Guardian.RetrievedNovember 1,2021.
  23. ^Quinn, Anthony (December 5, 2008)."Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (PG)".The Independent.Archivedfrom the original on January 17, 2009.RetrievedNovember 1,2021.
  24. ^"Weekend Box Office Results from 11/7 - 11/9".Box Office Mojo. November 9, 2008.RetrievedNovember 22,2008.
  25. ^"7th Annual VES Awards".visual effects society.RetrievedDecember 21,2017.
  26. ^"DreamWorks Animation Gives a Whole New Reason to Look Forward to Friday..."DreamWorks Animation. January 8, 2009. Archived fromthe originalon July 19, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 26,2012.
  27. ^"Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa - DVD Sales".The Numbers.RetrievedMarch 26,2012.
  28. ^"DreamWorks Animation Reports First Quarter 2010 Financial Results"(Press release).
  29. ^Flexer, Michael J.; Author, No; Hamashima, Lawrence; Pictures (1994-2006), DreamWorks; Studios, Koelsch (2008).Madagascar: the Crate Escape - Movie Storybook.HarperCollins Children's Books.ISBN978-0-00-728436-8.{{cite book}}:|last2=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  30. ^"Michael Koelsch on WorldCat".WorldCat.RetrievedJune 19,2020.
  31. ^Frolick, Billy (2005).Madagascar: Movie Storybook.Scholastic.ISBN978-0-439-69627-2.
  32. ^Frolick, Billy; Frolick, Billy; Koelsch Studios (2005).Madagascar: movie storybook.Internet Archive. New York: Scholastic Inc.ISBN978-0-439-69627-2.
  33. ^Adams, David (November 16, 2005)."Activision Extends DreamWorks Deal".IGN.RetrievedSeptember 18,2012.
  34. ^"Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa™ and Kung Fu Panda: Legendary Warriors™ Now Available at Retailers Nationwide".DreamWorks Animation.November 4, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon July 9, 2012.RetrievedMarch 26,2012.
  35. ^"Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa:: DS Game Review Read more: Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa:: DS Game Review".Kidzworld.November 4, 2008.RetrievedJune 12,2013.
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