Madagascar - Escape 2 Africa, rated PG for some mild crude humor, 1 hour, 29 minutes long
DreamWorks Animation’s MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA Synopsis
All of the loveable characters are back – Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Melman the giraffe and Gloria the hippo, King Julien, Maurice and the penguins – in MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA. They find themselves in the wildest place of all – the vast plains of Africa – where our zoo-raised crew encounter species of their own kind for the very first time. While discovering their roots, they quickly find the differences between the concrete jungle and the heart of Africa. Despite long-lost relatives, romantic rivals and scheming hunters, Africa seems like a great place...but is it better than their Central Park home?I watched this Thursday, the Blu-Ray edition and I absolutely LOVED it! IMO, it was better than the first.
I like the way it started off, with Alex (voiced by Ben Stiller) as a cub and how he ended up on his way to New York, where he became “the King of New York” and there were flashbacks to the first movie. This would be helpful for someone who never saw Madagascar, or a great refresher for people like me. You know, I’ve seen it, but it was a while ago.
Chris Rock once again rocks as Marty, the zebra. It’s especially fun when he meets his “kind” once on the Serengeti. Alec Baldwin is funny evil (was he ever anything else?) as Makunga, with the great mane. Bernie Mac (*sad*) was Zuba, Alex’s father and Sherri Shepherd as Alex’s mom, ever suffering the silliness of her husband (hey, all you married women out there, can ya relate?)
There was romance (Gloria, Melman and Moto Moto
), adventure, comedy, this flick has it all.
The visual effects were wonderful, the music catchy (just try to hold your butt still while hearing “I like to move it, move it!”), and the entire package was highly entertaining.
The extras were good, the Blu-Ray edition has commentary where you can watch the commentators commentating (The Animators Corner). Watch their faces as they watch the movie and discuss it. See pictures of the storyboard as the movie progresses. And at the same time, you can have trivia pop-ups, which I always like after I’ve seen the movie once without.
I found the “making of” extras interesting. Watching the crew in Africa, scoping out sights and seeing the real thing and hearing how they felt about what they saw, made me appreciate the effort that was put into the making of this movie, making it as realistic as possible.
Then you get to see how difficult it was to get everything just right. Like the dust (all the different forms!), the tall grass, so much of the computer generated images that you never even take into consideration when watching the movie, how intricate it all is. Just amazing. I also like the trip to the zoo. Those lemurs are noisy. *lol* I have to admit, it was educational for me.
There are Easter Eggs on this DVD, but I haven’t figured out how to access them yet. *lol* Hey, I was putting a printer cart together, I’m not much of a multi-tasker.
Anyway, all paws up for this flick. Adult or child, it’s one you’ll want to watch over and over.
(Hey, did ya know that Disney and Dreamworks are gonna be buds? Sounds like a match made in heaven!)
HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. – (January 7, 2009) Buckle up for a rockin’ ride with Alex, Marty, Melman, Gloria and the gang in the “hilarious” (WABC-TV) adventure from DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (NYSE: DWA) that’s “even better than the first!” (WWOR-TV) when MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA comes in for a landing on DVD and Blu-ray on FRIDAY, February 6, 2009. With twice the laughs, twice the fun and twice the Penguins, the Move It! Move It! Double DVD Pack and Blu-ray are sure to be the talk of the watering hole. Both versions include the funniest movie of the year and two all-new, never-before-seen animated adventures from Nickelodeon’s brand new series, The Penguins of Madagascar. The series stars four feathered family favorites and King Julian back at the New York zoo where it all started – on a mission… without permission. The Move It! Move It! Double DVD Pack follows on the heels of last November’s release of the successful Kung Fu Panda Pandemonium Pack and offers an exceptional entertainment value for the whole family with an anticipated retail price under $25.MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA proves that bigger IS better thanks to a steamer trunk full of additional bonus features including a behind-the-scenes peek at the creation of this animated epic, music videos and more Mad-Tastic fun exclusives with hours and hours of activities such as printables to download, games and much more. A single disc and a Valentine’s Day version in themed gift-wrapped packaging for gifting to sweethearts of all ages will also be available at stores nationwide.
Ben Stiller (Tropic Thunder), Chris Rock (Bee Movie), David Schwimmer (“Friends”), Jada Pinkett Smith (The Women), Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat), Cedric the Entertainer (Charlotte’s Web) and Andy Richter (Semi-Pro) return in MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA, joined by Alec Baldwin (“30 Rock”) as “Makunga,” will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas as “Moto Moto,” Bernie Mac (Soul Men) as “Zuba” and Sherri Shepherd (“The View”) as Alex’s mom making their introduction to the watering hole as a brand-new cast of characters.
The four zany zoo denizens of the original blockbuster comedy prepare to head home to Manhattan in a rickety aircraft piloted by the ever-inventive penguin cadre. But when they crash land in the African savannah, it’s time for a crash course in survival. Now the four friends far from home must answer a question of the heart when Alex finds his long lost parents (Bernie Mac and Sherri Shepherd), Marty joins a herd of his wild brethren, Gloria finds romance with a hippo Casanova (will.i.am) who appreciates her curves and Melman has one last chance at his truest desire. With King Julien’s manic musical antics, the funniest pack of penguins ever and a pair of primates with opposable thumbs, MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA is “great family fun” (WABC-TV).
DreamWorks Animation’s MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA DVD
The MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA two-disc DVD delivers more laughs and more fun with the Move It! Move It! DVD Double Pack featuring two episodes from Nickelodeon’s all-new series The Penguins of Madagascar and bonus features including the following:Disc 1:
MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA
Bonus features:
· DWA Jukebox
· Filmmaker Commentary
· It’s A Family Affair: The Cast of ESCAPE 2 AFRICA
· The Making of ESCAPE 2 AFRICA
· Crash Landing
· African Adventure
· Jambo Jambo: Swahili Speak
· Test Flight of Air Penguin Game
· MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA Activision Game Trailer
· Four MAD Music Videos
The Traveling Song” Sing Along
“Move It, Move It”
“Big and Chunky”
“She Loves Me”Disc 2:
THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR
· “Popcorn Panic”
· “Gone in a Flash”
Bonus features:
· The Bronx Zoo: Madagascar
· Alex’s Dance Off
· The Heart of a Lion
· DVD-RomMADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA PC Flash Mini-Game
MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA Game Demo w/ Exclusive Cheat Code
HP Printables
Weblinks· Penguin Easter Eggs
Move It, Move It
Hock Shop
Julien’s Birthday
Tug of War
Fully Armed
No Thanks, I’m StuffedA MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA single-disc DVD will also be available in either a widescreen or full screen edition and includes the following special features:
· DWA Jukebox
· Filmmaker Commentary
· It’s A Family Affair: The Cast of ESCAPE 2 AFRICA
· The Making of ESCAPE 2 AFRICA
· Crash Landing
· African Adventure
· Jambo Jambo: Swahili Speak
· Test Flight of Air Penguin Game
· MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA Activision Game Trailer
· Four MAD Music Videos· “The Traveling Song” Sing Along
· “Move It, Move It”
· “Big and Chunky”
· “She Loves Me”
DreamWorks Animation’s MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA Blu-ray
The MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA Blu-ray will be presented in 1080p High Definition with English 5.1 Dolby True HD, French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital with English, English SDH+, French and Spanish subtitles. Bonus features include:
· Filmmakers’ Commentary
· It’s A Family Affair: The Cast of ESCAPE 2 AFRICA (HD)
· The Making of ESCAPE 2 AFRICA (HD)
· Crash Landing (HD)
· African Adventure (HD)
· Jambo Jambo: Swahili Speak (HD)
· The Bronx Zoo: Madagascar (HD)
· Alex’s Dance Off (HD)
· Test Flight of Air Penguin Game (HD)
· The Heart of a Lion (HD) – BD-LIVE
· MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA Activision Game Trailer
· Music Videos“Move It, Move It” (HD)
“Big and Chunky” (HD)
“She Loves Me” (HD)
“The Traveling Song” (HD)THE PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR
“Popcorn Panic”
“Gone in a Flash”· Penguin Easter Eggs
Move It, Move It
Hock Shop
Julien’s Birthday
Tug of War
Fully Armed
No Thanks, I’m StuffedBlu-ray Exclusive Content
· The Animators’ Corner (HD)
· Trivia Track (HD)
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