An uneventful journey.

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Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is probably all the proof you’ll ever need that Chris Rock should go back to doing stand-up and leave scripted material alone. Madagascar 2 is a story about how a young lion learns to grow into his own identity.  Dreamworks Animation does some of the shittiest animation on the screen today. It’s not that it doesn’t function, it’s that it merely functions. From Shrek to Kung Fu Panda, it’s just the same old. Kudos for establishing a look, but how about elevating the art-form a bit, guys? The days of Looney Toons are gone-people want to see animation that pushes the envelope.

 While we’re here, whereas Disney/Pixar has a deep bench of characters and pre-sold franchises, let’s just come out and say that Shrek is the franchise for DreamWorks. They evidently have done a butt-load of films, but I’ve maybe seen two, and I have kids, and even my kids are like “eh” on DreamWorks. Seriously. My son likes that stupid fucking “Move It Move it” song-that’s the only reason we saw the movie, so we probably should have left after the opening sequence.  I don’t think Madagascar’s storlyline can carry water for the team, much less keep the company afloat. Let’s pray this is the last one. The series seems to be a series of gags that delight in taking shots at people by instilling animals with certain stereotypes and letting the writers having at it. Rock is the jive-talking zebra Marty (he’s black and white-get it?) and in this joint, Sasha Baron Cohen voices a flamboyant, effeminate over-the-top jungle weasel or some such, and the hits keep coming. Ben Stiller plays the lion, but it just feels like he’s collecting an easy check. Chris Rock is like the new Steve Gutenberg:  when you see this guy on the movie poster, it’s a sure sign that the movie will suck ass. Can you name a hit Christ Rock film? Me neither. He’s like a fart-cloud over every film he’s in, since CB4. I think he may have the ability, but dude cannot pick a script.He should fire his managment. Right Now.

When your kid’s more excited about the freshness of the popcorn and not a film with animated, talking penguins, something’s gone wrong. And you know when you can’t voice an animated film and be funny, and you’re actually a comedian-well, it’s a wrap. It’s time to go back to the lab.

I wouldn’t watch Madagascar Escape 2 Africa again, at gunpoint. My kid might. Me? Notsomuch.

This story is filed under: Entertainment, The Screening Room

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