Happy Monday to all….I know, I know….those two words don’t always GO together do they? Let’s hope this finds you coming off a GOOD Monday….man, there are two MORE words that don’t always go together. Think I’ll stop while I’m ahead! However, ONE thing that I DO have for this Monday, the FIRST day of December 2014 (WHERE did the year GO???), is my review of this past weekend’s new animated release, “Penguins of Madagascar”.
SEE THE TRAILER HERE
This newest DreamWorks Animation film, brought to life by the duo directing team of Eric Darnell and Simon J. Smith, finds us first getting to see the background of our lovable and VERY capable penguin trio….Skipper (voiced by Tom McGrath), Kowalski (voiced by Chris Miller), and Rico (voiced by Conrad Vernon). As “kids”, they display very quickly their stance on “the establishment” and nature itself. When Skipper makes a choice that leads them on their first “mission” (of course involving plenty of incredible feats, daring escapes, and just plain penguin chutzpah) we then get introduced to the fourth member of the newly forming “family”, Private (voiced by Christopher Knights). And so their adventure into the great big world proceeds…with the necessary amount of chaos left in their wake. Fast forward to adulthood and the foursome find themselves embroiled in the dastardly plot of a former Central Park Zoo-mate, an octopus named Dave (yes, that’s right, DAVE–voiced by John Malkovich) who hides under both a physical disguise as well as an alias…Dr. Octavius Brine, and has more than his fair share of reasoning for wanting this group of trouble-making penguins OUT of the picture, as we are privy to the circumstances and back-story of Dave’s misery. After managing to find out Dave’s GRAND plan and the means he’s created to execute said plan, Skipper and crew find themselves ultimately whisked away from the lair of their nemesis by an unexpected group….The North Wind. An elite undercover force, lead by Classified (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch), and consisting of Short Fuse (voiced by Ken Jeong), Eva (voiced by Annet Mahendru), and Corporal (Peter Stormare), they have their OWN mission to take Dave down, and the initial interactions among the two squads is rather tense (in the most hilarious fashion, of course) as they both believe THEY are the BEST group with the BEST plan to DO exactly that. After much hubbub and attempts to trip up one another’s plans, the groups go into action, the results of which most certainly do NOT go as ANY of them wanted. BUT….one particular penguin (whose felt seriously underappreciated from the start) finds a way to stand up, become more than he’s ever been, and takes a stand against Dave and his (quite entertaining) octopi minions. And in the midst of Brine/Dave’s final plan being put into motion, courage is tested, teamwork is created, bonds of friendship strengthened, and heroes are made. We even get a visit from a couple other familiar faces…but any more details would be SPOILERS….NOT occurring here!
OMG! I am sorry, but I just cannot help it….this film was HILARIOUS! I honestly felt it lived up to every expectation I had for it. So on several levels, everyone’s own opinions aside, I am NOT totally sure why there seems to be this sense that the film did NOT deliver somehow ON what was hoped for? The initial weekend box office take was apparently below what was wanted, and I have seen several critics basically say the film falls flat….and I REALLY cannot determine what movie they watched! Anyone who enjoyed the zany antics of Skipper and crew in the three previous “Madagascar” films should love this effort! The pace is brisk, the zaniness level is hilariously fun, the dialogue and banter between ALL the characters is a total riot, and it just FEELS like the film should…a family-friendly romp with a bunch of over-achieving animated penguins! You can simply tell that McGrath, Miller, Vernon, and Knights RELISH voicing these guys…it comes out in the mannerisms and quirks that each character has in the story…Skipper with his straight-forward no-nonsense approach and “logic”, Kowalski spouting his statistics and “tactical plans”, Kowalski being the animated penguin equivalent of an Acme Store from Looney Toons, and kind-hearted and meek Private, who finds his chance to step it up a bit here. And The North Wind group is just as entertaining in their own unique way, especially Cumberbatch’s Classified and Stormare’s Corporal. And of course, Malkovich brings us yet another, excellent, over-the-top villain in Dave/Dr. Brine, unleashing his “maniacal” fury on the penguins while completely making an idiot of himself often in TRYING to BE maniacal. Brine’s octopi minions also bring THEIR brand of silly antics to the proceedings as well. Visually, the animation is top level, as I personally expect from DreamWorks, and it all lends itself to enhancing the viewing experience, with each character having their own look…though the penguins…well, they ALWAYS just look like penguins…maybe except ONE part in the tale (see it to find out!). Overall, this was again EXACTLY what I wanted and desired from the movie….fun, silly, off-the-wall, over-the-top craziness as ONLY these four flightless birds could drum up. I figure at this point, the only thing that could perhaps AMPLIFY the insanity even MORE……team these guys up with the Minions! But that might be TOO MUCH insanity of ANY of us to handle…..actually…..NAW!! BRING IT ON!
As always this is all for YOUR consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
