Penguins of Madagascar (2014) [Review]

8/10

I’m a big fan of the Madagascar franchise. Right from the first one the films have had me chuckling away at their innocence, silliness and complete lack of self-awareness. Talking animals running amok in a human world, experiencing human problems while taking on epic adventures with equal parts suspense and fun – there’s very little not to like, and I’m a grown adult. I wish I was a kid in order to experience it on their level, because to be taken to see Madagascar or any of its spin-offs must be like Christmas coming early.

Penguins of Madagascar is an absolute joy to watch. The overly confident little rascals are arguably my favourite characters out of the films to date, but I was left wanting more from their series. True to form, they shine on the big screen; innovative and idiotic, these cute penguins hit on all levels bringing enough humour to the table to appease both kids and adults alike.

The motley crew of Penguins set out to stop the evil Dr Octavius Brine, an octopus masquerading as a scientist, infinitely jealous of the Penguins and their adorable popularity hellbent on revenge.  To do so they begrudgingly sort-of team up with another group of super-animals, lead by Benedict Cumberbatch as Agent Classified. What ensues is a clash of egos in a sea of cheesy snack dust that will leave you crying with laughter, a series of creatively dizzying chase sequences and an adventure full of childish fun the likes of which we have come to expect from this series of films.

As with most kids films, the warm take-home message (this time around other people’s appearances) is obvious, but that’s no bad thing. It was an easy watch for a Sunday afternoon, something you could stick on and have a laugh at without taking anything too seriously. Pure escapism of the best kind can be found in kids films, and while Dreamworks struggles with consistency in its releases, it can be confident in the knowledge that these cute penguins will always come through for them.