92/100 This movie was due for a re-review because I didn’t appreciate Madagascar 2 for the gem it is.
Plot: Alex and his friends leave Madagascar to return to New York City, but the plane crashes so they end up in Africa where Alex reunites with his parents.
Positives:
1. The animation is a big step-up from the previous movie, the characters look less stilted and the backgrounds are gorgeous.
2. The plot is better too, unlike the first movie where it was mainly about Alex and Marty each character is given a sideplot and most of them are executed well.
3. Speaking of which, I still love all the characters. I loved seeing Alex reconnect with his family, Marty trying to be different from the other zebras were funny, Gloria interacting with Moto was good, and Melman becoming a doctor was great. Zuba was a good character too, he’s a bit of a cliche but I mainly like Bernie Mac’s performance.
4. The Penguins were utilized here better than in the previous movie, most of the comedy actually comes from them. The scenes of them tricking the tourists were hilarious and I loved the segments of them trying to rebuild the plane.
5. The humor is phenomenal, I’m not even joking, there's so many amazing comedic bits such as, the plane crash in the beginning, the fight between Alex and Nana, the Penguins negotiating with Mason and Phil,and Makunga’s comeuppance.
6. The beginning was pretty interesting, I liked the flashback of young Alex being taught by Zuba only to get kidnapped, it was a really intense scene and it gives a reason for Alex’s claustrophobia in the first movie.
7. Makunga was a decent villain, he’s not very memorable but he did have a lot of funny and entertaining moments, plus seeing Nana beat him up near the end was hilarious.
8. The ending was heartwarming.
Negatives:
1. Some of the sideplots feel very disconnected, such as Marty’s crisis of individuality because it feels very rushed and didn't get as much attention as the other plots.
2. Even if I liked Makunga he was still a weak villain regardless, the only significant thing he did throughout the movie was trick Alex into fighting Titi so he could become king.
Overall, I love Madagascar 2, I don’t why I thought the first one was better when this one is way funnier and entertaining. The movie is way funnier as you get older because you start to understand the jokes.