Stars (vocally) Tom McGrath, Chris Miller, Christopher Knights, Conrad Vernon with benedict Cumberbatch, John Malkovich, Ken Jeong, Annet Mahendru, Peter Stormare and Werner Herzog Directed by Eric Darnell & Simon J Smith The scene-stealing quartet of militant-minded flightless fowls get their own movie, after a few seasons on the small screen. As the tagline puts it, we get a peek into the ‘untold story’ as the movie opens when the Penguins are still small and fluffy, “some years ago.” The rest of the movie takes place post Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted as the Penguins decide to blow off the circus after too many nights of that annoying song introduced in the first Madagascar movie. What follows is pure cartoon plotting as the Penguins are soon involved with some international intrigue involving a diabolical mastermind with an absurd motive. Then there’s the North Wind, “An elite undercover inter-species task force dedicated to helping animals who can’t help themselves,” who are on a mission to take down the briny villain, Dave a.k.a Dr Octavius Brine. While the Penguins do what they normally do, providing much of the onscreen antics that would keep kids entertained, much of the humour comes from the excellent supporting cast of new characters, primarily John Malkovich as Dave the Octopus. While Dave doesn’t have much of the flimsiest motive to drive the plot (he’s the bad guy, that’s all you need, don’t ask why), Malkovich makes the most of his role, his dialogue rippling with wit and puns aimed very much at the accompanying adults and film fans, with thanks to writers John Aboud, Michael Colton and Brandon Sawyer for keeping the verbal gymnastics flowing fast and furious. As an example what to watch out for, early in the film when Dave wants his minions to capture the Penguins, he gives the order, “Nicolas, cage them!” Trying to catch them all will warrant additional viewing. Also obviously having a blast with his role is Benedict Cumberbatch as Agent “Classified”, leader of this particular North Wind task force the Penguins encounter. The animators play up the “Britishness” of his accent (even if he looks like a Husky/Wolf) by having him have a cup of tea at the oddest time, or playing the upper-class mannerisms that accompany his dulcet tones. The off-kilter genius casting extends to having Peter Stormare, known for fearsome villainous roles, as a fearsome and tough-looking polar bear who has a soft spot for the cute and cuddly as well as bagging Werner Herzog for an excellent cameo. While not as deep in terms of storytelling as DreamWorks’ more recent output (How to Train Your Dragon 2, The Croods, etc), this one is more light with some moderate attempts at character development. The Penguins are themselves as much as they’ve been with only the youngest of the lot, Private, trying to prove his worth to the team. Heading into the cinematic season of heady movies and Oscar-baiting dramas, Penguins of Madagascar is like a breather. It’s pure entertainment that knows it’s doing what it does best without really reaching for more than it needs to, much like the Penguins themselves. Rating: *** /5
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