I have seen
Dreamworks Animation’s “Madagascar” films and barely remember them, and I’ve
never seen an episode of “The Penguins of Madagascar” television show on
Nickelodeon (how has it been on for five
seasons?!), so clearly I am not the target demographic for “Penguins of
Madagascar,” the spinoff film meant to tide us over until 2018, when “Madagascar
4” is released. And yet there are still some jokes here that work for the
casual viewer, some sly pop-culture references that aren’t too on-the-nose, and
some solid (if not totally inspired) voice acting from the likes of John
Malkovich and Benedict Cumberbatch. “Penguins of Madagascar” isn’t all bad,
even if it doesn’t really make a case for why it should exist in the first
place.
Because at this
point, there are nearly 150 episodes of the “Penguins” TV show, and so what
goes on in this film isn’t that groundbreaking or forward-thinking. The
foursome of penguin friends have distinct, definitive personalities at this
point, and those aren’t really going to change: authoritative Skipper (voiced
by Tom McGrath), clever Kowalski (voiced by Chris Miller), rowdy-yet-nonverbal
Rico (voiced by Conrad Vernon), and adorable Private (voiced by Christopher
Knights). The crisis they deal with in “Penguins of Madagascar,” from a
vengeful octopus bent on transforming cuteness into ugliness, won’t have
long-lasting effects, because why do anything to mess with a television show
that is currently running and a future sequel that already has a release date?
So the urgency here
is totally lacking, and “Penguins of Madagascar” doesn’t strive to be a film
that has a real emotional message (in contrast to this year’s “Big Hero 6,” for
example) or any kind of teachable moments (like Dreamworks’s own “How to Train
Your Dragon 2”). Instead, get ready for a barrage of fart jokes (why else name
a covert spy group the North Wind if not to wring every bathroom-humor
opportunity out of it?), cinematic references (from “Planet of the Apes” to “Life
of Pi”), and chaotic chase scenes that are, admittedly, a riot of color and
design. As exhausting “Penguins of Madagascar” is because of the speediness of
its storytelling, at least its pacing will keep younger audiences interested.
The film begins
with backstory, presenting how Skipper, Kowalski, and Rico became friends and
how they saved the cuter, younger Private from certain doom; over the years,
they then traveled the world together, showed up in the “Madagascar” films, and
became residents of the Central Park Zoo. All the while, they’ve operated like
mercenaries or commandos, conducting super-secret missions that belie their
sense of self-importance—until an infiltration of Fort Knox so they can obtain
their favorite cheesy snack is foiled by Dave the Octopus (voiced by John
Malkovich), an eight-tentacled, purple mollusk looking for revenge.
Dave has been
resentful for years that when they were all at the Zoo together, the penguins
stole his adoring crowds, and he’s come up with a plan to get rid of cutesy
penguins forever: blasting them with a ray gun full of Medusa Serum, which will
turn them ugly, deformed, and unlovable. (Yes, this is essentially the same
plot from “Despicable Me 2,” where the minions were turned into out-of-control
monsters.) Skipper et al. won’t stand for this, so they decide to take Dave
down—until they’re undermined by the North Wind, a secret animal crime-fighting
society. Led by a wolf who goes only by the moniker Classified (voiced by
Benedict Cumberbatch), the North Wind have better gadgets than the penguins,
more professional strategies, and an even more
inflated sense of importance. Whether the penguins and the North Wind can
actually work together is an important question, and whether they stop Dave in
time is another.
How much more bare
bones could the plot get? Not much. There is a sole female character who is
supposed to be a super spy but only succeeds in being desired by Kowalski.
Skipper wants Classified’s respect and Private wants Skipper’s respect, but
that’s about all the self-reflection these characters do. And with all the
visual gags (the fact that penguins can’t fly is used again and again) and
action sequences (a chase scene through the canals of Venice is very nice, but
a long stop in China feels like pandering to the international box office),
there isn’t much time to explore any vaguely serious themes. Unless you count
making fun of old people being confused by Skype, or joking about National
Public Radio pledge drives, or mocking French tax law as sophisticated
concepts. And if you don’t, well, there’s always Rico’s ability to eat and then
regurgitate everything in sight!
The humor aimed at
adults is certainly strange, the characters don’t grow in any way, and there
are no stakes to speak of, but there are enough sight gags and silly jokes in “Penguins
of Madagascar” to make children laugh. But a generation-spanning film, this one
isn’t.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
