Movie Review: “Penguins of Madagascar” (Rated PG)

Fox(NEW YORK) — I’m not sure anybody was asking for it, but the penguins from the Madagascar movies have their own film. Actually, it doesn’t matter whether anybody was asking for it, because the results make for one of the year’s most pleasant surprises — and, perhaps, a viable and lucrative spin-off series.

When we first meet Skipper, Kowalski and Rico, they’re little kids in Antarctica, marching…somewhere, with all of the other penguins, all of whom are perfectly content going wherever it is nature’s telling them to go. Skipper isn’t happy, though, when nobody leaves the line to rescue a runaway egg. When several of the older penguins explain that’s just the way it is, Skipper flops on his belly and, joined by  Kowalski and Rico, makes a mad dash to rescue the egg.

The egg turns out to be holding adorable little Private. Ten years later, in a callback to Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, we hear Chris Rock’s Marty singing the “Afro-Circus” in the background as the four penguins, now adults and far away from Antarctica, stuff themselves into a circus cannon and shoot themselves toward Fort Knox. Obviously, they break into Fort Knox (because obviously, penguins can do that sort of thing), but I’m not going to tell you why.

What I will tell you is the penguins are abducted by Dave (John Malkovich), an octopus disguised as a doctor. And Dave’s seeking revenge. Used to be, he was the main attraction at the Central Park Zoo — until the cute penguins came along and upstaged him, at every zoo and every aquarium he went to around the world. The crazy octopus is working on some green concoction that will do some sort of harm to penguins, but we don’t know what. What we do know is, he must be stopped!

Malkovich is the perfect voice for Dave, who isn’t just a great animated villain but also delivers the movie’s funniest lines — and there’s plenty of funny dialogue to go around for both children and adults. You’ll love taking your kids to see Penguins of Madagascar, a funny, clever and adorable movie.

Four out of five stars.

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