From the creators of “Madagascar” film series comes a new animated feature film that is set to be the biggest and “funniest” animated adventure of the year! Not that we are complaining, but there is always a tiny part of us was hoping that DreamWorks Animation could create a new animated feature film that will tug at our heartstrings. Sure, the penguins of Madagascar are the best parts of the whole film series but do we really need to watch them in a standalone film?
Well, apparently we still do, especially when the new film tells us all about the origins of the world’s most renowned spy penguins.
Oddly enough, it wasn’t their cameo appearances in the “Madagascar” film series that made us think that they deserve a standalone film; it’s the trailer that features the younger versions of Skipper (voiced by Tom McGrath), Kowalski (voiced by Chris Miller), Rico (voiced by Conrad Vernon), and Private (voiced by Christopher Knights). Well, Dreamworks Animation definitely knows that we have a soft spot for babies, be it puppies, kittens, or baby penguins. Even at young age, Skipper and his gang have developed a sense of maturity that even the adult penguins aren’t aware of. Skipper ultimately becomes the leader of the team while trying to save a lost egg from eaten by the horrifying sea lions.
It is also at that time that they realise that they are not just ordinary penguins; they are the penguins with accidental spy skills. They need no special trainings or incredibly cool gadgets to save themselves from the danger, all they need is just their wit and some secret weapons they’ve hidden inside Rico’s weirdly constructed stomach. All of the special skills they possess are vastly different from North Wind, a spy organisation led by a charming wolf called Agent Classified (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch).
The 2 spy teams meet for the first time when Dave the villainous octopus (voiced by John Malkovic) is tries to capture Skipper and the gang. Although North Wind saves them from the trouble, Skipper could care less about it and refuses to team up with North Wind. Yes, Skipper is way too self-absorbed – but that’s Skipper for you. However, he is still definitely better than the cocky agent Classified (which is not the wolf’s real name). He takes so much pride in his work that it often results in Pirate, the youngest and the cutest member of the team, feeling worthless.
But little did Private know, he will eventually shines big time in “Penguins of Madagascar” as he emerges as the penguin that saves the day. So what if North Wind has got a team of highly skilled experts? Even his team of highly skilled agents weren’t able to prevent Dave aka Doctor Brine from destroying all the penguins in the world.
Without Private, Skipper and the gang as may not even been able to realise how important he is to the group, other than being a cute mascot.
“Penguins of Madagascar” may seems like Dreamworks Animation’s attempt to milk some of the greatest animated feature films they’ve ever created in the past but perhaps what they really wanted to do was to bring joy to the kids and allow us to relive our childhood. Nobody is ever really too old to be young at heart. Plus, there are a lot of fun moments in the film that we thoroughly enjoyed watching. From “Nicholas, cage them!” to “Drew, barry more!” to “William, hurt them!”, you’ve got to give credits to the production team for putting these puns into the film too.
It’s a generic kids’ movie for sure, but we wouldn’t mind watching it just to have a good laugh after a stressful day at work. You might want to go get yourself some cheesy snacks to devour while watching the film.
Want to know how Private saves the day? Well, just head on over a cinema near you as the film is slated for release on November 27, 2014! Presented in 3D, the film also starred Ken Jeong as explosives-expert seal Short Fuse, Peter Stormare as brawny polar bear Corporal, and Annet Mahendru as brainy and beautiful owl Eva.
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