New York’s most popular zoo animals hit theaters in their new movie Madagascar:  Escape 2 Africa. Alex the lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer) and Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett-Smith) decide their vacation from the first move is over and head back to New York City. The mafia-like penguins prove to the world that they can actually fly, until the plane they rebuilt suddenly crash lands in Africa.

According to Variety Magazine, “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa is the rare animated sequel that reps a notable improvement on its predecessor in every department. Lively and quite funny without being obnoxious, this follow-up smoothly mixes the original’s New York Zoo escapees with a number of engaging new characters they encounter upon crossing from Madagascar to the mother continent.”

The sequel is quite good, but it is very random at times. Each character has a separate, and serious, storyline. One of the characters will face a problem that they must work out, then the camera centers on the penguins whacking a human. I pity the DreamWorks boy fishing on the moon mascot, as he is their first victim. Some of the jokes and other scenes are not for small children.

All-in-all, Escape 2 Africa is worthwhile trip. Adults and children alike will enjoy this movie. This movie may actually be better than its predecessor. The plot itself is reminiscent of The Lion King. However, the secondary cast makes up for originality. The penguins play a bigger part in this picture, while King Julian the lemur goes on a mission to become King of Africa.