My hatred for children’s flicks these days is well documented. And barring Pixar, I find the bevy of CGI films geared towards children to be a waste of time. Their morals are a wash in friendship themes and the villains are innocuous castrated beings just waiting for their chance to be redeemed. I guess the helicopter parents can’t let their kids see evil in any form.
Madagascar wasn’t the train wreck that some of these post Pixar films are, but it was not a walk in the park to sit through. The cast of big name actors portraying animals did the minimal work to make you believe their characters, as the writing meandered into a past that the second film created for its purposes only.
There was a smattering of the adult humor that Pixar uses to create their masterworks but Dreamwork’s productions never have been able to achieve the finesse that Pixar exhibits in this area. Stiller’s Lion and Rock’s Zebra bicker about race in a thinly veiled argument giving the adults a chuckle cause they get that Rock is black and Stiller isn’t, but this sort of humor is a low blow for Rock who I expect more out of. Stiller on the other hand, I expected this from.
Then there is the father son story line evolving Bernie Mac and Ben Stiller. Mac wants Stiller’s lion character to be a man (manly lion). Stiller can only dance/act - he is weak. Eventually Mac discovers that his son’s talent in dancing is just as good as being a good fighter. I’m not sure if I get/understand what this means, but the moral is so ham-fisted that I grew tired of the two the first scene they shared.
I keep thinking I’m getting too old for these movies, but then I forget, and Jennie and I go, and I realize - I’m too old for these movies.
3 out of 10: Oh children’s movies when will I learn, you offer nothing new.
3 comments:
I thought it was cute actually and I enjoyed Will.I.Am's character (the hot hot hippo). I think it's a good movie for kids because it shows the value of everyone (including artsy-fartsy lions). Maybe if you saw it with a kid you would see value in it. Have you seen Role Models yet?
My probelm with this is that every kids movie is like this. Take off the gloves man. Kids these days are so sheltered I fear for the next generation.
4th place ribbons! bah!
I have not seen Role Models yet, but I fear that will have to wait till the dvd release.
there are so many good movies out. i wish you were coming this year- we'd never see daylight!!
sadlife,
ms
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