Dreamworks OKs Madagascar 2
Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer and Jada Pinkett-Smith set to reprise their roles.
Aug 9, 2006
(Source: Big Cartoon Database)
Have you ever seen an accident about to happen, and you know there's not a thing you can do to stop it? That's the feeling I got when I read that Dreamworks Animation was producing a sequel to their 2005 movie Madagascar.
The first Madagascar did well at the box office ($193,136,719 in the U.S.) despite some very mixed reviews. IMDb readers give a the film a 6.6 out of 10. To my mind, if Dreamworks had dumped the main plot and just gone with the penguins and the monkeys, Madagascar would've been a much better movie. You know there's something wrong when the supporting cast steals the show from the established stars.
I understand that Dreamworks would want to squeeze a few more dollars from this franchise. But the "tame animals rediscovering The Great Outdoors" plotline has already been done to death. Disney's similarly-themed The Wild died a messy and protracted death at the box office and the prognosis isn't good for Sony's upcoming Open Season, which features a domesticated bear (voiced by Martin Lawrence) coming face-to-face with nature.
But yes, Madagascar 2 is in production and Ben Stiller (Alex the Lion), Rock (Marty the Zebra), David Schwimmer (Melman the Giraffe) and Jada Pinkett-Smith (Gloria the Hippo) are all set to redo their roles. The film will hit theatres November 7, 2008, well before the schools let out for Christmas holidays. There's no word on whether the penguins or the monkeys will return.
But wait, it gets even better. Two weeks after Madagascar 2's projected opening date comes a little movie called Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Needless to say, that flick is going to own the holiday family crowd. Does Dreamworks think that they can make a ton of money in only 2 weeks, using an already shop-worn formula? Apparently they think so, but I have my doubts.
