Film: Penguins Of Madagascar
Starring: Tom McGrath, Chris Miller
Directed by: Eric Darnell, Simon J. Smith

Several years after first appearing as lovable side characters in Madagascar, the flightless birds better known as the Penguins Of Madagascar have finally been given a hilarious film all their own.

Spinoffs are tricky. On the one hand, these features exist to allow beloved characters from popular films a chance to shine away from the large shadow of the original work’s leads. On the other hand, these features also help build cinematic universes, which in 2014 is something every major studio wants to do. Penguins Of Madagascar is one of the few films to accomplish both goals admirably, and it just may be the best animated film of the year.

Beginning with an origin story that involves an incredibly funny appearance from Werner Herzog, Penguins Of Madagascar wastes no time making it known that our leads are not like other penguins you may have known. They’re not content to simply walk across Antarctica and back again, especially since no one can tell them why such a mundane activity makes up the majority of their lives. These birds want adventure, and thanks to an unforeseen incident they soon find their young selves adrift at see with only each other to depend on. That’s okay though, because they’re still a family.

Leaping into the future, Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private have matured into young adults who still believe they are a family, as well as a group of super agents. Their hijinks are rather minuscule in the grand scheme of things, but soon they’re recruited by an undercover organization known as The North Wind to stop a villainous octopus hellbent on destroying the world as we know it. The penguins soon realize they are in over their heads, but they must somehow find the strength to forge ahead and save the day.

Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private have appeared in several short films before now, but here audiences are given more time to appreciate the dynamics of their relationship(s). That might not seem all that important in the world of family films, but anyone familiar with the Madagascar franchise should know that the series prides itself on offering well-defined characters. It’s easy to create cute creatures who say funny things, but giving audiences a reason to care about the continued well being of those creations is a far more complicated task. Also, there is a lot more time for action, and the film makes the most of every opportunity it has for over-the-top sequences filled with bright colors, fast movement, and enough glorious computer-genetered eye candy to keep every young mind buzzing with excitement.

The animation found in Penguins Of Madagascar falls perfectly in line with the rest of the Madagascar franchise, which is fitting as the film weaves in and out of previous entries in the series in order to explain the motivations behind Dr. Octavius Brine’s evil plans. The humor is similar as well, drawing from pop culture and the golden age of slapstick, as well as language based jokes that feel created solely to give adults a reason to smile while their children squeal with glee. It’s as close to covering the four quadrants of target audiences as any animated film released this year — and much to everyone’s surprise that doesn’t come at the cost of the core story.

Though it does not offer anything outright jaw-dropping, The Penguins Of Madagascar is a wildly imaginative and fun adventure that will impress children of all ages. Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private have deserved a film for years, and the results of their first proper outing may be better than the most recent Madagascar film. I don’t know if a sequel will ever happen, but there’s certainly room for more adventures in the future, and I’ll gladly be the first to say I’m already ready for another journey with the Penguins Of Madagascar.

GRADE: A-

Review written by: James Shotwell Follow @utgjames

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James Shotwell

James Shotwell is the founder of Under The Gun Review. He loves writing about music and movies almost as much as he loves his two fat cats. He's also the co-founder of Antique Records and the Marketing Coordinator for Haulix. You should probably follow him on Twitter.

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