Here’s a super cute animated film that you can feel comfortable taking your younger kids to. The story follows a spy team — the hilarious, covert birds of the global espionage biz — Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private. These elite of the elite join forces with a chic undercover organization, The North Wind. Led by handsome Siberian husky Agent Classified, they set out to stop the villainous Dr. Octavius Brine from destroying the world as we know it.
The movie “Penguins of Madagascar” is hilarious! It is the funniest movie I have seen in a long time.
This animated movie, in 3D as well as 2D, is about three penguins that grow up together, find another penguin that hatches from an egg, and all become best friends. They go on all of their adventures together as a team. The youngest one, Private, tries his best to become an important part of the group. An evil villain named Dr. Octavius Brine (John Malkovich) captures them for revenge.
There are so many funny scenes in this movie that it’s hard to pick a favorite. I love when Kowalski’s (voiced by Chris Miller) status report says that they are in Ireland when they really are in Shanghai. Another funny moment is when Agent Classified (Benedict Cumberbatch) tries to explain his team’s purpose and Skipper (Tom McGrath) keeps interrupting him by chomping on Cheesy Dibbles every time he speaks. Also, when the villain reveals his true self, expecting the penguins to be shocked, they don’t even know who he is. I can go on and on with funny moments, but really, you have to watch the movie to see what else will tickle your funny bone.
My favorite character is Private (Christopher Knights), because he is cute, and he finds his purpose in the end, which makes him an important part of the team. The other characters are equally fantastic. The writers have created a wonderful comedy, and I think this movie will keep you laughing. The moral of the story is that your appearance shouldn’t matter, it’s who you are on the inside that counts, baby!
This movie is a good fit for ages 8 through 18. Boys, girls, and even adults will enjoy this movie, because it has a lot of “adult” humor. My parents laughed more than us kids! I rate this movie a five out of five “dazzling” stars! “Penguins of Madagascar” is in theaters now, so go check it out.
— Haley P., age 12
See Haley’s review here: http://youtu.be/hJZXuMjOYcc
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This animation is hilarious and has great cinematography. Seeing this film in 3D definitely adds to the excitement of the story line.
Skipper and his gang are up against Dr. Octavius Brine (John Malkovich) who has his sights set on revenge. He believes the penguins have stolen his publicity and fame by being so cute.
From the very beginning, this film has great comedy with funny remarks. I like it when famous actors are referred to in the script. For example, Nicholas Cage is mentioned when talking to one of the octopuses.
It has great animation and the 3D aspect makes the characters seem as if they are coming right at you and you are a part of the action. This animated story travels to France, Hong Kong, Ireland, and other places — and the authenticity of the locations looks very believable. The voice actors are natural comics. I like how sometimes the soundtrack plays, but the characters don’t hear it. It is unheard by everyone except the audience.
My favorite character is Eva (voiced by Annet Mahendru), who is an owl. She controls her emotions and is the complete opposite of the penguins. She carries herself well and brings another personality to the film. My favorite scene is at the very beginning, when the baby penguins chase the egg. It’s funny to watch the egg going everywhere as it takes the penguins to unknown territory.
Besides the moral of the story — that seeking revenge is not good — I also like the message that everyone is a valuable member of a team. It doesn’t matter how smart or how small the part is, everyone matters.
I recommended this film for ages 7 to 15. Both girls and boys will enjoy and love it. I give it five out of five stars. The comedy is great, and it comes with a meaningful message.
— Brianna B., age 15
See Brianna’s review here: http://youtu.be/8de5tWh7Xgk
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“Penguins of Madagascar” is an animated movie about a group of penguins that go on globetrotting adventures. Their adventures take them to Antarctica, the desert, Venice, Shanghai, and New York City. In this movie, the penguins meet an elite team called The North Wind, led by Agent Classified and together, they must fight the evil Dr. Octavius Brine.
You may have already seen the penguins in DreamWorks’ original movie “Madagascar,” but now you are seeing them in their own comedy. You may not think it, but this movie does have a few very good messages: don’t let anyone underestimate you and your true power, and always speak up and be heard.
This movie is action-packed. Sometimes I wasn’t sure if it was a good or a bad thing, because it feels like it jumps from place to place. Sometimes that is good because, once the action REALLY gets going, it feels just right how everything goes so fast. One of the reasons I like this movie is because even though it is action-packed and funny, it also had sad parts. I like that because even though the penguins are supposed to be adventurous and strong, it is nice seeing their more sympathetic side.
Something I like (and always have liked) about the penguins is that they all have simple personality traits that define who they are. For example, Kowalski has his big brain. They are each so different, but together they are a very cool team.
I commend the directors of this movie, Simon J. Smith and Eric Darnell, for a great job. Other than things moving a bit too fast, everything else is simply great.
I give this movie four out of five stars, because it is a great film, and I recommend it for 6 to 13 year olds. Most little kids will understand the topic, but there are some jokes that they might not understand. This movie is great, and I loved it and so will you!
— Samantha A., age 11
See Samantha’s review here: http://youtu.be/WNFaUusrmcA
