History WesternAnimation / MadagascarEscape2Africa

''Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa'' is a 2008 [[AllCGICartoon computer-animated comedy]] produced by Creator/DreamWorksAnimation, and is the first sequel to 2005's ''WesternAnimation/Madagascar1''.

* CloningBlues: Technically, no, the herd of zebras are not clones, but they may as well be, and Marty has a hard time feeling special around them.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: Alex doesn't quite fit in because he's more of a theater performer who loves dancing and really isn't into playing sports. ComingOutStory, anyone?

* SuperNotDrowningSkills: The fish in the dried-up water hole.

* ThreateningShark: Exaggerated with the shark who attacks Morty. It's so determined to eat him that he chases him ''all over the African continent''!

* AnachronismStew: As detailed below, a newspaper implies that the films take place sometime in the 80s. However, at one point in this film, Alex admits to breaking Marty's iPod, something that wasn't released until 2001.

''Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa'' is a 2008 [[AllCGICartoon computer-animated comedy]] produced by Creator/DreamWorksAnimation, and is the first sequel to 2005's ''WesternAnimation/{{Madagascar}}''.

* ActorAllusion: The subplot with Melman's crush on Gloria is remarkably similar to another subplot: TV's ''Series/{{Friends}}'' where David Schwimmer's character Ross Gellar and his BelligerentSexualTension with Rachel Greene, which would eventually be resolved in the SeriesFinale.

* SlapstickKnowsNoGender: Now that it's been established that Nana isn't just a harmless old lady, her fight with Alex is decidedly less one-sided than before. And then there's what the penguins do to her...

* LighterAndSofter: While the first film (despite remaining mostly comedic in tone) wields markedly disturbing elements of psychodrama (particularly in its third act, in which Alex undergoes a SanitySlippage transforming him from a neurotic, uptight showman into a savage apex predator with an underlying desire to devour [[InterspeciesFriendship his lifelong friends]] as per his natural instincts), this instalment hews closer to a broader ensemble comedy, with any potential predator-prey tensions between the film's coexistent lion and herbivorous characters neglected almost entirely instead of deconstructed.

* LighterAndSofter: While the first film (despite remaining mostly comedic in tone) wields markedly disturbing elements of psychodrama (particularly in its third act, in which Alex undergoes a SanitySlippage transforming him from a neurotic, uptight showman into a savage apex predator with an underlying desire to devour [[InterspeciesFriendship his lifelong friends]] as per his natural instincts), this instalment hews closer to a broader ensemble comedy, with any potential predator-prey tensions between the film's coexistent lions and herbivorous characters neglected entirely instead of deconstructed.

[[caption-width-right:299:[[{{Tagline}} Still together. Still lost!]]]]

The film takes place shortly after the first movie. The penguins fix a crashed airplane and the zoo animals (plus King Julien and Maurice) try to fly back to New York but run out of fuel (or perhaps more accurately, run out of plane) and crash. They land in a wildlife reserve and discover not only that there are others like them, but also that the lion pride in charge is Alex's family. Though Africa initially appears to be paradise for the Zoosters, things quickly go awry as each member of the group finds complications and that they’ll need to rely on each other in their new home.

* SexySurfacingShot: Moto Moto is introduced rising out from the water and {{Sexy Walk}}ing to Gloria to flirt with her.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome: [[spoiler:After he succeeds in usurping Zuba's position as Alpha Lion, Makunga faces his first challenge as leader when the watering hole dries up the next day. He responds to the challenge as well as you'd expect: his only suggestion is that the animals fight for what little water is left, knowing full well that as Alpha Lion he would win. He then proceeds to [[KickTheDog kick one dog]] after another, including literally kicking away a Dik-Dik who protested his leadership, cruelly patronising a young giraffe with a broken leg, and mercilessly mocking Alex when he offers a more effective solution to the problem. In a satisfying aversion of ApatheticCitizens, the other animals are so appalled by his behaviour that they unanimously demand that [[TheGoodKing Zuba]] be brought back to deal with the situation himself. A furious and humiliated Makunga is forced to falsely promise to consult with Zuba in order to pacify his subjects.]]

The film takes place shortly after the first movie. The penguins fix a crashed airplane and the zoo animals (plus King Julien and Maurice) try to fly back to New York but run out of fuel (or perhaps more accurately, run out of plane) and crash. They land in a wildlife reserve and discover not only that there are others like them, but also that the lion pride in charge is Alex's family.

* GossipEvolution: The monkeys' relaying of Alex's message changed from "She's got a gun, let's get out while we can" to "Let's have fun and take out the dam" and "No, pull up. They'll kill us. There's gottta be another way." to "No pull up. Kill us. There's no other way." And both times, "pass it on" gets turned into "basset hound".

* GoneHorriblyRight: Sideing with GossipEvolution. When the zoosters and penguins rescue Alex and Zuba from the tourists, Alex suggests they get out while they can, which was [[GossipEvolution misenturpreted as he wants to take out the dam]]. The result: the water was returned.

* LaserGuidedKarma: [[JerkAss Makunga]] eventually meets his downfall when [[spoiler:Alex tricks him into taking Nana's purse, then unleashing Nana to attack ''him.'' Then Nana drags Makunga away as the other animals cheer.]] The commentary confirms that [[spoiler:Nana brought Makunga back to New York in a kitty cage!]]

* WorthlessYellowRocks: The gold and diamonds the animals dig up at the watering hole while desperately looking for water. The penguins, who are from New York and are well aware what gold is worth to humans, take it all for themselves (the loot comes back in the third film, although the trope is no longer in play). Marty and the Zoosters are also aware of its value in civilization, but they have greater concerns.

* LaserGuidedKarma: [[JerkAss Makunga]] eventually meets his downfall when [[spoiler:Alex tricks him into taking Nana's purse, then unleashing Nana to attack ''him.'' Then Nana drags Makunga away as the other animals cheer.]]
** The commentary confirms that [[spoiler:Nana brought Makunga back to New York in a kitty cage!]]

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/madagascar2poster.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[[{{Tagline}} Still together. Still lost!]]]]

* RealIsBrown: Compared to the other two films (especially Europe’s Most Wanted), Escape 2 Africa has a rather drab color palette, this is justified due to most of the movie taking place on the African savanna, which is often that dull in RealLife.

* FreezeFrameBonus: The newspaper article briefly seen at the beginning of the movie dates Alex's arrival in New York as April 8, 1972, suggesting the modern day plot takes place some time in the 80s. [[note]] Although that doesn't explain [[AnachronismStew why they are absent in shots from the present or why Marty has an iPod, which would suggest a post-2001 setting]]. [[/note]]

* FreezeFrameBonus: The newspaper article briefly seen at the beginning of the movie dates Alex's arrival in New York as April 8, 1972, suggesting the modern day plot takes place some time in the 80s.

** Kowalski, and Private now speak a lot of lines in this movie.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* AdultFear: The opening. All of it. While his father Zuba is distracted for a minute, cub!Alex wanders off and is kidnapped by poachers. When Zuba realizes what's happened, he chases after the poachers' truck, desperately trying to save his son, only to get part of his left ear shot off by the poachers. Alex's crate is then knocked off the truck and into the river, where it ends up floating to New York. Zuba, however, doesn't notice, and continues to chase the truck. Until a grown Alex winds up back in Africa and reunited with them, Zuba and Florrie believed their son was dead. Imagine how guilty Zuba must have felt for all those years, thinking that it was his fault his child was dead because he failed to protect him.