History YMMV / PenguinsOfMadagascar

* BeamMeUpScotty: Despite being circulated alongside a screenshot from the film, the line 'We did it boys, racism is no more' comes from ''WebVideo/ThePenguinsOfMadagascarOperationNWord'' rather than the canon script.

** The Penguins themselves. In the last three movies, they were the only ones who could take on the Fossa, Nana, and Captain [=DuBois=]. While understandable that they could not win every battle now that they are focus characters, they do look like idiots that do not know what they are doing by comparison.

* HilariousInHindsight:
** Long before this movie, Benedict Cumberbatch narrated a documentary in which he had trouble [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GnLDJAgrws pronouncing]] the word "penguin" as he does in this film (he pronounces the word as "pengwing" especially when he has to rattle of lines rapid fire).
** In the movie, [[spoiler:the fate of Dave the Octopus is that he gets trapped inside a snow globe.]] In the first two ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}'' games, [[spoiler:after you defeat DJ Octavio, also an octopus, your militia imprisons him in a giant snow globe.]]
** An Octopus pretending to be a human? [[VideoGame/{{Octodad}} Someone should make a game about that...]]

* WTHCastingAgency:
** Many people felt that Kowalski and Private's TV actors, Jeff Bennett and James Patrick Stuart, should've voiced the characters in the movie instead of their movie actors, Chris Miller and Christopher Knights, due to how the former two's performances as the characters were widely praised for bringing more depth to the characters. Even though this movie is part of the main canon and not the TV series' regardless.
** Many people were confused as to why John [=DiMaggio=] was replaced as Rico by Mason's voice actor, Conrad Vernon, given that John could've easily reprised the role.[[note]]It's rumored the reason he didn't reprise his role was because he was upset over Bennett and Stuart not reprising their respective roles as Kowalski and Private, but this has not been confirmed.[[/note]]

* TearJerker: Skipper chooses the North Wind plan over his after realizing not just that their plan is more elaborated because they're more experienced, but also because he failed to saved Private. Kowalski and Rico are shocked for his decision:
-->''[Skipper rises his hand on favor of the North Wind plan]''\\

''Rico grunts in shock''\\

'''Skipper:''' (Turns on his friends) I'm sorry, boys, but I can't lead you this time.\\

'''Kowalski:''' But, sir... (Skippers closes Kowaski mouth).\\

'''Rico tries to change his mind'''\\
'''Skipper:''' That's an order, Rico! (Skipper waddles away. Then he stops) All right, Classified... what's the diversion?.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Some fans of the show were disappointed that the movie focuses only on Skipper and Private and that Rico and Kowalski are pretty much just supporting characters. Considering that the show gave both Rico and Kowalski well-defined personalities (Rico is an aggressive explosion-lover with a sensitive side and Kowalski is an {{Adorkable}}, yet [[InsufferableGenius egotistical]] and eccentric smart guy) and those traits do show up in the movie from time to time, it's kind of confusing.

** Is Classified a suave cool agent intent on stopping Dave and saving the penguins? Or a selfish arrogant jerk that constantly demeans and dismisses the penguins as ‘weak and helpless’, and is mostly focused on proving that his team is better than their’s?

* CultClassic: Did not do all that well at the box office, but those who have seen it generally consider it to be a hilarious and lighthearted adventure worth seeing if you're a fan of the Penguins from the other movies or the TV show. The film being regularly available on Netflix has also helped to expand its audience a bit.

* TearJerker: Skipper chooses the North Wind plan over his after realizing not just that their plan is more elaborated because they're more experinced, but also because he failed to saved Private. Kowalski and Rico are shocked for his decision:

** Once living at the Central Park Zoo, [[spoiler:Dave had a roomy habitat and all the fans. Then started a chain where penguins unintentionally stole his glory as the octopus was moved to zoos and aquariums around the world, where he was forced to live in small tanks]].

* TearJerker: Skipper chooses the North Wind plan over his after realizing not just that their plan is more elaborated because they're more experinced, but also because he failed to saved Private. Kowaski and Rico are shocked for his decision:

--->''[Skipper rises his hand on favor of the North Wind plan]''\\

''Rico grunts in shock''

'''Rico tries to change his mind'''

'''Rico tries to talk'''

''Rico cries''

'''Rico:''' But, but...\\

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: Lorne Balfe delievers a rather excellent score for the film. Examples include [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cypvR4yVVXw "He is Dave"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxB2FEC5el0 The Penguin's Main Theme]]. You can here the full score [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm5lJWW_mwc here]].

* HilariousInHindsight

** Many people were confused as to why John [=DiMaggio=] was replaced as Rico by Mason's voice actor, Conrad Vernon, given that John could've easily reprised the role.[[note]]It's rumored the reason he didn't reprise his role was because he was upset over Bennett and Stuart not reprising their respective roles as Kowalski and Private, but this has not been confirmed.[[/note]]

* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic: Classified and the rest of the North Wind getting captured by Dave’s forces is supposed to be a shocking and upsetting moment, but given how Classified kept brutally rubbing in the fact that Skipper supposedly let Private get captured, it’s hard to feel sorry for him.

** The Penguins themselves. In the last three movies, they were the only ones who could take on the Fossa, Nana, and Captain DuBois. While understandable that they could not win every battle now that they are focus characters, they do look like idiots that do not know what they are doing by comparison.

** In the movie, [[spoiler:the fate of Dave the Octopus is that he gets trapped inside a snow globe.]] In ''VideoGame/{{Splatoon}}'', [[spoiler:the fate of DJ Octavio, also an octopus, is that he gets trapped in a snow globe.]]

* UncannyValley: An intentional example: Dave, when posing as Dr. Octavius Brine, makes some movements that are impossible even for a cartoony human, like walking on the ceiling, leaning forward almost to the ground, and stretching his arms to extreme length. These all indicate his true identity, but the humans are still fooled by his appearance.

* BadassDecay: The North Wind is introduced giving a CurbStompBattle to several mooks that had been giving the penguins trouble. They never do anything equally impressive after that. Though this can be partially attributed to their rivalry with the penguins impeding their effectiveness, even after they decide to cooperate with the penguins, they are quickly taken out of the fight in the final battle.

* CrazyAwesome: The first thing the Penguins do in the movie (after the flashback). Successfully breaking into Fort Knox is awesome enough, it's the fact that they did it ''to get to a vending machine and buy some Cheesy Dibbles'' that cements this as crazy.

** Classified's interactions with the penguins are reminiscent of an adult trying to get his children under control.

** Of course, the penguins had their fun getting their own movie. A few other {{Breakout Character}}s [[WesternAnimation/{{Minions}} receive]] [[WesternAnimation/TheLegoBatmanMovie their own]].

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Some fans of the show were disappointed that the movie focuses only on Skipper and Private and that Rico and Kowalski are pretty much just supporting characters. Considering that the show gave both Rico and Kowalski well-defined personalities ( Rico is an aggressive explosion-lover with a sensitive side and Kowalski is an {{Adorkable}}, yet [[InsufferableGenius egotistical]] and eccentric smart guy ) and those traits do show up in the movie from time to time, it's kind of confusing.
** The North Wind except for Classified. They are a more competent version of the titular penguins and it would be interesting for them to play off their counterparts more ( Kowalski and Eva, Rico and Short Fuse, and Private and Corporal ), but there's not much to them.