Line #254 WesternAnimation/PenguinsOfMadagascar


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8	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/penguins-of-madigascar-movie-poster_4766.jpg]]
9	[[caption-width-right:350:''[[TagLine The movie event that will blow their cover.]]'']]
10
11	A 2014 feature film from Creator/DreamWorksAnimation, starring the eponymous penguins of the ''Franchise/{{Madagascar}}'' film trilogy and [[WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar TV series spinoff]].
12
13	In the film, which begins right after ''WesternAnimation/Madagascar3EuropesMostWanted'', the four penguins (Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private) are breaking into Fort Knox for Private's birthday, only to cross paths with a vengeful octopus named Dave, who is jealous of penguins and wants to make them nasty. The quartet escapes from Dave's forces and hook up with the North Wind, an animal task force out to stop Dave before he can utilize his mysterious Medusa Serum. Unfortunately, the two teams of heroes end up clashing with each other, allowing Dave to proceed with his evil penguin-threatening plans... But most importantly (which only viewers have cared about), Private longs to be a meaningful and valued member of the team. Will he earn his title?
14
15	As the film is in canon with the films and not the TV series, tropes about the characters within should go [[Characters/{{Madagascar}} here]].
16
17	For the TV series, see ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar''.
18
19	----
20	!!"Kowalski! What tropes can you find in this movie?"
21
22	* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture: Technology seen in the movie is decidedly far more futuristic than anything seen in any of the main ''Madagascar'' movies.
23	* AccidentalMisnaming: Skipper keeps forgetting Dave's name, calling him Doug, Darryl and Debbie, among other names. Even the CreativeClosingCredits briefly name him Debbie before fixing into Dave.
24	* AdamWesting: Creator/WernerHerzog as a particularly {{Jerkass}} version of himself who pushes the penguins off a cliff to get the shot he wants.
25	* AndCallHimGeorge: Corporal hugs the penguins quite tightly. [[spoiler:Also, the girl who shakes the snow globe Dave's trapped inside might count.]]
26	* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler:Dave's ultimate fate - trapped inside a snow globe.]]
27	* AndStarring: And Creator/JohnMalkovich as Debbie... er, Dave.
28	* ApatheticCitizens: The film starts with a long row of penguins who are blindly marching in line (for a brief dip in a pool) and unconcerned about a runaway egg rolling past them.
29	* AspectRatioSwitch: The aspect ratio changes from 1:85:01 to 2:35:01 during some scenes, in particular during the mutated penguins’ attack, alongside a 3D look.
30	* AwkwardKiss: After Private is told his birthday surprise, he's overcome with joy and gives both Skipper and Kowalski familial cheek pecks before moving on to Rico... who pulls Private back in and traps him in a big wet-sounding smooch for [[OverlyLongGag a good half-minute]].
31	-->'''Skipper:''' You mess with the bull you get the horns, Private.
32	* TheBabyOfTheBunch: Deconstructed with Private. While he loves how [[BigBrotherInstinct loving and protective his brothers are to him]], he also feels he is not taken as seriously as the others because for this trope. His whole arc revolves around how he can be just as much as an asset to the team as the others and by the end, [[EarnYourHappyEnding he gets his wish]].
33	%% * BadassCrew:
34	%% ** The penguins, most of the time.
35	%% ** The North Wind alternate between being a BadassCrew and FeetOfClay.
36	* BagOfHolding: Rico is a BigEater who eats everything and can cough up whatever he ate on cue. He ends up becoming a literal bag when he uses this talent while disguised as a backpack.
37	* BaitAndSwitch: The Penguins' break-in into Fort Knox. At first, you would think they were after the gold in the facility, but in reality, they were really after a bag of rare cheesy snacks for Private's birthday. Skipper even says a line that heavily implies that they were after the former.
38	* BarrierBustingBlow: Dave’s first scene has him smashing his way out of Fort Knox’s roof thanks to the vending machine he’s wearing like a costume.
39	* BatterUp: Private takes out one of Dave's henchmen with a baseball bat, rescuing the North Wind from the DeathTrap.
40	* BearyFunny: Corporal is a DumbMuscle polar bear whose obsession with cute animals is PlayedForLaughs.
41	* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: [[spoiler:As a result of his own ray being used on him, Dave finally out-cutes the penguins and gets the kids' attention... having been reduced to a tiny octopus trapped inside a snowglobe a girl has run off with (shaking it violently).]]
42	* BewareTheSillyOnes: Dave is more than a little off his rocker, but the fact that he was able to concoct such a plan, gather an army of minions, and create that entire base as well as a human alter ego pretty much cements him into this trope.
43	* BigBad: Dr. Octavius Brine, ''a.k.a.'' Dave the octopus.
44	* BigDamnMovie: Forget relative to the cartoon, this movie is grandiose relative to the other ''Madagascar'' movies.
45	* BigEater: Not only does Rico eat ''everything,'' but he can also cough up whatever he ate on cue. [[spoiler:Skipper and Mort become this after they've been mutated.]]
46	** The Penguins, after being captured and trapped in the vending machine in Fort Knox, have eaten the entirety of the Cheezy Dibbles in it during their transfer to Dave's sub in Venice.
47	* BigEntrance: Dave as Dr. Brine shows up at the end of the movie riding on top of his submarine as if he was dashing through the water.
48	* BigLittleMan: [[spoiler:Dave at first appears to have been turned into a giant towering over New York City, but in reality, he is now tiny and trapped in one of his snow globes.]]
49	* BigNo: Private when [[spoiler:all the penguins (except him) are mutated.]]
50	* BoisterousBruiser: Corporal.
51	* BookEnds: The "95%" line.
52	--->''[young penguins stranded on an ice floe floating out to sea]''\
53	'''Skipper:''' Kowalski, What's our trajectory?\
54	'''Kowalski:''' 95% certain we're still doomed.\
55	'''Skipper:''' And the other 5%?\
56	'''Kowalski:''' Adventure and glory like no penguins have ever seen before!\
57	''[penguins flying on jetpacks]''\
58	'''Skipper:''' Kowalski, What's our trajectory?\
59	'''Kowalski:''' 95% certain this will end in massive, flaming disaster!\
60	'''Skipper:''' And the other 5%?\
61	'''Kowalski:''' Irrelevant, sir! Jetpacks are AWESOME!
62	** The start of the movie when Private hatches as a cute baby and the scene at the end when he hatches mutated.
63	* BrutalHonesty:
64	** Kowalski is prone to this.
65	--->'''Private:''' Hello! Are you my family?\
66	'''Kowalski:''' You don't have a family, and we're all going to die. Sorry.
67	** [[BrickJoke Even at the end of the movie]]:
68	--->[[spoiler: '''Private:''' So... how do I look?]]\
69	[[spoiler: '''Kowalski:''' You're hideously disfigured, and will probably be hunted for sport.]]
70	* ButForMeItWasTuesday: An inversion. The penguins arriving at the zoo and stealing the spotlight from Dave with their cute antics was the StartOfDarkness for the octopus, but the penguins weren't even aware of his existence.
71	* CallBack:
72	** After Agent Classified drugs the penguins, he has them shipped to the North Wind's most remote safehouse. Its location: ''Madagascar''.
73	** After they break out of the box, and tumble into the cockpit of a commercial plane, Skipper briefly flirts with a bobblehead doll.
74	** At the first ''Madagascar'' movie, Skipper asks Kowalski what's written in the box they're in and he says he doesn't understand because he can't read. During the scene where Kowalski is checking the manual of the North Wind's jet, he says "No, still can't read".
75	* TheCameo: The main cast of ''Franchise/{{Madagascar}}'' only shows up as a shadow behind a circus tent at the beginning. [[spoiler:Mort and King Julien show up during TheStinger, though.]]
76	* CaptainsLog: Skipper delivers one after the penguins are stranded at sea without food and water.
77	* CaptivityHarmonica: Diegetic version where one of the kidnapped penguins is shown playing the harmonica after Private is captured.
78	* ChangedMyMindKid: [[spoiler: Classified has the North Wind "regroup" at their headquarters, leaving the captive Skipper, Rico and Kowalski behind, to Private's dismay. They return in the final battle, providing a little help against Dave's forces.]]
79	* ChekhovsGun:
80	** The paperclip that Rico coughed up earlier is later used by Private.
81	** Similarly, Rico eating Dave's snow globes becomes useful [[spoiler:when the penguins need to figure out where he will attack next. They are also used to enhance the ray gun when it is set to return the penguins back to normal.]]
82	** Private's cuteness works like this: it starts off as an obstacle for him to be respected by the others, but eventually [[spoiler:powers Dave's gun to reverse the effects of the Medusa Serum.]]
83	* CleanPrettyChildbirth: Private splashes some gunk on the three older penguins when he hatches, but once that's over with he's perfectly dry and clean.
84	* CombatTentacles: Dave the Octopus and his army of squid minions regularly use this as a combat tactic.
85	* ComicallyMissingThePoint: Skipper, a lot. Within one action scene, he scolds Private for playing with "backpacks" (actually parachutes), says passengers on a plane they punched holes in are going to freak because of a lack of snacks, and responds to Kowalski saying a plane is at 12 o'clock (referring to its position in relation to the penguins) with "Good, it's only eleven-thirty".
86	* CompositeCharacter: Rico takes a lot of cues from his cartoon version, choking up more things and saying more while not actually being intelligible.
87	* ContinuityNod:
88	** The movie opens with a MinorKidroduction, showing the penguins as children in Antarctica and how they became lost at sea where they eventually end up in New York, much the same way ''WesternAnimation/MadagascarEscape2Africa'' depicts this happening to Alex.
89	** The main plot opens with a celebration of Private's 10th birthday and escalates from there; Marty's 10th birthday similarly motivates the opening act of ''WesternAnimation/Madagascar1''.
90	** When locked in a cage, Skipper orders Rico to bust them out, which he does by coughing up a paperclip to pick the lock with. This action in [[WesternAnimation/Madagascar1 the first movie]] is what inspired his stomach of holding abilities.
91	** The Penguins meet a rival group known as the North Wind, who is comprised of northern animals. The penguins don't get along with them at all, aside from one of them having a crush on the female of the group. The idea that the Antarctic Penguins would be natural rivals of Arctic life but one of the penguins having a crush on one of them also comes up in ''Merry Madagascar''.
92	* ContinuousDecompression: Averted; the penguins puncture holes in several passenger airplanes, but there's none of Hollywood's usual continuous-wind-sucks-everything-out-of-the-fuselage involved.
93	* ContrivedCoincidence: Dave somehow knew ahead of time that the Penguins were going to break into Fort Knox and go for the vending machine long before they even told Private of their plans.
94	* CoveredInKisses: Kowalski is subjected to this by Eva after he and the penguins save the day.
95	* CreditsGag: John Malkovich's character is at first credited as Debbie, then corrected as Dave, in keeping with the RunningGag of Skipper misnaming him.
96	* CursedWithAwesome: The penguins waste no time putting their horribly mutated bodies to good use in the final battle, their misshapen limbs making excellent bludgeoning weapons.
97	* CutenessProximity: Corporal goes into gushing mode when he sees penguins.
98	* DeathTrap: Dave has one in his ''submarine,'' where victims are tied into a {{Theme Park\|s}}-style ride car and driven through a series of swinging blades, mashing spikes, and explosive rockets fired at close range.
99	* DidntThinkThisThrough: At Shanghai Marine World, Skipper pulls off Operation "Flash, Splash, and Crash" in order to trap Dave and save the mermaid penguins, but it allows Dave to escape through the pipes and kidnap the mermaids and Private, dressed up as a mermaid.
100	* DrivenToMadness: The Penguins are approaching this at the start of the film from the rest of the circus playing their Afro Circus/I Like to Move It mashup at the end of ''[[WesternAnimation/Madagascar3EuropesMostWanted Madagascar 3]]''.
101	* DudeWheresMyRespect: This is Private's goal throughout the movie -- he wants to be treated as a valued member of the team, but everyone else (especially Skipper) just sees him as the TagalongKid.
102	%% * DumbMuscle: Corporal is an enormous, but not too smart polar bear (especially when he gets into CutenessProximity).
103	* EvenEvilHasStandards: Subverted. [[spoiler:When Private seems to have been disintegrated by the ray at max power, even Dave and his minions are shocked to see what happened. But Dave brushes the supposed death off as he now is aware that he shouldn't use maximum power on all the other penguins.]]
104	* EveryoneHasStandards: Despite his love for penguins, even [[BearyFriendly Corporal]] is a little miffed that Skipper, Kowalski, and Rico destroyed the North Wind's airship.
105	* ExtremeGraphicalRepresentation: The North Wind's computer interfaces run on this trope. Even their in-field tactical planning sessions utilize a ''projected display dome'' with animated graphics.
106	* FamilyOfChoice: The penguins. A brief flashback even shows a page from Private's journal, with a crayon drawing of the four of them labelled "FAMILY"
107	* AFatherToHisMen: Skipper, most specifically to Private.
108	* FeetOfClay: While the North Wind are a competent and heroic team, they're also rather egotistical and unsympathetic, causing much of the antagonism between them and the penguins. [[spoiler:They even abandon the penguins inside Dave's submarine to "regroup" at one point, even after Private saved them from a DeathTrap.]]
109	* ForcedTransformation: Dave plans to use the Medusa Serum to [[spoiler:turn all of the penguins of the world into hideous monstrosities so people will stop loving them.]]
110	* FourLeggedInsect: Dave in the film and in the promotional material has six arms instead of the eight that octopi usually have, except for one scene in which [[spoiler: he is seemingly caught off-guard by Classified's strike team and ordered to surrender by putting his tentacles up.]]
111	* FunnyAnimalAnatomy: Dave, who has cartoony eyes, a mouth in front of his face instead of a beak beneath his head, two siphons which look like ears, and is purple. This is especially jarring since every other octopus in the film looks comparatively realistic (no mouth, for starters).
112	* FunnyOctopus: [[TomTheDarkLord Dave]] the octopus may be the BigBad, but he's quite FauxAffablyEvil at times, which, combined with his [[EvilIsHammy sheer ham]], makes him a very entertaining character. His octopus {{Mooks}} are even funnier, with their silly antics such as sleeping on the job or starting fights with each other, their "blub" language, and their tendency to fall victim to AmusingInjuries more than any other character in the movie.
113	* FurryConfusion: There are two species of seals appearing in the movie. Short Fuse is an anthropomorphic harp seal, capable of using a variety weapons and operating technology. The [[WhatMeasureIsANonCute much less cute]] leopard seals are [[MonstrousSeal vicious predators]] that are completely animalistic.
114	* {{Gasshole}}: Private whenever the Penguins fly. This makes them realize they’re on a cargo plane.
115	* GenreBlindness: The North Wind get hit with this when they break into Dave's submarine to capture him. [[spoiler:They confront him in the cockpit, and after a brief exchange of banter, Dave's octopus minions capture the team inside of five seconds.]]
116	* GentleGiant: Corporal of the North Wind is a polar bear who coos visibly whenever he sees a penguin.
117	* GlassSmackAndSlide: The four penguins, while in freefall, ends up smacking against the windshield of a passenger plane, before being pushed away by the wipers.
118	* GlobalIgnorance: The penguins mistake Shanghai, China for Dublin, Ireland.
119	-->'''Skipper:''' We gotta blend in. River dance.
120	* GloryDays: Before he was upstaged by penguins, Dave used to be a star attraction at the Central Park zoo, entertaining crowds with his dexterous antics.
121	* GroinAttack: Skipper hits a gondolier in the crotch while fighting with three octopi.
122	* HeroesRUs: The North Wind is a secret organization of arctic animals. Their backers are unspecified, but they have a massive secret base, complete with hypersonic flying craft, PoweredArmor, {{Big Freaking Gun}}s, and flying jetpacks.
123	* AHeroIsBorn: The movie starts with young versions of Skipper, Kowalski, and Rico rescuing a runaway egg, which hatches to reveal Private.
124	* HiddenInPlainSight: In Venice, Eva is disguised as a statue, while Short Fuse is pretending to be a scoop of ice cream and Corporal masquerades as a telephone booth.
125	* HopelessWithTech: Dave, when he tries to video chat with the North Wind.
126	-->'''Eva:''' Where's the sound?\
127	'''Kowalski:''' Dave, your microphone, it's not on.\
128	'''Classified:''' Click on the button with the picture of the microphone.\
129	'''Short Fuse:''' [[NoodleIncident Every time a villain calls in, this happens.]]
130	* HumanMail:
131	** The North Wind sends the penguins to a safe house in Madagascar via cardboard box.
132	** The penguins travel from Shanghai, China to Shanghai, China (See GlobalIgnorance above) by piling into a box and shipping themselves.
133	* HumansAreBastards: Though the trope was mostly based on fear rather than maliciousness, Dave's whole plan relied on the fact that upon sight of the mutated penguins, the entire population would unanimaously agree to wipe the whole species off the planet.
134	* HurricaneOfPuns: A RunningGag throughout the film involves Dave giving orders to his henchmen that results in a pun based on a celebrity's name. This reaches its apex during the climax where he goes through several in a row:
135	-->'''Dave:''' [[Creator/CharlizeTheron Charlize, they're on]] the ray! [[Creator/HelenHunt Helen, hunt]] them down! [[Creator/WilliamHurt William, hurt]] them! [[Creator/HalleBerry Halle, bury]] them! [[Creator/HughJackman Hugh! Jack! Man]] the battle stations! [[Creator/KevinBacon Kevin, bake on]]! We're still going to need that victory cake!
136	* IgnoredEpiphany: At the climax, after Dave has [[spoiler:turned all of the penguins into disgusting monsters]], he states that [[VengeanceFeelsEmpty he feels empty as if there is a hole in him now]]. He comes to the conclusion that the best way to fix that is to [[spoiler:plan '''more''' revenge and starts preparing to uglify every ''other'' cute animal species]].
137	* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: Downplayed, [[spoiler:as it only takes Private to make Mutant Skipper remember the memories they had together to snap him out of it.]]
138	* ImmediateSequel: After a flashback detailing how the Penguins became a team, the film begins during the ending of ''WesternAnimation/Madagascar3EuropesMostWanted''.
139	* ImprobableAimingSkills: During the climax, [[spoiler:Skipper is able to shoot the activation button for Dave’s machine by launching a Cheezy Dibble like a rocket, while he himself is flying through the air]].
140	* InexplicablyAwesome: Turns out the Penguins were ''always'' awesome, even as chicks. Kowalski even {{lampshades}} it after their first adventure together.
141	* InkSuitActor: Played with. Despite being a purple octopus with red eyes and a mouthful of crooked teeth, Dave displays some ''very'' Malkovich-like facial expressions.
142	* InnocentlyInsensitive: Even when Private expresses how much he wants just to be a meaningful and valued member of the team, the others continue to just treat him as simply "the cute one", much to his annoyance.
143	-->'''Skipper:''' You can't take away Private's cuteness!\
144	'''Kowalski:''' He's the cute one! That's, that's his thing!\
145	'''Private:''' What?\
146	'''Skipper:''' It's all the little guy's got!\
147	'''Private:''' Ugh...
148	%% * InterserviceRivalry: Although the penguins are not a formal organization, their clashes with the North Wind fall under this trope and drive most of the plot.
149	* InterspeciesRomance: Kowalski (a penguin) falls in love with Eva (a snow owl), who rebuffs his advances. [[spoiler:She reciprocates at the end, though.]]
150	* ItsPersonal: This is Dave's motive for revenge against cute animals, as he feels their cuteness stole his fans from the various zoos and parks where he performed in.
151	* {{Jerkass}}:
152	** The Documentary Crew deliberately pushes the young Skipper, Kowalski and Rico over the side of a cliff despite just stating that the fall will most likely kill them. Subverted in that it helps them make it safely to the old abandoned ship to save baby Private from the leopard seals
153	** Classified really likes to twist the knife about how [[spoiler: Skipper's plan let Private get captured]].
154	** Dave is also this as well, blaming the penguins for all of his misery, while it is the humans that mistreated him.
155	* JerkassHasAPoint: Classified definitely rubs in the fact [[spoiler:Skipper's plan to thwart Dave in Shanghai had failed and resulted in Private being captured]] to the point where he agrees to act at the North Wind's diversion.
156	-->'''Classified:''' I've never lost a member of my team. It must feel ''awful''. Can't imagine the guilt, the regret, the feeling that, I don't know, that... it should have been ''you''.
157	* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: Near the end of the movie, after Dave has enacted his revenge against penguins by making them ugly, he wonders why he feels so empty inside, then he concludes it must be because he needs MORE revenge and starts plotting to uglify more cute animals.
158	* JetPack: Shown off a few times in the film. [[spoiler: The Penguins get four of them as rewards for their victory]]
159	* KickTheDog: Skipper slaps around a ''baby squid'' at one point. He quickly realizes his mistake, though.
160	-->'''Skipper:''' Sorry, laddie.
161	* KissingDiscretionShot: [[spoiler:When giving Kowalski a SmoochOfVictory, Eva uses her wing to block the camera’s view of the actual smooching]].
162	%% * LargeHam: Dave, who is incapable of doing anything in an un-hammy manner. Being voiced by Creator/JohnMalkovich has its benefits.
163	* LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain: Skipper invokes this after the team dress up in lederhosen to distract the squids.
164	-->'''Skipper:''' We take this shame to our graves.\
165	'''Kowalski:''' Agreed.
166	* LiquidAssets: Without any synthetic antidote for the Medusa Serum, Private uses himself instead, allowing the machine to drain cuteness from him to transfer it back to the other penguins.
167	* LiteralMinded: At one point Corporal the polar bear mistakes a part of Classified's ultimate plan as a knock-knock joke.
168	-->'''Classified:''' At 22:02, knock-knock.\
169	'''Corporal:''' [[ComicallyMissingThePoint Who's there?]]\
170	'''Classified:''' The North Wind.\
171	'''Corporal:''' The North Wind who?\
172	'''Classified:''' The North Wind who doesn't have time for knock-knock jokes because we're too busy ''taking down Dave''!
173	* LostAtSea: Occurs after [[spoiler:Dave escapes with Private captured]] and the penguins are adrift in a metal bowl without food and water. [[spoiler:Subverted when it is revealed they're being towed by the North Wind, who are relaxing five feet away in an inflatable pontoon dining on fine food and drink.]]
174	* MassOhCrap: Dave and his octopus minions get this when [[spoiler:the Cheesy Dibble Skipper shot is about to hit the Medusa Serum remote.]]
175	* MidBattleTeaBreak: A variation -- after the penguins escape from being shipped to Madagascar, they use an inflatable bounce house to land safely in the middle of the desert. A short cut later, it's revealed they spent the last hour bouncing on it instead of heading for civilization.
176	* AMinorKidroduction: The film starts at Antarctica, where we see Skipper, Kowalski and Rico as baby penguins and Private hatching from his egg.
177	* MistakenForName: When the Penguins ask the leader of North Wind for his name, he says that it's classified. This leads to them believing his name is literally "Classified" and calling him that for the entire film.
178	* MixAndMatchCritter: [[spoiler: The mutated penguins. In particular, Skipper has a lobster claw, Kowalski has an afro, octopus tentacles and chicken feet, and Rico has dragon wings.]]
179	* MonstrousSeal: The penguins are shown to despise leopard seals, which are portrayed as mindless penguin killers with BlackEyesOfCrazy. Curiously, the leopard seals seem to be the only animals in the movie who are not humanized in any way, which is ''especially'' strange considering that one of the heroes is a harp seal.
180	* MoodWhiplash: [[spoiler: A young girl sees Dave in the snow globe, and says he's cool. Skipper wishes Dave to find happiness, but then the girl starts to shake the snowglobe rapidly.]]
181	* MythologyGag:
182	** [[spoiler:King Julien's]] cameo in TheStinger uses an older design that would be out of date relative to the time the movie takes place but matches how he appeared alongside the penguins in ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'' cartoon.
183	* NobleWolf: Classified is a heroic wolf leading a team that rescues small, cute animals. He might be a proud, bragging [[{{Jerkass}} jerkass]], but he has good intentions.
184	%%* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Werner Herzogand the opening narration
185	* NoNameGiven: Classified. He tells Skipper that his real name is classified, but Skipper [[{{WhosOnFirst}} takes it literally]] and calls him Classified for the rest of the film.
186	* NonStandardCharacterDesign: Dave is much more anthropomorphic than the other octopi.
187	* NoodleImplements: Kowalski's plan to get down to the abandoned ship involves hundreds of feet of kelp, and jellyfish trained to follow voice commands, and that's all we know about it.
188	* NoodlePeople: Dr. Octavius Brine has very thin and flexible arms and legs. Justified, as he's an octopus in disguise.
189	* NoPartyLikeADonnerParty: Rico starts trying to eat Kowalski when the penguins find themselves stranded in the middle of the ocean. Of course, he doesn't succeed.
190	* NoPlansNoPrototypeNoBackup: Averted. After the penguins steal the canister containing Dave's Medusa Serum and escape, they and the North Wind are feeling pretty smug about it... until Dave reveals he has a huge vat of the stuff.
191	* NotSoHarmlessVillain: Dave is a goofball but startlingly competent and ruthless, with a rather savvy handling of his minions. Even his plan to take away the penguins' cuteness was a tall order NotSoHarmlessPunishment, since he planned on it's doing so resulting in every last remnant of the species getting wiped out by terrified humans.
192	* NotTheFallThatKillsYou: For some reason, only hitting the ground becomes a concern when the penguins fall from a plane when the other planes in flight they hit along the way down would probably have been a bigger concern.
193	* NotWhereTheyThought: The penguins surface from the sewers and believe they're in Dublin, Ireland, when they're actually in Shanghai. After deducting that [[BigBad Dave's]] next target of penguins to kidnap were in Shanghai, they decide to pack themselves in a box and mail themselves there. They don't even notice that they were dropped off at the exact spot they were picked up from.
194	* NoYou: [[spoiler:When Skipper, Kowalski and Rico are informed by Private that Dave is gonna turn them and all penguins into monsters, Kowalski tells Dave straight to his face that ''he's'' the monster, which Dave agrees to.]]
195	* OhCrap: Dave has this just before [[spoiler:the Cheesy Dibble Skipper shot is about to hit the Medusa Serum remote.]] May also count as a MassOhCrap if you count his octopus minions.
196	* {{Oireland}}: Skipper's understanding of Ireland falls in line with this trope. When he thinks the penguins have arrived in Dublin, he orders them to engage in Riverdancing to blend in, mentions the Blarney Stone, and tosses out a "Begorrah!" for good measure.
197	* TheOner: Used for a roughly two-minute long scene where the penguins fall out of the cargo hold of one airplane, slam into another airplane, actually board another plane and mess around on it a little before deciding to leave it, then barely miss getting on yet another plane, and finally fall to the ground, with the shot ending just before they actually land.
198	* ParentalBonus:
199	** The RunningGag of Dave saying a minion's name and then an order that coincidentally happens to sound similar to a celebrity's name.
200	** Also, Skipper's reaction to Kowalski saying the plane they're on is going to Paris;
201	--->'''Skipper:''' France!? Forget it! Not with their tax laws!
202	* PhlebotinumOverload: Happens in the final battle when [[spoiler:Skipper activates the Medusa Serum ray with Private’s cuteness as its ammo, which causes an explosion of cute energy with Dave caught in the epicenter on the ray, while the snow globes from Dave’s collection were used to reflect the ray onto the Animal Control trucks to reverse the monstrous effects of the Medusa Serum. The power was so great that while the penguins were turned back to normal, it caused Private to mutate and get encased in an egg.]]
203	%% * RapidFireComedy: Even more so than the original films.
204	* RememberTheNewGuy: [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] as when Dave makes his big entrance, not one of the penguins has a clue as to who he is.
205	* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: Although no reptiles appear, the leopard seals are called "Nature's Snakes" by the penguins to show their fear.
206	* RetCanon: On a smaller scale. While none of the characters appears in the movie, a few details from [[WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar the show]] are carried over in this film, such as Rico's design and status as TheUnintelligible, [[spoiler:and King Julien's crown being that of the one from the first ''Madagascar'' movie.]]
207	* RevengeIsSweet: Played With. Dave is on the verge of a NearVillainVictory, having turned all the penguins that stole his limelight into ugly abominations certain to be exterminated. As he celebrates, he notes a rather empty feeling inside, which he devises can only be filled with... ''more revenge'', and to enact the same on ''all'' cute lifeforms, shifting him right back to gleeful celebrating again.
208	* RiddleForTheAges: The real name of the North Wind leader is classified, meaning it's never revealed and remains a mystery. There isn't even a last-second reveal at the end of the film and the character never appears again throughout the franchise.
209	* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: A plot point; Dave becomes evil because penguins, in general, are so cute they keep stealing his attention everywhere he goes. Near the end of the movie, [[spoiler: Private uses his cuteness to save the day, and in the stinger Mort uses his to change Private.]] For examples that aren't in-universe, there are the four younger, smaller versions of the main penguins in the beginning, especially Private, who's newly hatched and pretty much just a ball of white and grey feathers.
210	* RoadTripAcrossTheStreet: After mistaking Shanghai for Dublin, the penguins mail themselves to Shanghai, where they think Dave will strike next. The mail truck picks them up and drives off... then drives back and drops the penguins back where they started.
211	-->'''Skipper:''' So this is it; Shanghai's famous Little Dublin District.
212	* RubberMan; Dave and the rest of the Octopi, who stretch and contort themselves in a way very appropriate for boneless cephalopods.
213	* RummageFail: A dramatic example as Skipper desperately heimlichs Rico looking for the paper clip to pick the lock to their cage in order to save Private, but are unable to find it because [[spoiler: Rico left it in the lock he picked earlier in the movie and Private has it]].
214	* RunningGag:
215	** Dave's orders to his squid minions coincidentally sounding like the name of an actor. It gets to the point where he delivers multiple ones in the span of a few minutes, rapid-fire.
216	--->'''Dave:''' [[Creator/NicolasCage Nicolas, cage]] them!\
217	'''Dave:''' [[Creator/ElijahWood Elijah, would]] you please take them away?\
218	'''Dave:''' [[Creator/DrewBarrymore Drew, Barry! More]] power!\
219	'''Dave:''' [[Creator/RobinWright Robin, write]] this down.\
220	'''Dave:''' [[Creator/CharlizeTheron Charlize, they're on]] the ray!\
221	'''Dave:''' [[Creator/HelenHunt Helen! Hunt]] them down!\
222	'''Dave:''' [[Creator/WilliamHurt William! Hurt]] them!\
223	'''Dave:''' [[Creator/HalleBerry Halle! Bury]] them!\
224	'''Dave:''' [[Creator/HughJackman Hugh! Jack! Man]] the battle stations!\
225	'''Dave:''' [[Creator/KevinBacon Kevin! Bake on!]]
226	** Skipper repeatedly forgets and misremembers Dave's name.
227	* RunningOnAllFours: Just like with Alex in [[WesternAnimation/Madagascar1 the]] [[WesternAnimation/MadagascarEscape2Africa main]] [[WesternAnimation/Madagascar3EuropesMostWanted movies]], Classified drops to all fours briefly when he has to run fast.
228	* SeeTheWhitesOfTheirEyes: Parodied, Skipper insists they can't fire the harpoon gun until they see the whites of the eyes of the leopard seals, even when they are right in front of them.
229	-->'''Kowalski:''' [their eyes are] mostly pupil! Very little white, almost none!\
230	'''Skipper:''' They gotta have a little white, right?\
231	'''Kowalski:''' None whatsoever!\
232	'''Skipper:''' What if they look really far to the left?
233	* SelfDeprecation: The scene of the Penguins blasting away from the Fur Power Circus due to the members constantly singing the "Afro Circus/I Like to Move It Move It" mashup is essentially [=DreamWorks=] admitting that they've run that joke into the ground.
234	* ShapedLikeItself: Discussed. Skipper describes Snow Leopards as "Nature's Snakes", which makes Kowalski ask him if it isn't snakes themselves that are nature's snakes. Skipper's response is "How should I know? I live out on the flippin' frozen tundra!"
235	* ShoutOut:
236	** During the climax, the four heroes go into battle stance while the camera pans around each of them, similar to a [[Film/TheAvengers2012 previous blockbuster]]. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded by this exchange]]:
237	-->'''Kowalski:''' Sir, how long do we stand here like this?\
238	'''Skipper:''' Until we reach maximum coolness.
239	** The sheep that the North Wind first thought was Dave is from the ''[[Franchise/HowToTrainYourDragon Dragons]]'' franchise.
240	** Using knock-out gas on the guards at Fort Knox in the beginning should remind ''Franchise/JamesBond'' fans of ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}''.
241	** In the finale, [[spoiler:with the possibility that reversing Dave's ray will kill him, Private's [[ItMakesSenseInContext butt hand]] places its palm on the glass which Skipper returns with his flipper, imitating the death scene from Star Trek's [[Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan Wrath of Khan]]/[[Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness Into Darkness]] ]].
242	** [[Film/PlanetOfTheApes1968 You maniac! You blew him up!]]
243	*** Doubles as a ContinuityNod to one scene in the first ''Madagascar''.
244	** Every time Dave instructs his minions by name, it is a reference to a famous Hollywood actor.
245	** The opening nature documentary spoofs both ''Film/MarchOfThePenguins'' and Creator/WernerHerzog's own ''Film/EncountersAtTheEndOfTheWorld''.
246	* SicklyGreenGlow: The Medusa Serum glows green, indicating its dangerousness. [[spoiler:The transformed penguins also gain a greenish shade, which makes them look very unnatural.]]
247	* SmoochOfVictory: [[spoiler:Kowalski gets this from Eva after Dave is defeated.]]
248	* TheSnackIsMoreInteresting: Classified's introduction of the North Wind keeps getting interrupted by Skipper loudly munching on Cheezy Dibbles.
249	* SpellMyNameWithAThe: The film is differentiated from the TV series by not having "the" in its title.
250	* TheStinger: [[spoiler:The team helps get back Private's cuteness by using [[Franchise/{{Madagascar}} Mort]] in Dave's ray. Mort has no visible side effects... but he is able to eat King Julien in one bite now.]]
251	* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Dave the octopus fills in the role of MadScientist sea animal antagonist of the penguins that Dr. Blowhole the dolphin from [[WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar the TV series]] has.
252	* SweetSeal: Subverted with Short Fuse, a tiny, fluffy seal with a high-pitched voice who is also the demolition expert for the North Wind.
253	* TagalongKid: Private is seen by the others (especially Skipper) as a cute version of this. Somewhat justified when he was a newly-hatched chick, but not after he's fully grown.
254	* TalkingAnimal: Dave can speak English in the guise of Dr. Brine.
255	* TeamChef: Kevin to Dave's army. [[spoiler:He is baking the octopuses' victory cake after the mutated penguins have been sent into New York. And when the four penguins are working towards reversing the effect, Kevin is ordered by Dave to keep baking. [[BrickJoke The cake is shown to be finished just as Dave's plan is foiled,]] with the Cheesy Dibble that Skipper shot towards the Medusa Serum remote [[OffWithHisHead cutting the head off of the Dave icing topper on the cake.]].]]
256	* TeethFlying: [[spoiler:When Dave breaks into the glass of the Medusa Ray to get Private who was using his cuteness to revert the monstrous changes of the penguins, Private manages to repel and knock Dave out of the ray by [[TalkToTheFist punching him in the face]] [[ItMakesSenseInContext with his butt-hand,]] causing him to lose a tooth in the process.]]
257	* TentacleRope: Being octopi, Octavius and his minions often grab the penguins in this way with actual tentacles.
258	* ToiletHumor: Fairly abundant, as is typical for most [=DreamWorks=] movies.
259	-->'''Classified:''' We are the North Wind. And no-one, ''no-one'', breaks the wind.
260	* TookALevelInDumbass:
261	** Skipper, for example, keeps mispronouncing Dave's name with other names that start with 'D' throughout the entire movie.
262	** Kowalski, to a [[DownplayedTrope lesser extent]]. While still the brains to the penguins, he has a few moments where he's sometimes a KnowNothingKnowItAll. Believing that the plane they've crashed in was heading for Paris after looking at a croissant, for one thing. Then as the penguins arrive in Shanghai, he thought they were in Dublin, Ireland, for another.
263	* ToothyBird: Dave has a mouth full of teeth, even though real-life octopi have beaks. Averted with his minions.
264	** Played straight with Skipper [[spoiler:when he becomes mutated]].
265	* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Cheezy Dibbles are the preferred snacks of penguins ''and'' octopi.
266	* TransformationHorror: [[spoiler:The Medusa Serum turns penguins into hideous creatures with mismatched body parts, extra eyes, and other deformities.]]
267	* TrueCompanions: The penguins bond is particularly emphasized in this movie, to the point where Private (and some trailers) referred to them as "brothers".
268	* 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.
269	* UnflinchingWalk:
270	** [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]]. Classified's plan for infiltrating Dave's submarine/base includes a simulated graphic of the team walking away without looking behind as the base explodes.
271	** Later subverted; when the submarine explodes, the North Wind indeed walks away without looking behind... [[spoiler:only to get hit by a truck crossing their path]].
272	--->'''Short Fuse:''' Oh, ''that's'' why you don't look back at the explosion.
273	* TheUnintelligible: Taking a cue from ''WesternAnimation/ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'', Rico becomes this where he was simply TheQuietOne in the [[WesternAnimation/Madagascar1 main]] [[WesternAnimation/MadagascarEscape2Africa film]] [[WesternAnimation/Madagascar3EuropesMostWanted trilogy]]. Unlike the series, he is completely unintelligible and never says anything recognizable.
274	-->'''Dave:''' Dave!\
275	'''Kowalski:''' ''[uncertain]'' Daaave...\
276	'''Dave:''' Dave!\
277	'''Skipper:''' ''[confused]'' Dave?\
278	'''Dave:''' Dave!\
279	'''Private:''' ''[pretending]'' Dave!\
280	'''Dave:''' Dave?!\
281	'''Rico:''' ''[bored]'' Blah...
282	* UnknownRival: Dave's disdain for penguins started out when the Penguins stole his glory back at Central Park Zoo back when they were younger. They never really met the guy until this movie and Skipper especially has trouble remembering his name.
283	* UnusualEuphemism: Skipper is not too comfortable [[ItMakesSenseInContext in lederhosen]]:
284	-->'''Skipper:''' These 'hosen are riding up in my Bundesliga.
285	* VengeanceFeelsEmpty: [[spoiler:Said nearly word-for-word by Dave when his plan has succeeded. However, his solution is ''more revenge''.]]
286	-->'''Dave:''' ''[as Dr. Octavius Brine]'' Now, that I finally have my revenge, [[VengeanceFeelsEmpty I feel…empty.]] As if, what I needed all along was… [[IgnoredEpiphany MORE revenge!]]
287	* VideoCallFail: When Dave calls the Penguins and North Wind about the Medusa Serum the Penguins stole, no audio comes from the call, so they tell Dave to turn on his audio. As he does so, he accidentally turns off his video, so they tell him to turn it back on. Dave also has a little trouble ending the call, so he asks his henchmen for help
288	* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:When Dave sees that the penguins are working to reverse the transformation on all the penguins, he launches into panic mode and orders all of his octopus henchmen to be sent out to stop them. [[EvilIsHammy Very loudly]], not to mention.]]
289	* WhatDoesThisButtonDo: Private can't stop pushing the buttons on Dave's submarine, each one sending them deeper into the ship. Later he [[ChekhovsSkill presses]] another one to [[spoiler:save the North Wind from Dave's [[DeathTrap death trap]].]]
290	* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Dave's minions are never seen again [[spoiler:after the end of the final battle.]]
291	* WhatMeasureIsANonCute: A plot point as Dave became a villain because people didn't think he was cute.
292	* WhatTheHellHero: Private calls out the North Wind for [[spoiler: prioritizing "regrouping" over saving the rest of the penguins' lives after he frees them from their torture chamber]].
293	* WithholdingTheirName: The leader of North Wind refuses to share his name, telling Skipper that it is classified. Skipper [[WhosOnFirst takes it literally]] and [[ComicallyMissingThePoint calls him Classified]] for the rest of the film.
294	* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Dave's sole reason for becoming an evil mastermind is due to the fact that he feels penguins stole his glory at every zoo and aquarium where he was ever an attraction.

Context WesternAnimation / PenguinsOfMadagascar