Reviews WesternAnimation / Penguins Of Madagascar

You Get What You Expect

The jokes are well thought out, well executed and absolutely in tone with the characters. Skipper and Rico in particular really stand out in the flick. Skipper is, well, Skipper, and Rico´s characteristics are overplayed to the point where he almost puts Kirby to shame with his black hole stomach, and at one point he even tries to eat Kowalski ! Flanderization ? Maybe, but it sure as hell works for me. Kowalski and Private are funny too, both never straying too far from their shtick.

I also enjoy how the movie handles the dynamic between Skipper and Private. It´s cute, heartwarming and puts the characters in a new light, while keeping in tone with their personalities. It´s also nice how the movie seems to take it´s sweet time to develop jokes about cliches and common movie tropes.

But there are a few problems. The scenes shared between Skipper and Private are good, but sometimes it gets a bit too much dramatic. The movie could have used a few less drama. It´s not that the Penguins cannot have serious moments. It´s just that they need to be really well executed and fit the style and tone of the movie, and most of the time it just doesn´t.

The supporting cast is just awful. The North Wind pack doesnt contribute that much besides being shoe-horned plot devices ? They are not funny, charismatic, original or even that important. I think Benedict Cumberbatch is a fantastic actor, but i don´t think his voice saves the character for me. I get that they are supposed to be some sort of contrast to the Penguins, and they are meant to put the whole "We are the elite" thing to the test, but there are so many better ways to do that without adding these characters that just aren´t that interesting.

I also wasn´t a fan of the villain. For me, he just isn´t that funny. I mean, his ridiculously petty plan is funny, his animations are amazing and his minions are funny, but the character himself just isn´t as funny as one could expect. Why did they even invent a new villain ? They had Dr.Blowhole, for crying out loud ! Dr.Blowhole was hilarious, interesting and the archnemesis Skipper could ask for. Why didn´t they bring him to the movie ?

So, as a whole, i found the movie enjoyable purely because, well, it´s the Penguins, and they are still really funny to watch. But i still think it could have been done a lot better.