MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA (Rated PG)

Family comedies seem increasingly rare these days, owing in part to the fact that so many of them are animated films, which are not as speedily produced as regular features.

Pleasantly for a sequel, “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” does a better job on its jokes and sly humor, not to mention its brilliantly colorful animation.

Several of the lively characters from the original secure more face time, adding significantly to the laugh quotient. Even a few new ones brought into the mix prove to be either unusual or intriguing. On the other hand, there’s some outright imitation of key elements of “The Lion King” that appears useful only for creating some needless dramatic tension.

You may recall that the quartet of New York zoo animals ended up marooned on the distant shores of Madagascar. Alex (voiced by Ben Stiller), the show business lion, has a flair for Bob Fosse-inspired dance moves. The hypochondriac giraffe Melman (David Schwimmer) is certain of his imminent demise. Marty the zebra (Chris Rock) doesn’t know if he’s black with white stripes or vice versa, and this proves to be a problem when he meets up with his species. The lovable hippo Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith) is looking for love in all the wrong places.

Meanwhile, the loopy King Julien (Sacha Baron Cohen), aided by his fawning flunky Maurice (Cedric the Entertainer), is anxious to establish his kingdom without regard for the wishes of his potential subjects.

Later, the wacky king is involved with a misguided plan to mollify the water gods with a ritual sacrifice in a volcano. More fun is at hand with the penguins, under the leadership of Skipper (Tom McGrath), working feverishly to repair an old crashed cargo plane as the instrument for flight back to New York City.

Claiming ownership of the aircraft, King Julien imagines that he will become King of New York, just by the sheer force of his charismatic personality. But first, in order to get the aircraft functional, Skipper and his penguins require help from a large group of monkeys, who figure on organizing a union to secure a hefty benefit package. For Air Penguin, liftoff proves successful, but it turns out to be short-lived, and soon the aircraft lands on the African continent, in the vicinity of a wild animal preserve.

Alex and company feel they have returned to the motherland, though they are hardly prepared for a primitive existence. As a young cub, Alex was lost to poachers, eventually ending up at the zoo, and now he is reunited with his father Zuba (Bernie Mac, chief of the local pride, and mother (Sherri Shepherd). As the alpha male of the pride, Zuba’s authority is being challenged once again by the nefarious Makunga (Alec Baldwin), who sees an opening by insisting that Alex go through the rite of passage, one that the urbanized lion is certain to fail.

At first, Marty is all excited that he gets to run with hundreds of zebras who share his heritage. But then, he quickly tires of the novelty when realizing that all zebras look and sound exactly like him. On the other hand, Gloria is thrilled to splash around in the water with her species, especially when she meets the charming hustler Moto Moto (will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas) who eagerly woos her. Melman has had so much experience with medication back at the zoo that the locals make him the witch doctor. Fearing that his life is at an end, Melman struggles to make his deep feelings for Gloria known, even though it would an interspecies romance.

Full of jokes and slapstick humor, “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” is a pleasant surprise for a sequel. Let’s face it, there’s something funny about a lion making the dance moves of a Broadway professional. The hard-nosed penguins and the wild and crazy King Julien don’t disappoint as fun, amusing characters. It could be a very good thing if a “Madagascar 3” is just around the corner.

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

There’s little need in this space to tell you about the release of “The Jason Bourne Collection.” After all, it’s all three films in one neat package. So let’s look at a truly oddball film, an intriguing rite of passage story that is weirdly erotic and dark.

“Mister Foe” stars Jamie Bell as a troubled young man whose knack for voyeurism paradoxically reveals his darkest fears and most peculiar desires.

Haunted by the sudden death of his mother, Bell’s Hallam Foe spends his days spying on his family, suspecting his beautiful stepmother of playing a hand in it. Running away to Edinburgh, he becomes a Peeping Tom, looking for love. No wonder that “Mister Foe” is rated R for strong sexual content and language.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

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