In the year that saw Wall-E set a new standard for animated features, this seems so uninspired by comparison. Much like its averagely entertaining predecessor, this knockabout sequel is a production line kids’ caper, crisply animated but blighted by too much schmaltz joining the dots between the funny bits.
That said, there are definitely laughs to be had. The penguins take the best scenes – crashing a plane, mowing down an old lady in a jeep (bit dubious for the kids, no?) and so on – while Sacha Baron Cohen’s ultra-camp lemur King Julien once again gets the best lines. “If I had only two days to live,” he says innocently. “I would invade a neighboring country, and force my own ideology on them, whether they wanted it or not.” Aww.
Black Eyed Peas man will.i.am’s turn as Barry White-esque horny hippo Moto Moto deserves credit too – the film would have been better for having more of him. Unfortunately the main storyline – Alex The Lion (Ben Stiller) being reunited with his pride and having to prove that despite his pampered zoo upbringing he’s a ‘real’ lion – is over-syrupped and dull, serving only really to fill out the time between action set pieces and Happy Feet-style dance segments.
So, while bits like the penguin muttering “Damn you Darwin” while fumbling with a screwdriver will raise a giggle if you’re on babysitting duties, there are moments when kids and adults alike might lose interest and start wondering whether they should have gone to see Waltz With Bashir instead. Okay, perhaps that’s just the adults.
