At the Movies…

I took my progeny and a classmate of hers to see Madagascar 2 this afternoon. I used to see a lot of movies. In my single days, I probably saw at least one movie in the theaters per week, and rented a couple of tapes as well. One wife, one stepson, and one daughter later…not so much. Why? Frankly, I didn’t leave the movies…the movies left me. As Hollywood has lurched to the Left, it became an accepted practice to slip in a political or ideological message of a secular/progressive nature. I have a hard time swallowing that. It’s aggravating to sit there, enjoying a flick, and then find that I’m being indoctrinated with the latest in Liberal Groupthink.

I’m happy to report that Madagascar 2 was (almost) completely free of that kind of Leftist subtext. Surprisingly, the studio chose not to cram down yet one more lesson in “climate change” or “how mankind is destroying the world one SUV at a time.” I spotted only one major breech of ideological agnosticism – when the King Julius character asked “what if we invade a country and impose our own ideological beliefs on them against their will?” For the record, we’ve not imposed ANYthing on either Iraq or Afghanistan, other than the rule of law. We’ve not attempted to make them Christian nations. We’ve not insisted on a bi-cameral legislature,  tried to steal their natural resources, or anything else. That crack (I felt) was uncalled-for, and marred an otherwise pitch-perfect film. 

There was a lot to like about Madagascar 2 – the 3D modeling, character designs, and voice work was flawless. The script was plot-hole free, and offered more than enough sight gags, movie references, and send-ups of pop culture references. And it kept my daughter and her friend giggling pretty much throughout. 

So if you’re in the market for  a movie that is largely free of inappropriate content, one that doesn’t rely on scatological humor to shill for laughs, one that has a decent plot, and will hold the interest of both adults and kids, Madagascar 2 is a safe bet. While it’s not groundbreaking fare like Beauty & the Beast, or funky and hip like The Triplets of Bellville, it is entertaining and engaging.