“Merry Madagascar”, a 30 minute Madagascar Christmas special, airs tonight on NBC. The feature stars the original voice talent of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett-Smith, David Schwimmer who starred in the feature films.
The Washington Post gives it a favorable review minus the fact that it is broadcasting two weeks before Thanksgiving.
Dreamworks’ “Madagascar” marketing enterprise lunges at the throat of Christmas in a half-hour special called “Merry Madagascar” Tuesday night on NBC.
I mean really lunges. Like a crazed, 300-pound Black Friday door-buster shopper; like a family of 10 children who’ve been told that Santa only brought seven presents, available to the first kids who make it downstairs. Trample, trample! It’s the most noisiest time of the year, sure, and so are the animated specials — but Nov. 17 feels about two weeks early, does it not?
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As for “Merry Madagascar,” I’d like to “move-it, move-it” to about Dec. 3 or 4, where it would seem so much more enjoyable — because there are laughs to be had in it (a North Pole reindeer is star-crossed in love with a rival South Pole penguin and declares herself “bipolar”), and they didn’t cheap out on the voices. That really is Ben Stiller (lion), Chris Rock (zebra), Jada Pinkett-Smith (hippo) and David Schwimmer (giraffe) punching their timecards for this 30-minute cheapie.
Very enjoyable! Animation was top notch fun and while a bit violent (Julius knocking citizens out with coconuts to get on the naughty list? Must’ve run short up against the production clock…) I thought it was very entertaining. My favorite part is where Santa (even though he doesn’t know who he is) can’t help making toys and giving them out. Frankly, the story could’ve just been about Santa and Julius playing off one another and you’d have ended up with a real funny and fun story about one of the joys of Christmas.
It was cute. Or cutesy. Very predictable plot. And far too early.