Family Movie Review: Penguins of Madagascar

Before we begin, let's get one thing straight.  Penguins possess immeasurable cuteness - even those that are being a tad naughty.  With that said, I took my ten-year-old to see Penguins of Madagascar yesterday.  We all know the adorable penguins, Skipper, Kowalski, Rico, and Private, introduced to us in the 2005 DreamWorks film, Madagascar.  They even had their own television show for a while, so a feature film was inevitable. 

I will admit, I was quite excited to see this film, and, if you think that had something to do with the film featuring the voice talent of Benedict Cumberbatch (Agent Classified), you are absolutely correct!  Don't judge me!!!  In addition to Tom McGrath, Chris Miller, Conrad Vernon, and Christopher Knights as our lovable penguins, the film also stars John Malkovich as our villain, Dr. Octavius Brine.

Penguins of Madagascar is rated PG for some rude humor and mild action such as animated explosives and cartoon violence.  As far as the rude humor is concerned, younger viewers probably won't get it anyway, so I wouldn't worry about that.  In fact, I don't think anyone will catch ALL the jokes in just one viewing.  There are some very clever lines.  However, if you're looking for a deep, sophisticated plot, you won't find it in this movie, but who cares.  Private finally gets to be the hero and proves his worth as a valued member of the team - and that's reason enough to go see it.  

Overall, this is an action-packed movie suitable for families.  What the story lacks in complexity, it surely makes up for with wit - and cuteness, cannot forget the CUTENESS!