Penguins of Madagascar

So the Oscar results are in and I always like to look at the nominees for the Best Animated Feature Film, a welcome respite from the "grown up" nature of the awards. One film not included was the Penguins of Madagascar, which for me was the best animated movie of 2014.

I was originally piqued by the movie when I heard that notable actors such as Benedict Cumberbatch, John Malkovich, Peter Stormare and Ken Jeong were part of the cast. When we watched it my family and I were rolling on the floor in stitches. What made the movie funny were the antics of the Penguins which became the major focus as compared to the Madagascar movies where they were mere plot filler.

The past few years after the original Toy Story came out, the animation studios have pushed the envelope of the genre reaching greater heights. Developments in depth and detail of the imagery have grown considerably. Right now we can't tell anymore the difference between what's real and what is CGI.

So how do you astound an audience who has grown accustomed to that and where the new and novel has become passe? Go back to the basics by creating a good story that will entertain. And that is what Penguins of Madagascar did for me. It made me realize that that was what made me like the original Madagascar films, the funny antics of Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private.

After watching the movie it made we want to watch the the series which I'm the process of looking for now.