Who would have thought the sequel to the average animation Madagascar would be this good? Madagascar: Escape to Africa has more heat, heart and humor than the original, as it reunites the original cast of Ben Stiller as Alex the lion, Chris Rock as Marty the zebra, David Schwimmer as Melman the giraffe, and Jada Pinkett Smith as Gloria the hippo.

In the original cartoon, our four comical heroes run away from a New York zoo for a taste of wildlife in Madagascar. Now however, they've started to feel homesick and want to go back to New York. As they attempt to fly out of Madagascar, the plane crashes in Africa. There, Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria recognize their own kind among the fauna and realise that Africa is truly their home.

Alex, for one, gets to meet his real parents. Unfortunately, he has trouble gaining their love and respect from them because he is too "urban".

Touching on the themes of friendship and family ties, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa can be surprisingly honest and moving. It is also frequently funny, bombarding you with plenty of zany antics and pop culture references. But just like the first film, the funniest parts belong to the penguins - particularly Skipper (Tom McGrath) who falls in love with a dashboard hula girl figurine. Are you laughing yet?