Penguins of Madagascar (2014)
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A group of penguins becomes entangled in a conspiracy involving a vengeful octopus scientist.
The story
Following the events of Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, the film follows the adventures of the Penguins—Skipper, Rico, Kowalski, and Private. The group finds themselves entangled in a conspiracy involving a nefarious octopus scientist named Dr. Octavius Brine, who holds a long-standing grudge against them for upstaging him at various international zoos. After being kidnapped and taken to a submarine in Venice, the penguins must navigate a dangerous plot involving a mysterious 'Medusa Serum' while trying to protect their fellow penguins and navigate the complexities of their own teamwork.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In Antarctica, Skipper, Rico, and Kowalski rescue an egg from leopard seals and adopt the chick, Private. Ten years later, while in Kentucky, the penguins are kidnapped and taken to a submarine in Venice by Dave, a disgruntled octopus who has assumed the identity of Dr. Octavius Brine. Dave seeks revenge for being upstaged at various zoos. The penguins are rescued by the North Wind, an elite intelligence agency, but are later separated from them. The penguins eventually reach Dave's lair, where they learn he intends to use the Medusa Serum to turn penguins into monsters. During the confrontation, Private is seemingly vaporized but survives, eventually finding and reuniting with the others. In a final battle in New York City, the penguins and the North Wind work together to stop Dave. Private ultimately uses his 'cuteness' to restore the others' sanity and defeat Brine, who is trapped in a snow globe. The film ends with the penguins returning to the circus and using a machine to return Private to his normal appearance.
- First release year
- 2014
- Runtime (minutes)
- 92
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Eric Darnell; Simon J. Smith
- Writers
- Michael Colton · screenplay; John Aboud · screenplay; Brandon Sawyer · screenplay; Alan Schoolcraft · story; Brent Simons · story; Michael Colton · story; John Aboud · story
- Cast and characters
- Tom McGrath · Skipper; Chris Miller · Kowalski; Christopher Knights · Private; Conrad Vernon · Rico; Benedict Cumberbatch · Agent Classified; Ken Jeong · Short Fuse; Annet Mahendru · Eva; Peter Stormare · Corporal; John Malkovich · Dave / Dr. Octavius Brine
- Genres
- animated; spy comedy; comedy; action comedy
- Themes
- teamwork; loyalty
- Tone and mood
- silly; action-packed
- Setting
- Antarctica, Kentucky, Venice, and various international locations including Shanghai and New York City.
- Premise and plot tags
- spin-off; spy parody
- Source material / true-story basis
- Madagascar film series
- Franchise connections
- Madagascar
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, described as being too frantically silly for some, but a fun experience for families. It was a box-office disappointment, underperforming for DreamWorks and resulting in a significant financial write-down for the studio.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 53 · scale: 100 · review count: 31
- Production trivia
- The film was the last feature produced by Pacific Data Images before its closure.; The score was composed by Lorne Balfe, his first solo score for a DreamWorks Animation film.; The film was originally scheduled for a March 2015 release but was moved up to November 2014.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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