The Penguins of Madagascar

[Buzz Bumble]

ComingSoon.net has the trailer for the Madagascar spin-off movie The Penguins of Madagascar.

[Ben]

Oh dear.

Cumberbatch's character especially looks like a reject from something like an Alpha & Omega sequel, and the "plot" doesn't really do anything for me that we haven't seen before. Yet another mindless, needless, plotless, charmless animated CG feature that passes for "family entertainment". This is going to be crushed...or it should be...

[James]

I love the penguins and I couldn't stop smiling through the entire trailer.

But agreed on the wolf character design.

[Dacey]

I don't care what the character looks like. It's Benedict Freaking Cumberbatch. I'd listen to that man read the phone book.

[Ben]

I just noticed that no-one else has noticed that Buzz doesn't know how to spell "Madacasgar"...




(Okay, he does, since he gets it right in the message, but still funny none of us picked up on it, which possibly shows the attention and interest this film is generating...even the title is a "meh"!)

[Buzz Bumble]

What you talkin' 'bout Willis?? It's you guys who have all spelt it incorrectly in your reply titles.


Hollyweird seems to be moving into a fad for "bit part characters" ... Minions, Penguins, the Gotham TV series (based around young policeman Gordon), ...

[EricJ]

Hollyweird is moving into a fad for "bit part characters" ... Minions, Penguins, the Gotham TV series (based around young policeman Gordon), ...

Actually, the Penguins were already Dreamworks's spinoff series on Nickelodeon, that was doing so well on cable they believed would have enough movie possibilities on its own.
(And came from the Puss in Boots days of hoping spinoffs would boost sequels into franchise labels, and they're making one last Custer's stand on hoping Madagascar can pay the studio's bills.)

As for the Minions, that's Universal, and it's the closest thing they've had to a Family Franchise Studio Icon to compete with Warner and Disney since Fievel and Littlefoot, and even those were pretty weak at best.

[Buzz Bumble]

It's not really anything new. Chip 'n' Dale, for example, got their own show.

[Ben]

Spin-offs for sudekicks are nothing new...it's been going on almost as old at the Hollywood hills.

In animation, Gertie The Dinosaur gained popularity outside Winsor McKay's act, while Goofy and Pluto evolved from Mickey Mouse cartoons and, from the features, the Seven Dwarfs and Figaro the cat featured in further shorts, and don't forget Scamp's comic strip (and later DTV).

"Breakout characters", as they are known, have always become the stars of their own vehicles in their own right over the years. If it can be spun off, it will be!

[James]

"Sudekicks", "Dark Night"? What's a few typos among friends?

[Ben]

Curse the tiny characters on my phone! And its dam spel czech!

[Buzz Bumble]

Here's an easy way to remember how to spell the island's name ...

Americans are mad as a hatter to put gas in a car ... most people use liquid fuel.

Of course, it doesn't quite work these days thanks to electric cars.

[Buzz Bumble]

ComingSoon.net has a new video clip (and supposedly a poster, but I can't see it - maybe it is in the video clip) ...

Comic-Con: The Poster and First Clip from Penguins of Madagascar
Following our interviews with Tom McGrath and co-directors Simon J. Smith and Eric Darnell, DreamWorks Animation has brought online the first poster and clip from Penguins of Madagascar. Check them out here.

[Dacey]

The poster should be appearing on the bottom of the page, Buzz (it is on my computer), but here's another link that should work for you:

http://impawards.com/2014/penguins_of_madagascar.html

There's also a display up at my local theater that has a much better tagline: "Don't call the seals. Call the penguins."

[Buzz Bumble]

Thanks. My computer is about 16 years old (although it has a slightly newer OS and web browser), so has problems with some fancier parts of websites. Usually ComingSoon.net is no problem, apart from the video clips, which I can't watch via my dial-up connection anyway.


Years ago there used to be a series of adverts for Cadbury Milk Tray chocolates which had a secret agent type going through all sorts of things to get the chocolates to the lady (tag line "All because the lady loves Milk Tray"). In England there's a chocolate wafer biscuit called Penguin ... maybe they should team up for a movie promotion along similar lines with animated adverts.