Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

     

A libertarian masterpiece for children that adults will enjoy watching as well.

It may seem a bit dated since the movie came out several years ago, but nothing is ever really dated since you can always get them on DVD. Having a 3-year-old, I've just seen this, and wow what a breath of fresh air from the usual children’s programs that mainly focus on politically correct social issues.

The main theme of the story focuses on several zoo animals. Zoo animals who have become dependent on humans (aka Government) for their existence. At the same time they've developed a sense of entitlement and superiority. A brilliant scene highlighting the superiority assumed and felt by the main character Alex the Lion is when, upon encountering some wild animals, he talks to them in a condescending tone as if they were too stupid to understand if he didn't speak very basically to them. Alex the lion also refers to himself as the King of New York.

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The zoo animals, trying to return to New York from Madagascar, survive a plane crash due to the heroics and preparedness of the Penguins, and are now thrust into the wilds of Africa. Their immediate response is to seek out humans to take care of them. By the end of the movie, they have learned they can face the challenges that come with self-reliance. They choose freedom over returning to the zoo and realize they can make it on their own without humans to fulfill their needs.

There are several other sub-themes that are dear to Libertarians, such as the way King Julien, the lemur, is portrayed. A self-important, self-absorbed monarch who has little regard for anyone else, and believes his ideas must always be right because he conceived them and is quick to take credit where none is due. The zebra who wants to be an individual. The union-organizing monkeys who resort to blackmail to get their ridiculous demands met. Plus several more I'll leave to the reader to discover. Nearly every concept in the movie is portrayed from a Libertarian perspective.

One example of the masterful dialogue occurs between the capitalist penguin and the statist Alex the lion, showing the mindset of each. The penguin has a pragmatic can-do attitude, but is quick to relinquish control if someone else has a better idea, while Alex needs some sort of authority figure to take control and make decisions for him. A: "Who made you king of the plane wreck?" P: "Excuse me. Fine you can be in charge. You fix the plane." A: "Who gives you the authority to put me in charge?" P: "Okay then, I'll remain in charge."

The movie even takes a little jab at the TSA when King Julien exclaims, "He's carrying scissors and hand cream" when Mort is trying to get on the plane. An overreaction follows.

There's one lingering question which I'll leave the reader to ponder. Are the capitalist penguins unethical when they steal the jeeps, or are they just reclaiming resources from the humans?

June 19, 2010