Under any normal circumstances I wouldn't be lured into viewing a film such as Madagascar, for I pegged it as turd long before I sat down in the theater. However, when it is pouring rain outside and you are in charge of three children under the age of 10 who sit and stare you all day long unless you keep the activities rolling like a freight train - an hour and a half at the movie theater seemed like a good idea.
Madagascar successfully represents awful children's cinema and willfully encourages a generation of stupid kids brought-up on its brand of shit-laden-crap.
Once-upon-a-time people seemed to understand that if you made a good movie with content on the appropriate level for children - it would become quality family entertainment. Instead of relying on pop-culture references and adult language above 10 year-old's heads - films would bank on story-lines, characters and moral values. Ghostbusters, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Gremlins - are all examples of movies that can be watched with pleasure by all generations without bending over backwards to accommodate "target" age-groups.
Madagascar follows the trend of many recent family movies which attempt to capture the imagination of children while entertaining adults using a method of silliness for kids mixed with lame adult aimed humor. A method I find to be fairly irresponsible on the behalf of movie-makers.
Since the inception of film and more importantly television, motion pictures have played an ever-increasing role in the lives of children. TV and movies hold a magical influence over many people. Whether we admit it or not, this form of media has undoubtedly altered our perception, changed the way we think, and infiltrated our persona.
I grew up watching cartoons like He-Man, Duck-Tales and Transformers. I was hooked on Sesame Street, addicted to Fraggle Rock and memorized every Muppet movie. All of these shows had a common theme, instilling the viewer with moral guidance, advice and judgment. While G.I. Joe and the Thundercats could have resorted to adult themes and graphic violence, instead they retained an underlying innocence and successfully demonstrated restraint in regards to their intended audience.
What concerns me is that similar attractive content is being presented today, without any understanding of the audience who is watching it. The character's and concepts are just as wonderful in 2005 as in 1985 (arguably...). The toy and video-games tie-ins are more alluring than ever. The modern production qualities are through the roof. There is absolutely no reason why any kid shouldn't crave the cartoons and motion-pictures of the 21st century.
The only drawback, is that these programs are actually rotting their brains.
For instance, in Madagascar, the characters Alex the Lion (who loves steak!) and Marty the Zebra are taken from their comfortable home in an American zoo to an exotic tropical island. The film concludes with Alex deciding he loves fish more than steak - and as such no longer has the desire to eat his best friend. That's it. Not much there to take home with you, whatever - its a movie meant for kids, I can deal with it.
What I cannot deal with it is this film being used as vehicle to impart pop-culture references, adult humor and an entire cast of character's who act and talk like assholes or idiots. If there isn't going to be a single redeeming notion in the movie for a child to benefit from, then you need to cut down on the inane bullshit - because there is nothing to counteract it. There was no cork to plug the gushing asshole and no plastic sheet to deflect the sludge. The shit just hemorrhaged down the throats of every kid in the audience.
You know how much of a retard an adult sounds like when they say "Fo Shizzle my Nizzle?" Now picture a generation of kids growing up with that phrase imbued into their everyday dialogue. All because Chris Rock (voice of Marty the Zebra) thinks that he is so fucking hilarious when he interjects every other line with "Snoop-Talk." Great, it sounds even funnier coming out of a 5-year old. And while that same 5-year old may not keep "Fo Shizzle" in his vocabulary, he has become twice as dumb for even temporarily absorbing it - and the motion picture companies are making trillions of dollars on it.
I think I have gone on this rant for long enough - but I will leave with this final tale:
While browsing the movie rental store with the aforementioned children (three boys), I suggested The Goonies as a good film to watch. All three of them looked at me like I was the dumbest asshole to ever speak. So I rented it anyways.
Article was last edited on Wednesday, August 6th, 2008 @ 4:50 PM
