Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (PG, 2008)

The superstars of the New York Zoo -- Alex the lion (voiced by Ben Stiller), Marty the zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer), and Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) -- are finally headed home. Or so it seems. Instead, their sketchy Air Penguin plane crashes, landing them in the African savannah. But not just any savannah: It turns out to be Alex's former stomping grounds, where he roamed as a cub until poachers snagged him while his father was fending off an attack from deceitfully ambitious foe Makunga (Alec Baldwin). Alex's father's people embrace his arrival -- until Makunga manages to get him banished. Meanwhile, Marty wrestles with insecurity when he realizes that other zebras are a lot like him, Melman must contain his jealousy over Gloria's growing interest in male hippos, and how are they ever going to find their way back home?

Cheerful and entertaining, if a mite predictable, MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA won't disappoint fans of the original. All of the endearing mainstays are back, including the beloved band of devious, mechanically inclined penguins. The movie is also blessed with the same catchy theme song -- "I Like to Move It" -- as the first, and it's guaranteed to leave visions of lemurs and lions dancing in audiences' heads for weeks.

The movie's jokes mostly make the cut (though Sacha Baron Cohen's preening as Julien the lemur may tire grownups after a while, if not kids) -- but though it's better than many originals, it doesn't quite qualify as a classic, if only because the story doesn't offer any real surprises. (Even the mean handbag lady makes an expected appearance.) Nevertheless, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa provides the sweet escape you long for when you go to the movies.