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Parents' Guide to

Penguins of Madagascar: All-Nighter Before Xmas

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Merry tale of penguin hijinks is best for elementary kids.

Movie NR 2011 99 minutes
Penguins of Madagascar: All-Nighter Before Xmas Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 6+

Based on 1 parent review

Lebron12James3
Lebron12James3 Parent
February 14, 2022
age 6+

Masterpiece

The Madagascar Penguins In A Christmas Caper is the long-awaited conclusion to the Spider-Man trilogy, and I'm so happy to say that it exceeds expectations and may be the best Marvel movie to date. You have to watch this movie, it made people in the theater shout and cheer, which isn't common. Plot: Spider-Man(AKA Private) uses Doctor Strange to attempt to clear his name from the world. However, this goes wrong and villain's from other Spider-Man movies enter our universe. Now, Private must send them back. This is the beginning of the multiverse. Age Review: The only scary part about this movie is Green Goblin. The actor is VERY good at this role, which can scare a younger audience. Besides this, there isn't too much violence within this film. Of course, there is some mild language and innuendo but it is mainly used for humor. This may sound wild, but you might have to explain the older Spider-Man movies (2000's Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man) to your kids in order for them to understand the context of these characters. I have got to say that this movie blew me out of the water. WATCH IT NOW OR ELSE YOU WILL BE SPOILED.
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What's the Story?

The scheming penguins that fans first met in Madagascar are geared up for the holidays in THE ALL NIGHTER BEFORE CHRISTMAS. With the Central Park Zoo closed for the holiday, Skipper (voiced by Tom McGrath) and his pals are preparing to host their annual Kidsmas celebration for the zoo families/ But the troublesome lemur “king” Julian (Danny Jacobs) complicates things by reassigning the animals’ responsibilities at the last minute. Skipper sets out to locate Santa and learn his secrets to ensure the celebration’s success, but, as usual, things don’t go entirely as planned.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (3 ):

These crafty characters and their Mission: Impossible-style escapades are surefire fun for kids, and this merry holiday special is no exception. The story also incorporates feel-good messages about the true spirit of Christmas and the joy that’s found in being with friends and in bringing joy to others.

As is typical with this crew, there's some language (“stupid,” “lame,” “shut it,” and “oh, sugarplums,” for instance) that parents probably won’t want kids using, and it’s a good idea to make sure that kids can identify the humor in the totally unrealistic content. What violence exists is there for comedy, but very young kids might not like to see a Santa character tied up and slapped or hit by a truck.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about helping others. How does it make you feel to do something nice for someone else? Why is it important to look beyond our own needs? What small changes can you make that would help others on a daily basis?

  • Do you think this special enhances the Penguins series? What messages did it try to convey? Did it succeed? Why or why not?

  • How are the real-life versions of the animals in this show different from what’s portrayed in the movie? How do animators change their features for humorous effect? Where can you go to see animals like these?

Movie Details

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