Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (PG)

The quartet of zoo animals that lit up the first movie – Ben Stiller's lion, Chris Rock's zebra, David Schwimmer's giraffe, Jada Pinkett Smith's hippo – make a return, though the comedy is, like themselves, somewhat tamer than it ought to be.

The penguin flight mechanics who have to repair their plane when they crashland in Africa (long story) are still a hoot, but they are overshadowed by Stiller's whiny alpha-male issues: he's a dancer, not a fighter. The visual invention and draughtsmanship are mightily impressive; a shame the drama's a bit of a bore.