'Merry Madagascar,' on NBC, is holiday sweet
THE SPECIAL "Merry Madagascar"
WHERE | WHEN Tuesday night at 8 p.m. on NBC/4
REASON TO WATCH Animated Christmas special starring the characters you know so well.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer) and Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) are getting ready to evacuate the island for another island - Manhattan - but the balloon they plan to escape in catches fire. Reason: King Julien accidentally torched it, thinking it was the strange UFO that comes by every year around Christmas. Suddenly, the "UFO" arrives - it's Santa! But he gets shot down, too. Injured, Santa's in no shape to deliver the toys. Alex gets a very bright idea: What if they deliver the toys instead, and take Santa's sled to NYC when they're done?
MY TAKE This holiday special is 22 densely packed minutes of gags, jokes and very familiar voices and fur patterns. It's sweet and gentle and free of the doubleentendres the big screen hits sometimes revel in.
BOTTOM LINE Kiddies will love it. You may, too.
GRADE B+
