Madagascar Penguins
A tactical unit of four Adélie penguins who turn chaos into strategy with military precision.
The Madagascar Penguins are a quartet of Adélie penguins who serve as the central characters in the 2014 American animated spy comedy film Penguins of Madagascar, directed by Eric Darnell and Simon J. Smith. The film takes place after the events of Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012) and follows the penguins as they get lost on an island and must find a way back to their home. The team consists of Skipper, the leader; Kowalski, the dedicated status reporter; Rico, the "special" penguin obsessed with big booms; and Private, the mild-mannered eager rookie. They are pursued by the villainous Dr. David Octavius Brine, a giant Pacific octopus with a grudge against penguins, and are aided by the North Wind, an inter-species intelligence agency.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Eric Darnell; Simon J. Smith
- Screenplay
- Michael Colton
- John Aboud
- Brandon Sawyer
- Story
- Alan Schoolcraft
- Brent Simons
- Michael Colton
- John Aboud
- Producer
- Lara Breay; Mark Swift
- Editing
- Nick Kenway
- Music
- Lorne Balfe
- Studio
- DreamWorks Animation; Pacific Data Images
- Released
- 8 November 2014, Cork, 26 November 2014, United States
Lore & Background
The group's dynamic is built around a strict chain of command led by Skipper, the leader of the Adélie penguins. Kowalski serves as the dedicated status reporter, constantly providing updates and analysis. Rico is the "special" penguin in the group that is creepily obsessed with big booms, and Private is the mild-mannered eager rookie. Their origin story begins in Antarctica, where penguin chicks Skipper, Rico, and Kowalski rescue an egg from leopard seals on an abandoned whaling ship.
When the egg hatches, the trio adopt the chick as their brother, Private. Ten years later, the penguins are part of Circus Zaragoza continuing their American tour in Kentucky. They leave to celebrate Private's birthday by breaking into Fort Knox to get Cheesy Dibbles from a vending machine, despite Private's wish of being recognized as a meaningful and valued team member. The penguins are subsequently kidnapped and taken to a submarine in Venice, where they meet Dave, a Giant Pacific octopus who was once an attraction at the Central Park Zoo until they upstaged him when they arrived.
After being repeatedly transferred between numerous zoos and aquariums around the world, continuously upstaged by penguins, Dave disguised himself as a human scientist named Dr. Octavius Brine to enact his revenge.
Reader's Guide
The penguins are Adélie penguins, as indicated by the source. Their leader is Skipper, voiced by Tom McGrath. Kowalski is voiced by Chris Miller, Rico by Conrad Vernon (replacing John DiMaggio), and Private by Christopher Knights. The film features the voices of Benedict Cumberbatch as Agent Classified, a Eurasian wolf and the North Wind's team leader; Ken Jeong as Short Fuse, a Belgian white-furred harp seal; Annet Mahendru as Eva, a Russian snowy owl; Peter Stormare as Corporal, a Norwegian polar bear; and John Malkovich as Dr. David Octavius Brine, a giant Pacific octopus.
The score was composed by Lorne Balfe. The film was released theatrically in the United States on November 26, 2014, by 20th Century Fox. It grossed $374 million on a $132 million budget, but was a box-office disappointment, losing the studio $57 million along with Mr. Peabody & Sherman earlier that year. It was the last feature film to be produced by Pacific Data Images before its closure on January 22, 2015.
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