What age is Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa appropriate for?

6 alone, 5 with a parent; 6 in France. The whole movie, watched in full: what's in it, and how to talk about it with your child.

Why is Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa not recommended under 6?

What's in it: our reading; a granny who hits, hunters, a volcano; death, spoken of often; taunts between friends. The detail, fact by fact, is in the zinema guide, which reads the work itself (images, sound, dialogue).

zinema · movies · what age

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa: what age is it for? 6 alone, 5 with a parent

6 alone, 5 with a parent.

Movie · 2008 · 1 h 35 · adventure, animation, comedy, family

YRS

The trailer

Alone, or with you

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not yetwith an adult, or to talk about afteralone

The official US rating is PG; we never go below it, and here we go above: 6. Alone from 6; from 5, with an adult or by talking about it afterwards.

Official US rating: PG; zinema says 6. In France, zinema would say 6.

Watch the trailerContinue in zinemathen where to watch it, in zinema · more trailers, and where to watch films · Where to stream itWhere to watch

What it's about

Alex, Marty, and other zoo animals find a way to escape from Madagascar when the penguins reassemble a wrecked airplane. The precariously repaired craft stays airborne just long enough to make it to the African continent. There the New Yorkers encounter members of their own species for the first time. Africa proves to be a wild place, but Alex and company wonder if it is better than their Central Park home.

Why 6

Our readingA granny who hits the lion, a volcano, hunters: all of it is comedy, as in the first film. Six alone, five with an adult.
reading
A granny who hits, hunters, a volcanoAn old lady beats the lion with her handbag, tourists hunt the animals, Alex is nearly thrown into a volcano as a sacrifice: dangers played for laughs, with screams and plenty of scuffles.
shown
Death, spoken of oftenThere is much talk of dying and killing, an old lion gives up his place, a watering hole dries up and animals go thirsty; nothing is shown, but the word returns and characters cry.
shown
Taunts between friendsFreaks, weirdos, losers: the insults of the first film return, and the cub Alex is humiliated in front of his pride.
shown

What the movie brings

A son who is not what his father hoped for, and a father who finally sees what his son can do.
Penguins fixing a plane, Julien governing whatever he finds: humour that holds from start to finish.
Africa as a homecoming, and the question of what we owe to those we left.

Watching it together

Before

Warn that the old lady is going to hit Alex and that it is meant to be funny, and stay close to the little ones during the volcano.

After

at 6 and up

Alex cannot fight but he can dance: does that count for less?

See the facts

A weapon shown or used●●● · shownmeasured

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Abandonment, separation, confinement●●○ · shownmeasured

Creature, monster, strong villain●●○ · shownmeasured

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Disaster, destruction, war●●○ · shownmeasured

Fighting, brawls●●○ · shownmeasured

Frightening imagery●●○ · shownmeasured

Insults, hurtful words●●○ · shownmeasured

Kissing, romantic gestures●●○ · shownmeasured

Long dark scenes, night, storm●●○ · shownmeasured

Pace●●○ · shownmeasured

Visible injury, blood●●○ · shownmeasured

Alcohol●○○ · shownmeasured

Verbal threat or intimidation●○○ · saidmeasured

For the same age, on zinema

Kung Fu Panda 6, 5 with a parent
Kérity, la maison des contes 6, 5 with a parent
Paddington 6, 5 with a parent
Kirikou et la sorcière 6, 5 with a parent

The latest guides

Penguins of Madagascar 6, 5 with a parent
Monsters University 6, 5 with a parent
Monsters, Inc. 6, 5 with a parent
Finding Nemo 6, 5 with a parent

A zinema reading from September 19, 2026 · the whole movie, watched in full · the age by zinema's rules for the US and France, and a human reading · report an error · how this guide is made