I must admit, I was a little confused at the start of "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" as I hadn't seen the original. And unless I missed something while trying to take notes in the dark, I never figured out the Madagascar angle.

But I did figure out that this movie is a continuation of a story about four friends — a neurotic giraffe named Melman (David Schwimmer); Gloria, a sassy hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith); Marty, the mouthy zebra (Chris Rock); and a lion named Alex (Ben Stiller), who is considered the king of New York for his showmanship before visitors to the Central Park Zoo.

This sequel will clear up the mystery of how Alex ended up in the Big Apple. You see him as a cub (voiced by Stiller's son, Quinlan) being a typical toddler while his father, Zuba (Bernie Mac), desperately tries to teach him how to be ferocious.

In the background, the requisite bad guy, Makunga (Alec Baldwin), who wants to depose Zuba as leader of the pack, uh, pride, mocks Zuba. Makunga also distracts Zuba long enough for Alex to wander off, following a piece of rope that tempts him off an African animal preserve, where he's captured by hunters who throw him in a crate. Zuba discovers he's gone and chases after the truck to no avail. The crate falls off the truck and into a river and, miraculously, ends up floating into New York harbor. Fast forward and Alex is grown up, entertaining crowds at the zoo.

I still have no idea how they get to Madagascar, but it doesn't matter. Somehow, the quartet is there and determined to make the trip from the island off Africa to the mainland to find their roots. And the adventure begins.

The trip is made by plane, piloted by a rogue group of penguins. The passenger list includes other buddies from the first film — King Julien (Sacha Baron Cohen), Maurice (Cedric the Entertainer), a couple of chimps and King Julien's nemesis, a persistent lemur named Mort.

I gripped the arms of my comfortable high-back seat, while the kids in the theater howled at the crash landing of the plane. And therein lies the movie's value: It's for kids.

Kids can be amused by Nana (Elisa Gabrielli), a feisty elderly New Yorker from the first film who now just happens to be on safari in Africa. The youngsters in the audience loved watching her beat the snot out of Alex with her handbag when the stranded animals try to hitch a ride out of the wilderness on her tour's SUV after the crash.

One thing, of course, leads to another and the animals realize they have made it to their homeland, where the movie's special effects do their magic. The scenery is beautiful, and the toe-tapping soundtrack is a perfect complement.

Our stars discover others like them and get to know them, and Alex, in another miracle, ends up running into his mom and dad. That's when the angst sets in. Alex is a city lion, with no idea how to be “real” lion, which is a deep disappointment to his dad.

The film has its funny, funny moments, many of them way over the heads of kids, and there's a bit more cartoon violence than seems necessary. But at its heart, it's a charming story about family, friendship, calling on your courage and being true to yourself.

Some of that may actually get through to the target audience, but, either way, they will really enjoy these very lively animated characters. And the adults who have to take them to the movie may get just enough to make it worth the price of their admission, too.

“Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.” Rated: PG. Running Time: 1 hour, 29 minutes. 2.5 stars.

To find out more about Jane Clifford and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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