Animation
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End
An elf mage contemplates on connection and regret as she watches her human friends grow old and pass away.
New York City is big enough for every possible adventure under the hot metropolitan sun. And the young rescue animals at the Central Park Zoo—Alex the lion, Marty the zebra, Gloria the hippo and Melman the Giraffe—are always eager to explore the concrete jungle. Together, these four friends play and work together to entertain themselves and all the human visitors who frequent their home.
Back in 2005, DreamWorks released their animated original movie, Madagascar. And while Plugged In noted the original film had some perilous scenes and a bit of bathroom humor, it didn’t take long for kids and parents to fall in love with this handful of quirky zoo animals, their crazy adventures and sly cultural jokes.
Since then, the original flick has evolved into an entire franchise, including multiple movies, specials and a few television shows. Like the most recent, Madagascar: A Little Wild.
This TV-G rated series tells the story of all the zoo animals we’ve come to know before they grow up, and it’s aimed at toddler and elementary aged kids. You can find it on Hulu and NBC’s streaming service, Peacock.
Littles will travel all over The Big Apple with Alex, Gloria, Melman and Marty as they learn to tell the truth, set boundaries, be kind to friends, face their fears and have fun living in the present. They might witness some silly stunts or hear some potty humor and the occasional exclamation of, “oh bananas.” But if they can navigate those little blips, they’ll be treated to fun, original songs and positive lessons that’ll get them movin’ and groovin’ to jungle beats.
Alex, Marty, Melman and Gloria win badges for different skills; Gloria struggles to set boundaries with her new rat friends.
A bird burps multiple times. Gloria points out, “I love to shake my tail as much as the next hippo,” but prefers to be known more for her kindness. A monkey exclaims, “oh bananas!”
Kristin Smith joined the Plugged In team in 2017. Formerly a Spanish and English teacher, Kristin loves reading literature and eating authentic Mexican tacos. She and her husband, Eddy, love raising their children Judah and Selah. Kristin also has a deep affection for coffee, music, her dog (Cali) and cat (Aslan).
An elf mage contemplates on connection and regret as she watches her human friends grow old and pass away.
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