America has moved on with Election Day finally over and we're all now eagerly anticipating President-Elect Obama taking office. So it was a perfect weekend to launch a totally fun and highly anticipated animated movie sequel at the box office, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.
My family are all huge Madagascar fans and we rank it as one of the best animated movies of all time, up there with Disney's The Lion King. I still laugh every time my daughter Alex (who happens to have the same name as the starring lion in the film) quotes one of the lines of the movie..."The penguins are psychotic!". Or when I hear that music..."You got to move it, move it".
Here's the Widget for Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa which is a DreamWorks film. According to early estimates it grossed a huge $63.5 mil from Friday through Sunday. That sum far exceeds the $47.2 mil that the first Madagascar flick grossed over Memorial Day weekend 2005, and it's the biggest for any movie since The Dark Knight's record-breaking $158.4 million back in July. It's also the second-best premiere ever for an animated movie that didn't open during the summer.
In conjunction with the release of "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" McDonald's has launched their largest global Happy Meal event since its “Shrek 3” promotion in 2007. They have also launched One Minute to Move It -- a global children's well-being program designed to encourage kids to see what a difference a minute can make.
The goal of One Minute to Move It is to empower kids to take an active role in their own well-being by creating a minute of joyful self-expression. McDonald's is engaging kids and families around the world with major family events in key markets; an interactive digital community for kids; specially designed, motion-activated Happy Meal toys; and in-restaurant displays. Movie characters are featured on a variety of food choices including fruit, vegetables and milk products to reach kids in a fun and responsible way. The program began in North America on Friday with the release of the movie and will continue to roll out around the world through the first quarter of next year.
"One Minute to Move It encourages kids to take the first step -- one minute -- to do something they love like dancing, planting a flower, reading or writing, with the hope that it will provide inspiration for many more minutes to come," said Mary Dillon, Global Chief Marketing Officer, McDonald's. "This 'fun-with a-purpose' program represents a fresh new approach to our ongoing commitment to children's well-being."
McDonald's One Minute to Move It program is based on key findings from a first-ever global research study, reaching over 5,000 children ages 6 to 12 and parents across Europe, Asia, Latin America and the United States. Through an independent research company, Just Kid, Inc., McDonald's conducted the study to determine what motivates kids to be active, both physically and mentally, and what role McDonald's can play in helping kids lead a balanced lifestyle. The results were clear and consistent worldwide -- "joy of life" such as laughing, having fun and experiencing new things, and feeling "empowered" to make their own choices ranked the highest for both boys and girls across all ethnicities, ages and geographies.
To extend the fun and excitement of the program, kids can experience One Minute to Move It online at McDonald's digital kids' community, available at happymeal.com in North America. The site includes characters from Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and offers one-minute, interactive games; activity suggestions to stimulate kids' "minutes;" and a "Minutes Played" collector to track minutes logged around the world. For the first time, "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" Happy Meal toys in some countries will also feature codes that allow kids to unlock special content on the site.
For the first time in the United States, Nickelodeon is producing a 30-second feature about McDonald's One Minute to Move It with U.S. Olympic gymnast gold medalist Shawn Johnson. The feature is airing on Nickelodeon, Nicktoons networks and Nick.com. The Nickelodeon alliance expands in Australia with a One Minute to Move It event for kids and families at Dreamworld theme park in Australia's Gold Coast during the week of December 15th.
My daughter Alex is planning to go see the movie on Tuesday since they have the day off from school for Veteran's Day. I wish I also had the day off and could go with her. But, I'll have to wait. I hope it won't take me till it comes out on DVD, but if it does I'm sure it will be one of those that we purchase to own.
I've never watched any Madagascar movie before. Not even the first one. It kinda look wierd to me and I didn't watch it even I have the movie at home.
I feel luckly that I read your post and get to know more about this movie. I'm going to watch it by today! Thanks!
Posted by: Alex Liu | November 11, 2008 at 01:52 AM