Dead of Madagascar is an example of how the franchise’s animals come in all shapes and sizes, from zoo animals to those found in jungles and forests. Madagascar remains one of DreamWorks’ most successful animated franchises and has produced three feature films, a spin-off film, three TV shows, a few shorts, and a series of video games. The three main films in the franchise – Madagascar (2005), Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (2008), and Madagascar 3: Europe’s most wanted (2012) – follow the adventures of a quartet of animals from the Central Park Zoo after they are released from captivity.
The main Madagascar The characters are voiced by an all-star cast, including Ben Stiller as Alex the lion, Chris Rock as a zebra named Marty, David Schwimmer as Melman the giraffe, and Jada Pinkett Smith as Gloria the hippo. A series of cute and funny animals make up the smallest Madagascar characters too, including four Adélie penguins named Skipper (Tom McGrath), Rico (John DiMaggio), Private (Christopher Knights) and Kowalski (Chris Miller), and, of course, a strange little creature named Mort.
What kind of animal is Mort in Madagascar?
Mort is a special type of lemur
Mort is one of the most popular supporting characters to emerge from the Madagascar films. Voiced by Andy Richter, Mort was introduced in the first Madagascar alongside his friends King Julien (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Maurice (Cedric the Entertainer) when Alex the lion and company are shipwrecked on the titular island. He followed the main Madagascar characters on their adventures in continental Africa and Europe in the sequels as well.
As funny and adorable as he is, exactly what kind of animal Mort is can be a little confusing. According to DreamWorks, Mort is a lemur – a Goodman’s mouse lemur, one of the smallest primates on the planet. He’s not the only lemur character in the Madagascar franchise too; King Julien and Maurice are lemurs, specifically a ring-tailed lemur and an aye-aye, respectively.
Where did Mort appear in the Madagascar universe?
Mort has appeared in films, TV shows and specials
Appearances of Mort Madagascar (chronologically) |
|
---|---|
Title |
Release date |
All hail King Julien |
2014-2017 |
Madagascar |
2005 |
Happy Madagascar |
2009 |
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa |
2008 |
Madly Madagascar |
2013 |
Madagascar 3: Europe’s most wanted |
2012 |
Penguins of Madagascar |
2010-2012 |
Although Mort was a relatively minor character in the Madagascar films, He and his fellow lemurs played larger roles in the franchise’s animated TV show spinoffs, The Penguins of Madagascar and All hail King Julien – the latter of which introduced many other lemur characters, including a crowned lemur named Clover, voiced by India de Beaufort, and Horst, a blue-eyed black lemur, voiced by Jeff Bennett. Mort also appeared in two specials Happy Madagascar and Madly Madagascar.
A fourth major film Madagascar The franchise has been in the works since 2014.
All hail King Julien may have ended its five-season run in 2017, but Madagascar fans could see more of Mort in future franchise offerings. A fourth major film Madagascar The franchise has been in development since 2014, and although it has taken a backseat in recent years, there is still hope that it will enter production in the not-too-distant future.
Mort works best in small doses
Comedy characters like Mort don’t need big roles
If the Despicable Me The franchise proves everything, purely comedic characters are better in small doses, no matter how loved they are. Although fans love the Minions, the film centered on the little creatures was the lowest rated in the series. However, by adding Gru again, even in a Minions sequel, things improved drastically. That’s because silly characters need someone to play so their conversation doesn’t overwhelm viewers. That’s why Madagascar need to limit Mort.
Mort’s only jobs are to look cute and act for shock value. This works in All hail King Julien because Mort can play against Julien and Maurice, and that’s where he fits in best. Penguins were characters that had a lot more advantages than Mort, so they fit well into their own movies and TV shows because they presented something different. On the other hand, Mort is limited in what he does and could never function as more than a supporting character. Madagascar player.
Is Mort the best supporting character in Madagascar?
The simple approach to the character worked perfectly
Regardless of how inscrutable he may be among the other animals, Mort is the most memorable part of the Madagascar films. He is a hilarious supporting character who elevates the first film as soon as he appears and is a scene-stealing addition to the rest of the franchise. What makes Mort such an effective supporting character in the films is the very simple approach taken to him. He’s a lovable creature that the film leans into that is perfectly balanced by the character’s wild and manic side.
Mort is similar to Scrat from Ice Age films. Both are smaller creatures who don’t get the spotlight like the larger, more layered animal characters they share the screen with. However, whenever they are around, it is difficult for the public’s attention not to be drawn to them. Scrat is also a character that doesn’t need much thought to get right, with him and Mort simply there to provide the comic relief in these family-friendly films. THE Madagascar The films’ popularity came from their simple comedic approach and Mort is a prime example of that success.