‘The Penguins of Madagascar’ Trailer: Yup, That’s Benedict Cumberbatch Voicing a Wolf

The first 'Penguins of Madagascar' trailer doesn't even begin to hint at what an odd project this film really is. First of all, it's a spinoff of the 'Madagascar' movies that follows those four scene-stealing penguins as they encounter secret-agent animals voiced by the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch. However, it's a completely different thing from the Nickelodeon series of the same name. Are we looking at DreamWorks Animation's first movie set in an alternate universe?

Nah, but thinking about alternate-universe penguin movies is a little more fun than this trailer, which premiered over at Moviefone and consists of about three jokes stretched to the breaking point with absolutely no hint of plot or character.

Here's what we do know: the film stars Skipper, Rico, Kowalski and Private as they get pulled into a crazy adventure that requires their unique set of paramilitary skills. They get recruited by a wolf (Cumberbatch) and his team to battle an octopus (John Malkovich). They are woefully inefficient but strangely competent weirdos who make the lives of everyone around them more difficult and annoying.

It's silly to judge any movie from its trailer alone, but 'The Penguins of Madagascar' looks downright painful. Considering that all of the 'Madagascar' films so far have been second rate, that doesn't look to change anytime soon.

'The Penguins of Madagascar' will hit theaters on November 26. Your kids will undoubtedly drag you to it.