Movie review: Private Tropical 26 "Madagascar" (2006) (Katy Paro, Diana Bold, Sharka Glue)

 

The desire for exploration has driven the human species since the dawn of civilization, and we have sailed uncharted seas to discover remote islands. The island of Réunion was christened "Dina Morgabin" by Arab explorers around the 10th century, but remained uninhabited until the 16th century, when the Portuguese arrived and renamed it Santa Apollonia. It was the great age of discovery, with continuous geographical discoveries, which have now been halted at the insurmountable edge of the exosphere, given technological difficulties. However, the late Lynn Margulis used to rightly say that man was to Earth what an egg is to a bird: the one in charge of spreading life beyond the planet; so everything will come.

Part 1 of Madagascar

Part 2 of Madagascar

Trailer of Madagascar

Aside from this introductory digression on exploration, this is a film that is, lato sensu, a long commercial promoting experiences, experiences, and common activities in these tropical destinations. An ode to travel and to youth devoted to adventure and extreme sports: to the most authentic adrenaline rush that fuels the bonfire of one's twenties...

The five protagonists are also part of the island's visual appeal

The actresses speak directly to the camera, as Frank Underwood would years later in the hit series House of Cards.

Same sea, but different islands: 2,500 square kilometers of Reunion Island compared to the 587,000 square kilometers of this huge island nation

The film is titled Madagascar because, although the African country wanted to promote itself, there was a visa issue and it had to be filmed in Reunion Island, in landscapes that are not entirely foreign to it. For this reason, we won't hear a word of Malagasy spoken by the locals. Perhaps, to solve this problem, an agreement was signed with Reunion Island to subcontract exceptional tours and adventure sports companies.

Be that as it may, we soon boarded an ultralight aircraft, and I can't think of a better way to start a film of this nature than flying high above paradise.

This makes it easy for the pilot to lose focus and touch the wrong device... 

or even cut off the fuel supply.

Inhospitable territory: flying over haylofts, promontories and farmlands

Land Rover doesn't miss the opportunity to put its vehicle in an adventure film like this one

This dazzling Hungarian beauty tells us about her motivations

Both vehicles are equally old

Finally, all together

In a somewhat odd scenario, the script seems to convey that these young women have arrived on the island by small plane, ultralight aircraft, and recreational helicopter. The viewer's goodwill is assumed, so we'll accept the filmmaker's proposal, which is sometimes dominated by fantasy and an overflowing imagination.

In this type of scenes there is always the sponsorship of Les Passagers du Vent

We change modes of transport and climb onto the back of the legendary Land Rover Defender Series III, which was in production from 1971 to 1985. This convertible version allows the friends to stand in the back, breaking all road safety regulations, endangering not only their lives but also the lives of other drivers traveling on the secondary roads of Réunion.

Then they say that billboards cause distractions while driving...

This hectic brunette has been betrayed by her boyfriend...

This hot blonde signs up for a bombing, more out of interest than because of her friend's insistence

This girl doesn't seem to be the brightest light.

Above these lines, we see the frames that tell us the story behind their trip. The protagonists tell us this in a one-on-one conversation, looking directly into the camera. According to what she tells us, the brunette's boyfriend had been unfaithful to her with a blonde bimbo, and she took advantage of this tragedy to blackmail her friends, half-forcing them to spend a week on vacation at a tropical retreat where they would do anything but rest.

Impressive blush captured wonderfully by filmmaker Max Bellocchio

Night falls, and the young people hang out on their hotel balcony and head to the island's hottest nightclub. In this case, it's O'Chicaya, although we're never shown its name.

Extensive research led me to find the location where these dances, more typical of reggaeton than of the flamenco-tinged song composed for the occasion by composer Oreste Fiengo, were filmed. The music in this scene is clearly extradiegetic, as it's not credible that the song was playing on Africa Queen's speakers.

The goalkeepers wait like Friesian horses. Partnership ITC tropical Location (car rental)

Could this be the famous Cantora Copas venue?

Current image of the building, which could be a hall, given that it's accessed by stairs but also uses the ground floor. The upper floor belongs to Harley-Davidson.

The clean-shaven goalkeepers examine the equipment

They meditate for a few seconds...

And they are quick to join the party

Nobody is here?

There's no Saturday night without a puppet. But who wears a beret in the 21st century?

2013 information about a party in O'Chicaya, 7 years after the film

Comparison of the room: you can see the same armchairs in the lower right corner of the image

The disco is here in Maps

The place is now an energy company

Notice the same triangular column in the foreground

In terms of plot, it's a very flat film, as it doesn't tell a story per se, except for the infidelity suffered by the brunette girl. Instead, it's a succession of activities that resembles a tourism promotional video more than a feature film.

After dancing to the latest hits, it's time for water sports, which include jet skiing, kayaking, dolphin and other cetacean watching, and diving to scuba diving depths. Oceanus Scuba takes care of everything, supervising all activities without interruption.

Ride the waves!

The scorned woman begins to smile

A boat registered in Reunion Island (UK) confirms the theory that it was filmed on the island

Female human mammals and aquatic mammals

Puede distinguirse una suerte de efecto moire sobre la piel de los delfines

The mythical toothpick jump

For those of us who are going to row... without a perpetual course...

Looking for moray eels and pajama sharks...

The instructors of this company obtained their PADI certification at Brownsville University

Finally, after this compendium of activities at sea, it's time to soak up the smell of burning rubber and low-octane gasoline, first with a quad bike excursion, and then with a race on the go-kart track.

Quads are a danger in every sense

But this wild boar proves his worth...

And he ends up hooking up with a blonde bimbo: "Nah, you have to close all the stadiums. 

Geniuses do that."

After a stop at the beach to recharge our batteries...

This film couldn't be complete without a beach scene, which is obviously a draw of these tropical regions. Sunbathing helps recharge after off-roading on quads, just before putting on helmets again to carve out the best lines in amateur karting.

Helmets, start the engines... and go for it!

They drive like Karthikeyan...

Checkered flag

Final point aboard a yacht anchored off the coast of Reunion

In short, a film that suffers alarmingly from a lack of plot and is limited to a panoply of images that could well serve to attract adventure-hungry tourists to this French overseas territory or to the African country, depending on the viewer's acuity in reading the "signs" hidden in the locations, or if they decide to stick with just the official title of the feature film.

 THE END

RATING: 3/10

Info:

Private Tropical 26 "Madagascar"

Year: 2006

Genre of the plot: travel

Paradise destination: Reunión

Actors: George Bull, Diana Bold, Jamie Crocks, Katy Paro, Bob Demolition, Sharka Glue

Where can I find it: Private or Google

Link to spanish version