Escape from Monkey Island (2000) (VG)

User Rating:

8.3/10   

Writers:

Sean Clark (story)
Michael Stemmle (story)

Release Date:

6 November 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy

Plot:

As they return from their honeymoon, Guybrush Threepwood and Elaine Marley face yet another adventure:...

Plot Keywords:

Monkey | Pirate | Video Game | Sequel

Cast

Dominic Armato	...	Guybrush Threepwood / Duck / Monkey 4 (voice)
Charity James	...	Elaine Marley-Threepwood (voice)
Earl Boen	...	Charles L. Charles / LeChuck / Pirate C (voice)
Nick Tate	...	Ozzie Mandrill (voice)
Darryl Kurylo	...	Admiral Casaba - Monkey 3 (voice)
Tom Kane	...	Bagel the LUA Bar Patron / Heckler / Pegnose Pete / Pirate 6 (voice)
Paul Eiding	...	Bank Manager / Gunner Sinkins / Pirate 5 (voice)
Maria Bamford	...	Brittany the Bank Teller (voice)
Peter Lurie	...	Caricature Artist / Ned (voice)
Pamela Tyson	...	Carla the Swordmaster (voice)
Rob Paulsen	...	Castenada the Chess Player / Judge Kahuna / Parrot / SCUMM Bartender (voice)
Cam Clarke	...	Clive the Jambalaya Tourist / Meathook (voice)
Pamela Adlon	...	Dainty Lady Figurehead (voice) (as Pamela Segal)
Tress MacNeille	...	Daisy / Mabel the Tourist (voice)
Tom Kenny	...	Deadeye Dave / Thrawtle the Lucre Lawyer (voice)
Joe Alaskey	...	Digg the Lucre Lawyer / Judge Edd (voice)
Jim Ward	...	Drunk / Tony the Catapult Operator (voice) (as James Ward)
Jess Harnell	...	Estaban / Judge Tripps / LUA Bar Chef / Pirate 1 (voice)
Lewis Arquette	...	Freddie (voice)
Pat Fraley	...	George / Stan (voice)
Lauri Johnson	...	Harbor Mistress (voice)
Nick Jameson	...	Hellbeard (voice)
Wally Wingert	...	Herman Toothrot / Pirate 2 / Pirate B (voice)
William Morgan Sheppard	...	Ignatius Cheese (voice) (as W. Morgan Sheppard)
Peter Jessop	...	Inspector Canard (voice)
John Mariano	...	Jojo Jr. / Salty the Bait Shop Owner (voice)
Charles Adler	...	Jumbeaux LaFeet / Mungle the Pirate Student (voice)
Debi Derryberry	...	LUA Bar Waitress / Timmy the Monkey (voice)
Jim Wise	...	Manatee Operator / Starbuccaneer's Clerk (voice)
Jeff Bennett	...	Marco de Pollo (voice) (as Jeff Glen Bennett)
Phil Proctor	...	Monty the Tourist / Three-Headed Monkey (voice)
Edie McClurg	...	Miss Rivers (the 'Pirate School' teacher) (voice)
Denny Delk	...	Murray / Santiago the Chessplayer Pirate (voice)
S. Scott Bullock	...	Otis / Monkey / Pirate A (voice)
Neil Ross	...	Perfume Spritzer / Pirate 4 (voice)
Heidi Shannon	...	Planet Threepwood Waitress (voice)
Keith Szarabajka	...	Reverend Rasputin (voice)
Leilani Jones	...	Voodoo Lady (voice) (as Leilani Jones Wilmore)
Bob Bergen	...	Whipp the Lucre Lawyer (voice)
Grey DeLisle	...	Yangja the Pirate Student / Yoshen the LUA Bar Patron (voice)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Sean Clark		story
Michael Stemmle		story

Produced by
Shara Miller	....	producer

Original Music by
Clint Bajakian
Anna Karney
Michael Land
Peter McConnell

Art Department
Yoko Ballard	....	concept artist
Kathy Hsieh	....	concept artist

Sound Department
Andrew Cheney	....	sound designer
David W. Collins	....	sound designer
Coya Elliott	....	voice editor
Michael Frayne	....	sound designer
Geoff Gates	....	audio programmer
Jeff Kliment	....	sound department manager
Jeff Kliment	....	sound effects editor
Hans Larson	....	voice editor
David Levison	....	sound designer
Eric Lewis	....	assistant dialogue recording engineer
Larry Oppenheimer	....	lead sound designer
Nick Peck	....	senior sound designer
Jory K. Prum	....	sound designer
Stan Weaver	....	sound designer
J. White	....	sound designer
Cindy Wong	....	voice editor

Visual Effects by
Rebecca Perez	....	character animator

Animation Department
Yoko Ballard	....	animator (as Yang-Ja 'Yoko' Ballard)
Christina Boyle	....	character designer
Ryan Gong	....	animator
Marc Overney	....	lead animator
Charlie Ramos	....	animator
Jacob Stephens	....	background artist
David Weinstein	....	animator
Lisa G. Wong	....	character designer

Music Department
Clint Bajakian	....	music supervisor
Michael Lande	....	composer: additional music
Larry Oppenheimer	....	interactive music design

Other crew
Sean Clark	....	game designer
Sean Clark	....	project leader
Brad A. Grantham	....	support
Darragh O'Farrell	....	voice director
Darragh O'Farrell	....	voice producer
Michael Stemmle	....	game designer
Michael Stemmle	....	project leader

Production Companies

• LucasArts Entertainment Company

Distributors

• Electronic Arts (EA)
• LucasArts Entertainment Company (2000) (USA) (PC version)
• LucasArts Entertainment Company (2001) (USA) (PlayStation 2 version)

Other Companies

• Screen Music Studios (SMS)  English voice recording

Also Known As:

Monkey Island 4 (USA) (working title)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Stereo | Mono

Certification:

USA:T

Company:

LucasArts Entertainment Company

Trivia:

The character Guybrush Threepwood ranked #3 in Computer Gaming World's November 1996 listing of the 15 most memorable game heroes.

Quotes:

Guybrush: You could get fired if people found out you posed for that picture
Harbor Mistress: How do you think I got my last promotion?
Guybrush: I'd rather not know

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Troldspejlet: (#25.1)" (2001)

Sorry doesn't feed the narwhals, buster!

Escape from Monkey Island, the fourth game in the Monkey Island tetralogy, is a mixed bag. One thing is for certain, the ending of the game is so ridiculously over the top that I'm pretty sure the game-series has reached some kind of conclusion (though CMI is still the pinnacle).

On elements that were done well, I must agree that the voice cast of the game was simply professional. Even though I miss Alexandra Boyd's lovely British accent, her replacement Charity James does a good job with Elaine, though truth be told I liked her performance as Grace Nakimura in Gabriel Knight 3 better. Stan is also a bit of a heckler, but decent. Musically the game does not quite deliver as all music is either similar to or borrowed from Curse. That is not to say that the soundtrack isn't high-quality, it just doesn't offer as many memorable moments as the past games.

Graphics wise the game is rather uneven. Certain animations are very fluid and lighting in the game is quite brilliant. However, over-all physics are somewhat lacking. On a positive note, the cut-scenes a really well executed. The interface has seen only minor improvements from Grim Fandango, but if you ask me LucasArts made a wise decision in adding action-lines into the game.

A few points of criticism are in order though. Jambalaya island in Act II came as a rather big shock for long time fans and still one of my least favorite sections in the game. Monkey Kombat in Act III, though fun may seem rather tedious to some gamers. Additionally, I was rather disappointed at the blatant fan-service quality of sticking Murray into the game. He is fun to talk to, but ultimately serves no purpose to the over-all plot.

However, one thing is still in the right place, that one thing that Monkey Island is really about, humour. The humour of the game is a shade different from that of previous games, but just as witty and fresh.

Escape from Monkey Island may not be a shiny package, but it is a funny game and definitely a fine ending for a classic series.