As far as I can tell, 2016’s “Sausage Party” (written by the people who gave us “Superbad” and “This Is The End“) can lay claim to the title of the first computer animated movie for adults. While that could stand up to truth in advertising claims, I would like to humbly float the suggestion that DreamWorks Animation designed their “Penguins of Madagascar” film to appeal primarily to older audiences, even as it targeted younger crowds with its marketing.
These kinds of movies often get slapped with the moniker of “kids’ movies,” which is partially a misnomer. They are really “family movies,” at least when released theatrically, because children lack the physical or financial means to attend on their own. They must drag along their parents or some other generous benefactor who holds the keys to the car and the strings to the wallet.
Many family films, particularly ones made by DreamWorks, acknowledge that oft-forgotten half of the audience with clever jokes designed to fly way over the heads of kids in the crowd. They started in the “Shrek” series, started to push the boundaries with “Puss in Boots,” and have now reached a glorious zenith in “Penguins of Madagascar.” The kids have the TV series on Nickelodeon and Netflix; the grown-ups have this movie.
Had I been seven years old and sitting in the crowd with my parents, I would probably feel a slight resentment towards “Penguins of Madagascar.” After all, why should they get to laugh more than me? Sure, the film has a fair share of child-appealing antics like slapstick comedy and general silliness.
Marshall and the Movies 
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