Movie Review: Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted

Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, and Melman the Giraffe are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple and of course, King Julien, Maurice and the Penguins are all along for the comedic adventure. Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent – Madagascar style.

Movie Review by S. Michael Barron who was invited to preview the movie.

In recent years I’ve developed an apprehensive nature toward sequels and trilogies.  When viewing a trilogy I keep a few of things in mind:

  1. Is this movie any good (if it were not part of a trilogy)?  Can it stand alone?
  2. Does this movie maintain the growth of the character throughout the two previous movies?
  3. Is this movie better than the previous one?

As a standalone movie, the first 15 minutes of Madagascar 3 do not make sense because the opening scene is a continuation of the last scene in the previous film, Madagascar 2.  Shortly thereafter though, the story begins with Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman trying to get back to their zoo in New York.

This quest however takes them inadvertently to Europe where the quartet run into a new character, Captain Chantel DuBois, played by Frances McDormand, an animal control officer driven by only one thing, the chase.  In numerous attempts to escape her clutches, the traveling penguins and monkeys band together to help Alex and friends make it home.  In every sticky situation, the director has paid homage to nearly every action film from the first Matrix movie to Fast & Furious.  During these series of special effects, the director takes Alex the lion from not really knowing what he wants, to coming into his own as a friend, and a circus leader; from the careless  dancing adolescent who found his past in Madagascar 2, to a responsible adult lion shaping his future.

Madagascar 3 is comfortably better than good, but not great. All things considered, I thought Madagascar 2 was a better movie with more clever action scenes and dialogue.  If you’re watching this movie in “3D”, and the kids can keep their glasses on, this movie is worth the price of admission and popcorn-maybe even a drink, too.  However, if the decision is made not to watch this movie in “3D”, wait for the DVD, and plan for a fun family night at home.

For more information about Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, 3-D movie and games for children, click here.

Photo courtesy of Dreamworks.

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