Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012)

Really Surprised!

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman are still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple. Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent - Madagascar style. Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted once again succeeds on bringing a film that is on par with the firest two but also stands well on it's own feet. The new characters were very likable and the action went threw the roof for sure, plus that opening was pretty damn funny. If you loved the first 2 films you won't be disappointed. (10/10)

Possibly my favourite of the three, by now characters are well established, we've gone from the zoo to the wild and now the circus, which nicely draws to a concluding instalment.

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012): Dir: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath, Conrad Vernon: Voices: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen: Third entry in the Madagascar animated franchise involves a fish out of water plot where our trusty lion, zebra, giraffe, and hippo venture to Europe to reclaim those gambling penguins and chimpanzees. This results in sightings that land them as the target of animal control officer Chantel Dubois. She is relentless in her pursuit and seems to have more lives than most horror movies monsters. This results in some laughs but the material is still thin. Our heroes luck out when they go into hiding at a travelling circus in hopes to land back to the zoo in New York. This introduces fresh new characters such as a tiger whose impressive fire hoop act bares bad memories. Also, there is a female jaguar who can flip from the swings. There is the stammering sea lion struggling to organize an event well past its prime. This is all quite predictable with an effective subplot involving the tiger but little else. They all learn a valuable lesson about friendship and teamwork that opens new doors but the collaboration of such creatures is still a head scratch vision best left to younger minds. Children will enjoy the colourful animated wildlife and amusing antics, but frankly, watching Animal Planet is much more educational and far more entertaining than this fiasco. Adults will not find this as solid as The Secret World of Arrietty but as family entertainment this trip to the circus is suffice juvenile entertainment. Score: 5 / 10

I know this is coming in late but my kids just got this as a gift and we've watched it a few times now. I think the whole movie summarizes nicely when the animals finally get their wish by returning to the NY zoo only to realize that its not what they really want, having experienced all that they have with their travels. Being zoo animals all along only hindered their growth and never would have given them the experiences they shared between each other and with the other characters. Each of the M-animals find "true" happiness and Dubois gets served justly. I think some of the "show stealing" moments are by Stefano's facial expressions (in particular when he is in the train car eagerly waiting for Alex's description of his American circus routine), Dubois crashing through the office building walls pursuing the animals, the way the bear drives the motorcycle flipping every where, and the scene where the French animal police are in a recovery room and bust their casts as Dubois sings. Yeah, it's only a cartoon but...just how does a large Siberian tiger fit through a tiny ring? Hilarious!