The Madagascar
series could hardly be considered the crown jewel of Dreamworks Animation’s
filmography. Shrek is its most
renowned and financially successful franchise while How to Train Your Dragon is their finest achievement with Kung Fu Panda a close second. There’s just nothing memorable about the first
two Madagascar movies and the
animation and art style could hardly be considered groundbreaking. It’s with
great surprise that Madagascar 3:
Europe’s Most Wanted is light years ahead of the previous installments and
one of the better animated features of 2012.
For those unfamiliar with the series, Madagascar follows the misadventures of Alex the Lion (Ben
Stiller), Marty the Zebra (Chris Rock), Gloria the Hippo (Jada Pinkett-Smith),
and the nebbish Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer) as they escape from the
Central Park Zoo. Along with a quartet of ingenuous penguins, the runaway
animals find themselves on the titular island as well as the plains of Africa
where Alex originated. As Europe’s Most
Wanted begins, our protagonists grow home sick for their caged confines in
the Big Apple and seek to return to NYC. However, their ticket home, the
penguins, are enjoying the high life in Monte Carlo.
Owing to the absurdist humor of the film, Alex and the gang
apparently swim all the way as they emerge in the harbor with snorkels and
goggles. Upon arrival, the furry friends run afoul of a relentless animal
control officer named Capt. Chantel DuBois (Frances McDormand), who appears to
be a cross between Cruella de Vil and the Terminator. This leads into a manic chase
through the streets and rooftops of Monte Carlo with the animals riding in a
nuclear powered battle van. It all culminates with DuBois bursting through
walls while a makeshift cargo plane manned by a crew of chimpanzees fires
banana peels at her from a high-powered machine gun. Did I mention the
absurdist humor?
From there, the plane crashes and everyone is forced to hop
aboard a train of circus animals. Among the performers are the gruff tiger
Vitaly (Bryan Cranston), lithe jaguar Gia (Jessica Chastain), and the
dim-witted Italian seal Stefano (Martin Short). The penguins use their casino
winnings to purchase the ailing circus through their proxy, two chimps
disguised as the King of Versailles. Alex assumes the role of de factor
ringleader as he remakes the show into the only circus owned and operated
entirely by animals. But, Capt. DuBois is determined to mount a lion’s head in
her ghoulish trophy room.
The off-the-wall gags and breakneck pacing are reminiscent
of the classic Looney Tunes shorts. Youngsters probably won’t be cognizant of
this fact; they will be too busy admiring all the shiny wackiness, especially
the climax involving a flying neon circus. The soundtrack will also appeal to
both young and old with hip tracks like Katy Perry’s “Firework” amidst Andrea
Bocelli’s “Con Te Partiro” for a romantic montage between the lemur King Julien
and a unicycle-riding, tutu-wearing bear. There’s also a scene in which DuBois
fires up her troops from their debilitating injuries with a rousing rendition of
“Non Je Ne Regrette Rien.”
Madagascar 3 isn't
as emotionally riveting as the finer works of Pixar, but it is a colorful and
highly entertaining experience.
Rating: *** (*****)
1 comment:
Who wouldn't love this movie ? It's decent with some witty lines and full of energy. Another thing that I like about Madagascar series is that it was able to maintain the quality and entertainment value of their films.
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