Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (2012)
Certified: U
Duration: 93 minutes
Directed by: Eric Darnell, Tom McGrath, Conrad Vernon
Voices of: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric the Entertainer, Andy Richter, Bryan Cranston, JessicaChastain, Martin Short, Frances McDormand
KRS release

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, the third instalment in the Dreamworks Animation franchise, is an improvement on the first two outings. Having three joint directors, the film emerges as an accomplished, entertaining and funny movie.

The film has several factors going for it, marking it down as the best film of the franchise so far

The focus is on comedy. This is a picture that pushes all the right buttons as the cute talking animal heroes are given one delicious punch line after another that zing away at machine gun fire rate achieving quite a number of hits.

The animal heroes: Alex the lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the zebra (Chris Rock), Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith) and Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer) are in big trouble. They want to return to New York City, back to their zoo, but they are stuck in Africa.

Meanwhile, the penguins are in Monte Carlo playing for high stakes. So now the group ends up in Monte Carlo to get their friends so that together they can tail it back to New York.

That is when they end up meeting Captain Chantel DuBois (Frances McDormand) who is an animal control official. She really wants to get these creatures, especially Alex – or his head in particular.

While on the run, the animals end up in a circus were they meet friendly animals like Gia (Jessica Chastain), a jaguar, Stefano (Martin Short) a sea lion and Vitaly (Bryan Cranston) a not-so-friendly tiger. There is a chance for the circus to go to New York to perform and so their subterfuge serves a second purpose – to get back home and escape Captain DuBois.

The film has several factors going for it, marking it down as the best film of the franchise so far. The animals that they befriend are as characterful as the heroes themselves and bring to the film an added oomph.

Then there is the fact that this time around the film is set in Europe. Thus the writers were tasking their writing powers even more extensively to come up with ways of how to get these animals into the ambient.

This has also brought in a zany element with everything seeming possible. The film rushes around in almost Looney Tunes mode, taking a hilarious view on exaggerated European stereotypes. It’s this feel for going hog all that gives the franchise its much needed stamp.

Frances McDormand, especially in her rendition of Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien, is especially inspired in her voicing as she joins in this theme of “more is better”.

The film has subplots that give it an added dimension as we follow the animals through the decisions they must take on their way home – if home is where they really want to go. The subplots of the tiger that has lost its verve, the romance between the lemur and the bear are particular highlights.

Vibrant and colourful, the animation is polished and cartoonish and gives the plot a breezy coating. The accomplished intention here is to dazzle its viewers.

The film also makes excellent use of Katy Perry’s song Fireworks in the climax that seems to be showing how much both the characters and the production team were having fun.

All in all, Madagascar 3 is a charming and hilarious melding of furry creatures, hilarious slapstick, zany premise and funny one-liners that will please its audience very well.