gavin-thelordofthefu-48-460297

(2013-06-19 17:31:38)

Arguably the best entry of the series! Totally recommended!

OK, I wanted to see this in theaters since I became a huge fan of theoriginal Madagascar, but my chances of seeing it were lost forever andwanting to get it on a DVD copy. Before I got it on a DVD copy for mybirthday, I watched it online and at a plane trip to Hawaii forChristmas and boy was I blown away by it. OK, it's not an excellentfilm, but it's by any means the best of the series it even surpassesthe previous two.Sure, the beginning of the film is pretty rushed and started the actionway too early, but when the zoo animals meets a group of circusanimals, the movie started to get a lot better. That, however, is justthe only nit-pick on this film.Everyone else is done perfectly to make this film worth-watching. Thestory is epic and a lot more heartfelt and sentimental than theprevious two (which had predictable story lines, but also had heart aswell). Sure, it has a same "liar revealed" clichГѓВ© that has been done todeath in other kids movies and yet it works in this film. The pacing isvery brisk and takes it's time to develop the characters that we knowand love from the first two. The dialog is both witty and smart with afew jokes that would never make you stop laughing (the Afro Circus jokewas pure gold) and it's light attempts at parodying the usual HollywoodclichГѓВ©s is done perfectly. The music from Hans Zimmer is pretty goodsince it has improved a lot.The characters are still as likable as ever especially the new ones.Alex, Marty, Gloria, and Melman are still the lovable zoo animals bybringing the heart and charm to them. The circus animals includingVitaly, a Russian tiger with a tragic past, Gia, a beautiful and sexyItalian jaguar, and Stephano, an Italian sea lion, are charming andthey're developed well in the rest of the film. The penguins and thechimps still gave me some laughs here and there, but King Julien stillsteals the show as the most hilarious animated lemur in movie history.His moments with a female bear that he fell in love with was sotouching. Chantel DuBois is a great addition to the other villains fromDreamworks Animation's other films and the voice work from FrancesMcDormand is excellent while Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada PinkettSmith, David Schwimmer, and the new voice actors voiced the othercharacters brilliantly.The best part would have to go to the animation. The detailed look ofEurope is great especially the places that the zoo animals and thecircus animals went to including Rome and London are beautiful to see.The "Firework" song sequence is a sight to behold and the reason whythis film totally blown me away. The character animation on the animalsis fine and their fur is nicely detailed.Overall, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted is by no means a greatfamily movie and the best of the series. I strongly recommend this tothose who haven't seen it yet or the previous two films. It is thatgood!

paul2001sw-1

(2013-06-19 00:54:13)

Dumbed down

I liked the first 'Madagascar' film; but the third in the seriesdoesn't match it's predecessor, and for a surprising reason: it doesn'tmake sense. You might think that this is a strange criticism of a filmabout a bunch of talking animals, but the skill of the first movie, aswith many of the best animations, was in placing comic absurdity withina set of very human parameters. 'Europe's Most Wanted', however, putsthe emphasis on high velocity action scenes, and tells a story wherethe world of its characters is totally unconstrained: anything canhappen as long as it makes for a spectacular sequence. As a result, thefilm seems much closer to movies like 'Ice Age' than to Pixar'sfrequently outstanding output: one for the kids, but without the depthsthat have made many recent animated movies (includng its own ancestor)something special. However, the train-spotter in me was pleasantlysurprised to see quite how accurately the film portrayed not just thetourist sites of Europe, but even Rome's Termini station.

asmag-nawazi

(2013-06-17 18:03:19)

Madagascar 3 !!!!!!!!!!!!

Once again Eric Darnell made an amazing animated movie. Yes I'm talkingabout Madagascar 3 Europe's Most wanted! It's a 2012 American 3Danimated funny movie produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributedby Paramount pictures. The movie budget is $145 million and it has done$734,291,482 on Box office. Each part or of movie is full of fun! Goodthing about movies is everyone can watch it with their family andmates. The story is quite good I really liked it, especially the policeofficer woman. She works for animal control agency and the way shespeaks English is so funny. Russian tiger role was quit boring butpinging's were amazing and the way they were driving was awesome! Eachpart of movies is speechless. If someone hasn't watched it yet I wouldlike them to go and watch it today before it goes off cinema.

ladyofargonne

(2013-06-17 13:55:18)

Beyond expectations.

I have two grandsons that I adore. I have been held hostage by manymovies so it's nice to get one that's genuinely entertaining. Thismovie is beyond all expectations. It is funny for all ages. Inparticular, the humor aimed at adults is not off color or doubleentendre.Non stop action. Lots of colorful fun. Many unique characters that makeit not seem like just another variation. Great music.A special mention for Sasha Baron Cohen. I don't normally think he'sfunny at all. He is a riot as King Julian. Especially this time aroundhe falls in love with a big bear. There is one scene with them that isdown right touching.Highly recommend.

domtaylor

(2013-06-16 02:15:52)

A 3D family fun ride!

Madagascar 3:Europe's Most Wanted is a lovable film for the wholefamily! The effects and 3D on this film are amazing.The fun is in yourface and you'll just be wanting more. As a family film, it has lots ofjokes including kids jokes and adult jokes which will have you laughingout loud along with all your friends! I prefer this to the firstMadagascar film but I think is on par with the second one! All yourfavourite characters including Alex, Marty, Gloria, Melman, KingJulien, Mort, Maurice, the monkeys and last but not least, thehilarious penguins come to the big screen once more! Throughout themovie, these characters are joined by the clever,villain CaptainChantel DuBois and lots of circus friends! In my opinion thereshouldn't be another Madagascar movie as this one ends the trilogy verynicely and a fourth film would ruin the franchise. This is a great 3Dcinema watch with all of your family and is filled with fun! Thecharacters go,once more, around many places of the world and will takeyou with them laughing! My rating 8/10!

reseth79

(2013-06-15 18:00:41)

Way too much sugar...

After unintentionally hitting my face with a big spring onion (don'task...) I was wondering how I could add some colour and fantasy to thereal story behind the most stupid of the domestic accidents ever whenthe time came to explain why I had a blue eye. I then thought ofMadagascar 3's scriptwriters, whom I picture as children high onFrosties and of the producers who thought the story was good enough toeven be taken into consideration. I wonder what they were high on.It felt as if this film was solely aimed at kids who would be enjoyingtheir jelly beans, sweet popcorn and sugar-laden sodas while watchingit. Wishing I had enjoyed it as much as I did enjoy the first of thethree instalments I felt disappointed when the only thing that made melaugh was the senselessness of it all. I knew I had paid to see ananimation feature, but I sure didn't expect to witness such a storm ofnonsense.I should have seen the 3-D version. All the fireworks and kaleidoscopicvisions would have done their job and covered up the banality of thestory. Isn't that what 3-D is all about?http://the9thscreen.blogspot.de/

gregwetherall

(2013-06-14 22:53:19)

The gang is back for another cross-continental jaunt in a surprisingly effective (and very funny) entry for the series.

Arriving in 2005, in a period when Pixar's dominance lookedall-encompassing, Dreamworks dispensed a challenge to the throne withMadagascar. Success did not look likely when it came accompanied withmiddling-to-poor reviews, which accused it of being one-dimensional andclichéd, despite some humorous characters and a strong voice cast. Itsuffered critically because it lacked the multi-layered intricacies andgroundbreaking animation of Pixar's finest works (of the time period).Such films as, The Incredibles (2004), Finding Nemo (2003) and ToyStory (1995-). Consequently, it was easy to disregard the worth of thismore traditional escapist fare. The audiences spoke in droves, however,with the original feature becoming extremely successful and spawning adisappointing sequel in 2008, entitled, Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa.Off the back of this mixed history comes this third instalment. Thenow-familiar troupe of misfits and comrades are still plotting a returnto their native home of New York, only this time, they opt for a routeacross Europe. This will culminate in brushes with the Frenchauthorities and a frosty reception with a travelling circus withchaotic results. The starry voice cast all return, as Ben Stiller,Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith and Sacha Baron Cohenlend their voices to Alex, Marty, Melman, Gloria and Julien,respectively.It is easy for snobbery to creep in when assessing films, and to becomehaughtily unimpressed by simple satisfaction and crowd-pleasinggestures by film makers. This is highly unfair and unreasonable. Forinstance, does this film put a smile on the viewer's face? Yes. Is itfunny? Extremely. Does it out-stay its welcome? Not really – it wrapsup in a neat hour and a half. All of these factors reflect positivelyon this addition to the Madagascar chain. In fact, it is the strongestof the three films so far. It is a rip-roaring ride that not only packsin a fast-moving plot, but also contains plenty of animation ingenuity.It looks as though this film has been lovingly crafted. As expected,there are bright colours, lots of noises, and strong gags. Julien isback with his funniest lines since the first film and the introductionof new characters replenish the lifeblood of all involved.This does come at the expense of Melman and Gloria, however, who aresidelined slightly in this particular outing. Although fans may bedisappointed with this outcome, it is most likely the result of honingthe script down to bare essentials and trimming any excess that mightenable all to get a fair airing, but to the detriment of telling thetale. Also, criticism could be levelled at a few of the plot excursionswhich have been seen before elsewhere. For example, there is a strandinvolving a moody and aggressive Russian circus tiger, Vitaly, who hasa similar story trajectory and development as that of Paul Newman's DocHudson in Cars (2006).Such nit-picking as that above is pointless and unhelpful in the end.What matters is the expert execution and the feeling that this featuregenerates. Simply, it as enjoyable an animation that has been releasedall year and well worth the price of a cinema ticket.for more film reviews: toomuchnoiseblog.com andwww.huffingtonpost.com/greg-wetherall

Twodude Review

(2013-06-14 12:35:57)

Everybody loves the Circus

It's been seven years since Marty (Chris Rock) escaped his comfortableconfines, followed by Alex (Ben Stiller), Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith)and Melman (David Schwimmer) in Madagascar. Unfortunately, a zebra(Marty), lion (Alex), hippopotamus (Gloria), and giraffe (Melman)running loose in the Big Apple isn't easily accepted. Once captured,the four life-long friends are put in animal containers and shipped toAfrica; and end up in Madagascar, found by King Julian (Sacha BaronCohen) and his tribe of lemurs. In Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa, thegroup end up in *SPOILER* Africa, and now in Madagascar 3: Europe'sMost Wanted, the wayward animals are stranded in Africa, trying to maketheir way back to New York's Central Park Zoo.Although the first Madagascar wasn't perfect, it was an enjoyablefamily film; made even more so by its cast of characters and especiallyby its breakout stars, the penguins: Skipper (Tom McGrath), Kowalski(Chris Miller), Private (Christopher Knights) and Rico. Madagascar 2:Escape to Africa tried to relive the comedic moments from the firstfilm far too often, and even worse, came off as a cheap imitation ofthe Lion King. It wasn't a matter of would a 3rd film be made, not witha combined gross of over $373 million, but when would it be made? Andwould it be an improvement over the 2nd film?Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted starts off familiar, with our trustyfoursome, along with help from King Julien, Mort (Andy Richter) andMaurice (Cedric the Entertainer) making their way to Monte Carlo totrack down the ever so tricky penguins, to gain their help in the hopesof getting back home. Upon their arrival and ensuing crashing of aMonte Carlo casino, they become the target of local Animal Control ledby Captain Chantel DuBois (Frances McDormand). In order to avoid beingfound, the group takes refuge as part of Circus Zaragoza, a travelingcircus.Madagascar 3 is a definite improvement over Escape to Africa; however,the film is not without its flaws. The biggest issue is the inclusionof the Monte Carlo Animal Control. I realize that it's a plot deviceused to guide the film's stars to the traveling circus, but it didn'tfeel necessary; often it felt forced, and intrusive to the story.Captain Chantel DuBois is aggressive and non-stop of her pursuit ofAlex for the sole purpose of mounting his head on her wall. Truth betold, once the four make it to the circus she becomes irrelevant.The opposite can be said for the traveling circus, and the cast of newcharacters introduced. Vitaly (Bryan Cranston) the tiger, Gia (JessicaChastain) the jaguar, Stefano (Martin Short) the sea-lion and Sonya(Frank Welker) the bear perform various stunts and acts in the failingcircus. Once Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman incorporate themselves intoact, the movie really takes off. It becomes a bright, fun and enjoyablespectacle to watch. The interactions between the old and new charactersare done perfectly and in such a way that easily integrates the newcharacters into the Madagascar lore; in the case of King Julien andSonya, their relationship provides some of the films funniest moments.The issues I have with Madagascar as a franchise is the length of timespent in Madagascar, Africa and now Monte Carlo, all in the hopes ofgetting back home. I'd also rather not even see any human characters inthe films, because all they do is take away time from the films' actualstars. They don't add anything in the form of plot, and that screentime could be better used by showing more of the penguins. Speaking ofwhich, I realize they have a T.V. show of their own, but isn't it timewe get a Penguins of Madagascar movie??What makes Madagascar 3 work is the exceptional voice work done by theactors and actresses. The chemistry between them shines through inevery sequence. The addition of the new characters, as well asintroducing the traveling circus allows for new opportunities to helpthe franchise move forward. My only request is that they don't continueto have Marty sing "dadadalala Afro-circus, Afro-circus, polka-dot,polka-dot, polka-dot, Afro", because I'm not sure how much more I cantake of hearing my kids sing it. Although not on par with films byPixar, Disney or even Dreamworks' own How to Train Your Dragon, Ireally enjoyed Madagascar 3 and hope they take advantage of the storypossibilities revolving around a traveling circus.Grade: Bvisit our site at www.twodudereview.com

rgkarim

(2013-06-14 11:09:02)

Third Times the Charm!

A kids movie is usually a reviewer's worst nightmare, not for themovie, but instead the audience. The constant chattering from kids, theexcessive screaming and crying, and perhaps worst of all sitting behinda couple of adolescent's who think it's the best thing in the world tokick your chair are all annoying distractions. However, I decided toface this annoyance and review the latest kids flick Madagascar 3 onthis beautiful Sunday. What were my thoughts on this movie? Read on tofind out. With some of the recent disappointments I've seen this summer, I wasthinking this sequel was a safe bet after seeing the trailers. Forthose who haven't seen the trailers, here is a quick summary. The crazyanimal quartet of Alex (Ben Stiller), Marty (Chris Rock), Gloria (JadaPinkett Smith), and Melman (David Schwimmer) are tired of Africa wherethey traveled to in the last film. Their destination is none other thanthe central park zoo, but they must first head to Monte Carlo to pickup the penguins and the chimps that have the only plane. As expected,things don't go as planned and the gang is soon chased by an eliteanimal hunter named Captain Dubois (Frances McDormand) and her silentposse. In an attempt to elude her, they hitch a ride on a circus train,which is home to an energetic seal named Stefano (Martin Short), anaspiring Jaguar star Gia (Jessica Chastain) and a Tiger with anattitude named Vitaly (Bryan Cranston). What will happen to the gang?No surprise this movie was a safe bet, but at the same time was perhapsone of the most fun animated movies I've ever seen. What started out asa mirror of the trailers for the first ten minutes became a wild rideof fun, humor, and balance that kept me entertained. However, once thechase began the pace picked up and the surprises began to flood in. Onemajor surprise was how well the chase scene was done and the clever useof penguin ingenuity. Although Dubois' moves were a little overeccentric and silly at points, it was still exciting and perhaps thebest chase scene since the Italian Job. Another surprise came from themultiple stories embedded in this film. The main story like always isfor Alex and the gang to get home, but within the main tale lie storiesof passion, dreams, pride, and unity that connect all of the characterstogether. There are also a couple of love stories in the movie as well,one that is cute, the other more funny/ridiculous than anything else,both entertaining. All of these stories, mixed in with some diversecomedy, were very entertaining and I felt that many audience memberswill love. The other major strength of this movie is the animation. As I've saidbefore, DreamWorks animation team knows how to make digital art come tolife. Throughout the entire movie the movements of the animals weresmooth, flowing, and well edited that impressed me once more. Even thelip work of the animals seemed to mimic the human way of speaking thatis seldom seen in animation. Yet this movie also had something theother two didn't have, and that was being shot in 3-D. Although Ididn't see it in 3-D, there were various shots that one could easilytell were meant to pop out at you, most likely to add another level ofentertainment for the kids. While most of the 3-D seemed to involvethings flying out at the audience, there were a few scenes andsequences I thought would be fantastic in 3-D adding more depth, color,and pizazz to what was already a good scene. The soundtrack for thefilm may have also helped with the entertainment values, especially oneof the best uses of Katy Perry's Firework song, even though I had heardit three times in the same movie. Another thing I really enjoyed wasthat this was a fun, feel good movie that manages to give you an energyboost on some level. Despite how much I enjoyed it though, there are a few weak things tomention that may or may not be important to you. Perhaps one of thebiggest weak areas is the lack of Mort, Maurice, and the penguin humor.Although they had some show stealing moments, fans of these characterswill be a little disappointed to see how little their humor they have.Instead they shifted more of the focus on the new circus animals, inparticular Stefano. My next warning is for those who are not a fan ofMartin Short comedy as the movie is filled with his constant screamingand anxiety filled dialog that was humorous for me at some points, butat some points annoying. Perhaps a third thing to mention is how muchthe team focused on kiddy comedy than adult and kid comedy. UnlikeShrek or even the first Madagascar, this film didn't have thewell-disguised adult humor and instead was more about juvenile bonkingon the heads, and mindless screaming. As I'm sure you can guess though,the movie is very predictable and at points shallow, but that is whatmost kids' movies are these days.Madagascar 3 is definitely one movie I suggest you head to the theatersto see. Although you can guess what is going to happen, the animationand visual effects of the movie combined with the fun soundtrack aresure to keep you entertained. If you are looking for a film to see witha group of friends, a church group, or even just to take your kid tosee this is the movie for you. Although not the most unique, it isstill very entertaining and worthy of attention. My scores for thismovie are: Animation/Adventure/Comedy: 8.5 Movie Overall: 7.5 Tune innext week for more reviews.

deutschlars

(2013-06-13 16:55:25)

Beautiful animation, amazing 3D and full of energy

This is by far my favorite film of the Madagascar series.It is insanely fast and very energetic. Very often movies have a greatopening scene and then they settle into a slower pace or opt for a moregrounded feel. In this movie every scene is snappy, every character isover the top, everything is always theatrical and it is fun beginningto end. It is clever and it clearly makes a decision not to be heavy, not evenfor a moment. There is no moralizing and it totally disregards (evenanimation) "reality" for more fun, more stunning animation or morestunning 3D. It has a great tone and the lemur / bear on tricycle lovestory is just one of many great little extras that make you smile frombeginning to end of this movie.

Chris_Pandolfi

(2013-06-13 14:32:14)

The Simple Joy of Cartoon Watching

The greatest pleasure of "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" is thatit's nothing more or less than what it is. There is not a scene, acharacter, a shot, or a line of dialogue that falls within the realm ofplausibility. It's a red-blooded cartoon – physically impossible,narratively unbound, totally absurd. It was a wonderful experience. Ithink we sometimes put too much pressure on ourselves to apply meaningto every movie we see; films like this are like a shot in the arm, forthey give us license to put our brains on autopilot and take it at facevalue. I savored the humor, the charm, and the visuals, the latter ofwhich are quite imaginative and surprisingly enhanced by the process of3D. That shouldn't stop you from saving your money and seeing it intraditional 2D, however, especially since you will be seeing a brighterpicture.Picking up exactly where its predecessor left off, the film begins withour favorite New York City Zoo castaways – the lion Alex (voiced by BenStiller), the zebra Marty (voiced by Chris Rock), the hippo Gloria(voiced by Jada Pinkett Smith), and the giraffe Melman (voiced by DavidSchwimmer) – swimming from the African continent to Monte Carlo in aneffort to find the Penguins. Their arrival and subsequent infiltrationof a casino was well planned but poorly executed; they're immediatelynoticed by the elegantly-dressed gamblers, who run away screaming. Thisattracts the attention of Captain Chantel DuBois of Monaco AnimalControl (voiced by Frances McDormand), a black-clad, military-likematron who lives for the conquest of hunting and stuffing animals,specifically their heads. All she needs is a lion to complete thepicture.Apparently indestructible (she can literally break through brick walls,concrete, and glass and only have to reapply her lipstick), a skilledninja-like acrobat, and armed with an inhuman ability to crawl on theground and sniff out animals on the run, DuBois takes part in abreathtaking action sequence that begins with a car chase and ends withall the characters dangling from the opening of a makeshift airplane.When the castaways finally do escape, they determine to work their wayback to New York City. Lo and behold, they take shelter on board atravelling circus train, where the animal act could be transported tothe U.S. if their tryout in London is successful. The leader, a Russiantiger named Vitaly (voiced by Bryan Cranston), is an angry soul wholost his spirit for performing after years of greasing himself up andjumping through hoops no bigger than an ordinary ring.Under constant threat from Vitaly, who has the ability to throw knives,the castaways are told in no uncertain terms that only circus animalsare allowed on the train. Naturally, they lie. They also take it uponthemselves to train the circus animals, not only because the Penguinsbought the deed from their original owners but also because they'regenuinely awful. They befriend an Italian jaguar named Gia (voiced byJessica Chastain) and an Italian sea lion named Stefano (voiced byMartin Short). The former, sleek and beautiful, is a trapeze artist.The latter, although a few coconuts short of a palm tree, is eager tohave himself shot out of a cannon. Meanwhile, the lemur King Julien(voiced by Sacha Baron Cohen), immediately falls in love with agigantic tutu-wearing bear that rides around on a tiny bicycle. She'sthe only animal character that doesn't talk and actually looks a littlesomething like a real bear.The circus' opening night in London is an astounding display of visualcreativity. The animals defy gravity as they swoop, flip, and flythrough gigantic neon-colored hoops that hover in the air. Melman andGloria perform a tight-rope act across glowing chords that look likeenormous guitar strings, and Alex and Gia team up for awe-inspiringtrapeze stunts. This is the one scene that exemplifies the bestutilization of the 3D process; yes, characters fly at you in gimmickyways, but at the same time, we feel immersed in an explosion of sightand sound. The motivating force behind this revamped show, on the basisof Alex's motivational speech earlier in the film, was Cirque duSoleil. The characters never actually utter those exact words, but weknow exactly what they're talking about.There are many genuinely funny moments, although admittedly, childrenare unlikely to pick up on them. Consider, for example, the Penguins'sarcastic, disparaging comparisons between the French and Canadian workphilosophies. Also consider the scene in which DuBois finds herselfwithout backup, her entire team lying in hospital beds wearing fullbody casts; it seems that, when you passionately sing the French anthem"Non Je Ne Regrette Rien," it inspires such devotion to a cause thatthe body can actually break through the hardened casts. Isn't it nice,how the filmmakers had both parents and children in mind? "Madagascar3: Europe's Most Wanted" may be little more than unbridled cartoonwackiness, but let it not be said that adults aren't just as deservingof pure entertainment.-- Chris Pandolfi (www.atatheaternearyou.net)

Ostrumation

(2013-06-13 02:03:08)

Lots and Lots of Fun

"Madagascar" and "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" were decent entries inDreamWorks' animated line-up. The first one had good ideas, niceslapstick and stylized animation but a story that quickly lost steamhalfway through and a had screenplay that just wouldn't keep quiet. Thesecond one was more story-oriented and had better characterdevelopment, but a lot of the fun that defined the first film feltabsent. I could only imagine what a third "Madagascar" was going to dowith these characters and such. From the trailers, I thought it lookedlike a disaster in the making. Just a safe, harmless money-maker forDreamWorks so they could support the more ambitious works like "How toTrain Your Dragon" and the upcoming "Rise of the Guardians".Fortunately, I was proved wrong. "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted"knows exactly what it wants to be: A crazy, over-the-top, colorfulcomedy for both kids and adults. What was actually surprising was thatthis was almost devoid of the mean-spirited humor and pop culturereferences that dominated a lot of the older DreamWorks' computeranimated films and the first two "Madagascar" films. This one focusesmore on the story, even though the story may not be spectacular by anymeans. It's your basic get back home story, and the animals join aEuropean circus to get there. They pull a nice big lie, you know thedeal. The character development is good too, in fact I thought the zoogang was far more interesting in this film than they were in the firsttwo. I also enjoyed the new characters, as the second film's new batchof characters were bland and forgettable. The circus gang is just aslikable as the zoo gang, if not more interesting."Madagascar 3", like its predecessors, also has very good animation.This time, the writers take the silliness and launch it over the top.This is essentially the whole idea of the franchise realized. All therules are thrown out the window: There's crazy antics from the film'svillain running through walls like a wrecking ball to the charactershanging off of the chimpanzees on a makeshift helicopter. The first 20minutes alone are some of the wildest, craziest stuff you'll see in ananimated film this year. It's all handled well too, the animatorsprobably had a load of fun with this film.Even more satisfying is the screenplay, which Noah Baumbach (WesAnderson's protГѓВ©gГѓВ©) spiced up. As I said earlier, this one balancesboth the story and the fun without having one overshadow. There are afew problems, and the movie isn't great by any means. It's basically afun animated film. It's certainly not Pixar or something else, and itknows it. It just wants the audience have a good time. I sure did.

david suazo

(2013-06-12 00:15:49)

Best in all time

I can consider this movie as one of the best animations ever because ofthe exciting scenes it has.I really loved it as a teenager and it hastwo parts which include music.There are some circus shows that wasreally great(In Madagascar style). Your children or even you are ableto take many great messages from it.There are new and nice charactersin the movie.9 can be the least rating you can think of.If you wantbring up your kid like a loser don't let him watch this movie. I wishall countries in the world would be able to make such brilliant andoutrageous movies in order to teach their children good lessons.Legend.Of.Persia

Bruno Wang

(2013-06-11 07:57:15)

See it in 3D for sure!

I took my 5 year old to see Madagascar 3 and he really enjoyed it. Thefilm is pretty much along the lines of the first two with Alex, Marty,Gloria and Melman trying to find a way to get to their true home at thezoo in the Big Apple. The film is a fast paced 90 minutes and the jokescome pretty rapid fire. There's enough laughter for both kids andadults and some cute visual gags.Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted. The best thing that Madagascarachieves is that it out does it's trailer and is most definitely inleague with the first two installments of the trilogy. Some are sayingthis is the best of the three, but Bruno Wang disagrees. I feel prettystrongly that the first Madagascar stands as the best.In Madagascar 3, the gang, Alex the Lion (Ben Stiller), Marty the Zebra(Chris Rock), Melman the Giraffe (David Schwimmer) and Gloria the Hippo(Jada Pinkett Smith), while still in Africa, decide that they are nolonger going to wait for the penguins, who have gone to Monte Carlowith jewels to gamble. The four main characters travel to Monte Carloand get discovered where they then begin the chase across Europe to tryand escape Captain Chantel DuBois (Frances McDormand). In the processof trying to hide out, the main characters join a run down travelingcircus where they ultimately help the circus to reinvent itself andearn a ticket back to New York City to put on a performance.The plot is well balanced and the new circus characters, which are thecheetah girl Gia, a Russian tiger named Vitaly and Stefano (MartinShort) as the sea lion add depth to the movie. There are even somedeveloping relationships that come from the new mix of charactersleading one to wonder if a Madagascar 4 might be in the works.As in the first 2 films, Sacha Baron Cohen plays the wacky King Julienand his repertoire of comedy stays true to the first films. InMadagascar 3, King Julien falls madly in love with a tricycle ridingcircus bear and some of the better jokes and sight gags come from thisunusual relationship. One interesting item of note is that the circusbear is the only animal that does not actually talk. All of the othercircus animals speak but the bear just growls and grunts.All in all this is a solid addition to the trilogy and it will beinteresting to see if it is kept that way or if a successful outingwill lead to a potential 4th. Most franchises die with a number 4 so wewill see.The basic themes of friendship and sticking together through thick andthin and banding together to fight the bad guy and never giving up areall the solid story lines that offer something meaningful to the kids.The rest is just some good humor and cute sight gags and the music ismodern (Katy Perry and some 90s pop) as well as the soon to be rehashed"Afro Circus"...much like "I Like to Move It" will be a big hit withkids.I give this movie a Bruno Wang 4 stars out of 5. It is a fun andvisually pleasing 90 minute romp. The characters are strong and the newcharacters add depth to the film. Definitely see the 3D version if youcan...it is worth the couple extra bucks.

kosmasp

(2013-06-10 18:30:26)

Fun ride

I have to admit, that I didn't think this was going to entertain me asmuch as it did. There is the thin plot that made some people say thatit gets the wrong message across. While it isn't entirely true(especially if you watch the movie you'll see there is more to it), youcan understand why people would think that after watching the trailerof the movie.And there was also the weaker second Madagascar movie that I had in theback of my mind. So I was hesitant when I went to see this one. But thejokes do work most of the time (even though there are some weird musicchoices in the movie). The 3-D effects are also really addingadditional value to the movie. Animated movies seem to get them rightmost of the time anyway, but I thought I mentioned this anyway.So maybe I liked it because of my low expectations or at least ithelped a lot. But still if you are open minded you'll have fun withthis

jaemiewaters

(2013-06-10 12:07:46)

Madagascar 3 Europe's Most Wanted is a must see movie for everyone

Madagascar 3 Europe's Most Wanted 3D is a must see movie for everyoneof all ages it is easily the best Madagascar movie so far you willenjoy this eye popping 3D movie it is incredible if you are looking fora movie that is OK for your kids than Madagascar 3 is it i hope youenjoy it if you like DreamWorks movies than you will enjoy this i hopeyou enjoy it as much as i did i really think this has been the bestanimated movie of the year for sure it is a classic it is a laugh outloud movie for everyone of all ages it is a movie that you don't wantto miss that is how good it is but you have to watch it in 3D only inever saw anything this good since Prometheus but i still thinkPrometheus better but it is R rated and Madagascar 3 is PG i hope youenjoy this movie everyone especially the kids i really hope that yourkids enjoy i hope they laugh i never saw a movie this amazing sincePrometheus go see Prometheus and Madagascar but kids the parents shouldgo see Prometheus because it is rated R hope you enjoy Madagascar 3parents and kids

khfan250

(2013-06-09 23:29:57)

3 Stars for the 3rd Installment of this Awful Franchise!

As bad as they are, I've been pretty lenient on Dreamwork's"Madagascar" franchise, for the most part. The first one was prettyawful; it was tedious, unfunny, and tried to shove that "Move It, MoveIt" song down our throats. The second one I remember enjoying. Thejokes did improve, even at the expense of the story, but for a kid'smovie, it was sub-par. The third movie takes what made the second moviesuch fun and ruins it! We spend about five minutes of the movie inAfrica where the second movie left off before the animals SWIM TO MONTECARLO. How? Only the half-baked minds of the writers could answerthat...When they arrive in Monte Carlo, they find the penguins and the monkeyshave disguised themselves as the Prince of Versailles so they can getaway with playing poker. Since I doubt your six year old kids know whothe Prince of Versailles is, they will be utterly confused while yourbusy asking yourself "Why the heck would the Prince of Versailles beplaying poker in Monte Carlo? This is the worst disguise ever!"But, as you might have guessed, the animals are discovered, so asecurity guard calls in Captain DuBois of animal control to take careof them. And this is where I actually start to sort of enjoy myself.Captain DuBois is the only character with a clear motive and a likablepersonality. The way she's animated is quite hilarious and she has thebest lines of dialogue in the entire movie. And how sad is that when apsychotic, obsessive woman is the most identifiable character in themovie.The animals get away on their plane but the plane crashes. The animalssneak aboard a circus train. Here, we're introduced to Vitaly theRussian Tiger, Gia the Jaguar, and Stefano the Sea Lion. And here, I'msorry to inform you, is where I end the plot synopsis because Ihonestly have NO IDEA what goes on afterwards. From there until the endof the movie is a jumbled, incoherent mess. Final verdict: I apologize that this isn't a complete review, but Ijust don't have a clue what to say about the rest of the movie. Myguess is that if you want to keep your kids quiet for about ninetyminutes, then this is okay. But there are much better movies for themthat'll do just that. If your a fan of the first two, you'll probablylike this okay.

Michikwee

(2013-06-09 07:28:24)

The Old Gang meeting The New Gang

Usually I am a bit apprehensive when I heard about the sequel of acartoon movie or any movie comes to think of it, especially if thepredecessor proved to be a good one.But Madagascar had different effect on me, it actually excite me,perhaps due to Ben Stiller was the voice behind it or more to see thosePenguins, I think somehow the Penguins won here… I even watched theNickoledeon TV Series of the Penguins life, it was Hilarious! If onlyit minus the King Julien.Then it hit me, was what the script would be about, coz I thought theylived happily ever after in Africa (?)Well, when the movie opened with Alex and the Gang longing to be backto NYC, I said to myself, this is exactly how the Urbanite feels afterthey been away from the urban life. Just like human, just like me…And then, those crazy Penguins; Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private;together with the British accent chimps going rampant in casino, was ahilarious idea. Mason and Phil were the 2 crazy, sarcastic, sometimessmart sometimes easily fooled chimpanzees played more part in thismovie compared to previous.The unexpected characters and story lines blended very well bringingfun and tickled to your belly kind a way, it didn't make sense but hey,that the ticklish part of it. It was not Pixar-esque movies.Well, since this was the 3rd movie, most of us already familiar withthe main characters of the Zoo-Escapist, let's go through the new guyson the neighbourhood of Madagascar 3As you know the main story line was Alex and gang in an effort to getthe Penguins to fly back to NYC, ended up trying to escape the verypersistent Monte Carlo Animal Control Officer, unexpectedly joined agroup of animal circus which turned out almost running out of its moneyand needed to be rejuvenated. Here are the new characters who spiced up the story line:I normally 'hate' or shall I say dislike King Julien character,annoying to the core, but, when he fell in love on first sight withSonya, the tricycle bike chick; I found it was a sweet and funnymoments. The clips when they went out on date, the King even met withthe Pope, was that supposed to show he was a Catholic lemur (?), whatan idea! Ha ha… Hilarity climax ensued when Sonya being given a racingmotor bike. Who would've guessed, a female brown bear wearing pink tutuand ribbon could being portrayed as a female version of Rossi..Stefano, an Italian sea lion who was naïve but I'd say the glue to thecircus and big believer of Vitaly, the Russian tiger. It struck meimmediately that Vitaly was a Siberian Tiger (?) as he was Russian (?).I felt so tickled when it was told that Vitaly act in the circus wasgoing through Rings, and not just those normal Rings/Hoops, it sizesvaried until it was a Ring Finger size, it was impossible, right? Butin this movie it was possible by the help of Olive Oil. But Vitalyconfidence diminished when he was caught on fire from the flaming ringsof fire, because Olive Oil was flammable! Luckily Alex was to therescue by suggesting him to use Hair Conditioner which was Non-Flammable.When there was a Lion, there would be a Lioness or Female Feline. Andno exception here, this time Alex met a pretty Jaguar who was soflexible, and having exotic name, Gia. Memorable moment was when shethought she learnt 'Americano Trapeze' style from Alex.Captain Chantel DuBois, a very 'ambitious' animal control officer, Icouldn't imagined what this world would've become if we have policeofficer like her (not animal control officer though); it would be anideal world, perhaps (???)As for the gang, Marty the Zebra was still the comedian and the clip ofhim doing Afro Circus Dance with Ra-Ta-Ta-Ta Afro Circus Tune wasreally an ear worm.I still recalled Maurice's expression when King Julien was swallowed bySonya, he smiled happily but then turned sour the moment King Julienwas spitted out. Too bad, right, Maurice? And who could have missed thecute super duper worshipper, Mort, he also got more screen time in thismovie.Overall, it was a good movie for all ages and not a disappointingsequel indeed..It certainly one of my fave animated movies.I wonder will Dream Works plan to have another sequel? The executiveproducer should ask the Penguins!

danieltay47

(2013-06-09 17:25:44)

Best Comedy show of 2012 and best of the whole Madagascar series

It's been 7 years since the first Madagascar show and without doubt,the show has constantly improve without fail. One thing which I amtruly amaze is that this series could actually keep in touch with it'scomedy without losing it especially since most comedy series tends todie down as it continues. A good example to give is "Shrek". It startedall funny and nice, but as it progresses to "Shrek 2", comedy starts todie down and it hit rock bottom with "Shrek the Third". No doubt "ShrekForever After" did better than "Shrek The Third" but overall, the wholeseries lose it's roots. Which is why to me, this show deserves this 10out of 10 rating as not only did it keep to its roots, but it improvesit tremendously from the first to the second one. One thing I like mostabout this show is the balance of both child like comedy with adulthumor and also, with some dirty jokes here and there. With all thiselements together, it makes the show prefect. And the romance of Giaand Alex or King Julien with the grizzly bear was indeed hilarious andinteresting. To sum it all, a MUST SEE comedy show and it willdefinitely be worth the money to buy the DVD when it comes out.

aharmas

(2013-06-08 19:53:42)

Fun, Fun, Fun, Fun, and Just More Fun

Pixar is going to have a tough time taking the Animated Oscar away fromthis troupe. Without going into much detail, and this type of filmshouldn't be deconstructed for much depth and hidden meanings, let'sjust say, our quartet and the associated penguins have finally hit thetarget, not once, but over and over.We have a film that didn't reveal much in his early previews and savedmuch fun for the final release, and it's a ball!! It seems as ifeverything visual gag, every joke, every nuance, every special effectjust works. When I attended its screening, young and old people werelaughing out loud, relating to the highs and lows of each character,and as I mentioned before, every single one of the characters hasfinally found a way to shine, with none of the extended and sometimespainful exposition pieces that dragged the original down. It'sbeautiful to see when a project of this type works because as oflately, we have been getting some pretty contrived entries that forgetto let that heart beat loud.It's fun to see the penguins take on a much sympathetic approachwithout sacrificing some of their quite daring personalities. They arenot sweet, just a bit less mean than before, and this time they manageto even top themselves in the resourceful and imaginative categories.One of the most pleasant surprises is the female antagonist, voiced byFrances McDormand, an interesting choice for this type ofentertainment, but a most successful performance in every aspect. Sheis an instant classic from the earlier sections of the film until itsclosing frames.Here is a sweet, silly, charming, and very entertaining movie,something that will be hard to top, if there ever is a 4th entry to theseries.